In March 2021 a website was launched bringing all the Papurau Bro together in one place: www.papuraubro.cymru. Long established in Wales – the Papurau Bro are local Welsh language papers full of local stories, events and knowledge, brought together by the local community for the community.
The website offers contact information for the 58 Papurau Bro in Wales, including the 2 in England, for established readers of the Papurau Bro and newcomers alike. People from Wales and beyond can use the interactive map to easily find out which is their local Papur Bro.
Dylan Lewis, chair of Papur Bro Clonc (Lampeter area) says: “We have needed this website for years. All who work for the Papurau Bro throughout Wales do so exceptionally hard, but it’s wonderful to have that feeling of being a part of something bigger.”
The Papurau Bro depend on large teams of volunteers to produce the papers every month. The new website includes an intranet, a means for the volunteers to share facilities and to communicate more efficiently.
Heledd ap Gwynfor on behalf of Mentrau Iaith Cymru [Welsh Language Initiatives says: “We are happy to have been able to support the Papurau Bro by working on this important project. We hope that this website will continue to create a platform for the Papurau Bro to move together and develop during a time when digital presence is so important.”
The Welsh Government partly funds the Papurau Bro as part of the Grant to Promote and Facilitate the Welsh language. Mentrau Iaith Cymru administers these grants and organise meetings, providing networking opportunities for the Papurau Bro throughout Wales.
Eluned Morgan, Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Welsh Language says: “Local newspapers play an important role in communities across Wales, and technology is also a vital element as we aim for a million Welsh speakers by 2050. Opportunities need to be grasped and technological challenges tackled, so I’m delighted to see the new website developing, which will boost the Welsh language locally and nationally.”
Mentrau Iaith Cymru has formed a constructive relationship with Bro360, a scheme that provides hyper-local community websites under its umbrella organisation, the Welsh language media company, Golwg. Joint training was organised by MIC and Bro360 for the Papurau Bro volunteers during March 2021. Lowri Jones of Bro360 says: “We are pleased that Bro360 has been able to help the Papurau Bro continue to publish during this challenging time. We look forward to helping the papers develop further by offering Golwg’s expertise in the field of independent journalism to deliver three training sessions for the Papurau Bro over the coming weeks.”