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<h1 class="">Calls for Botanic Garden to lose funding over language row</h1>
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<span class="">By <a class="" target="" href="http://www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/people/Carmarthen%20Journal/profile.html">Carmarthen Journal</a></span>
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<span class="">Posted: April 15, 2015</span>
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<img class="" src="http://www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276388/Article/images/26329002/9856165-large.jpg" alt="The National Botanic Garden in Llanarthne"><div style="width:618px;height:90px" id="picad_div"><div style="width:618px;height:81px" id="picad_overlay_div"><div style="height:90px" id="picad_overlay_holder"><div id="ism_fd_holder_ad"><div id="ism_fd_iframe_holder" style><div id="ism_info_v2_1" class="">
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The National Botanic Garden in Llanarthne</p>
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<p>WELSH language campaigners are calling for the Welsh Government
and Carmarthenshire Council to withhold funding for the county's
National Botanic Garden of Wales after a row over English-only signs.</p><p>The Llanarthne tourist attraction has been at the heart of a <a style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;border:0px none transparent;padding:0px;background-color:transparent;background-image:none;display:inline" class="" href="http://www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/Language-row-thorn-garden/story-26329002-detail/story.html#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow"><span id="itxthook0p" class=""><span id="itxthook0w" class="" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;text-decoration:underline!important;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-style:none none solid;border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,204,0);padding:0px 0px 1px!important;color:rgb(0,153,0);background-color:transparent">social media</span><img class="" id="itxthook0icon" src="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png" style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px ! important; margin: 0px ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important;"></span></a>
storm over the past week after complaints that an English-only sign
advertising an Easter event at the garden was placed near the A48.</p><p>The garden initially defended the sign, saying it was designed to attract non-Welsh speaking tourists.</p><p>Now,
Welsh language campaigners Cymdeithas yr Iaith has written to the First
Minister Carwyn Jones and Carmarthenshire Council leader Kevin Madge,
calling for the garden's funding to be halted until it "shows due
respect to the Welsh language".</p>
<p>The letter reads: "The garden's attitude towards the Welsh language
is very far from what is expected in the 21st Century. Not only that,
but when people have complained about the lack of basic <a style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;border:0px none transparent;padding:0px;background-color:transparent;background-image:none;display:inline" class="" href="http://www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/Language-row-thorn-garden/story-26329002-detail/story.html#" id="itxthook1" rel="nofollow"><span id="itxthook1p" class=""><span id="itxthook1w" class="" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;text-decoration:underline!important;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-style:none none solid;border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,204,0);padding:0px 0px 1px!important;color:rgb(0,153,0);background-color:transparent">services</span><img class="" id="itxthook1icon" src="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png" style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px ! important; margin: 0px ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important;"></span></a>
and respect towards the Welsh language, response from the garden's
officers have been unacceptable and bordering on rude. We understand
that you provide significant funding to the garden every year. We call
on you to hold the funding back until the garden shows due respect to
the Welsh language."</p><p>Concerns have also been raised about the high number of mono-lingual pages on the garden's <a style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;border:0px none transparent;padding:0px;background-color:transparent;background-image:none;display:inline" class="" href="http://www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/Language-row-thorn-garden/story-26329002-detail/story.html#" id="itxthook2" rel="nofollow"><span id="itxthook2p" class=""><span id="itxthook2w" class="" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;text-decoration:underline!important;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-style:none none solid;border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,204,0);padding:0px 0px 1px!important;color:rgb(0,153,0);background-color:transparent">website</span><img class="" id="itxthook2icon" src="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png" style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px ! important; margin: 0px ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important;"></span></a>.</p><p>St
Clears resident Iola Wyn, who first raised the issue of the sign, said
the garden could not call itself "national" until it adhered to its own
language policy.</p><p>Mrs Wyn added that the garden was letting down the 78,000 Welsh speakers living in Carmarthenshire.</p><p>She
told the Journal: "When people comment, using words like "disgraceful",
"unbelievable" and "I can't believe this" — these are people from
Carmarthenshire.</p><p>"They are just people living in the area — they aren't Welsh language campaigners."</p><p>Dr
Rosie Plummer, the National Botanic Garden's director has, however,
reiterated the garden's commitment to the Welsh language. She said: "The
garden, as an iconic organisation and environmental flagship for Wales,
is very committed to its wide <a style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;border:0px none transparent;padding:0px;background-color:transparent;background-image:none;display:inline" class="" href="http://www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/Language-row-thorn-garden/story-26329002-detail/story.html#" id="itxthook3" rel="nofollow"><span id="itxthook3p" class=""><span id="itxthook3w" class="" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;text-decoration:underline!important;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-style:none none solid;border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,204,0);padding:0px 0px 1px!important;color:rgb(0,153,0);background-color:transparent">support</span><img class="" id="itxthook3icon" src="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png" style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px ! important; margin: 0px ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important;"></span></a> for the culture, language, and heritage of Wales and makes substantial allocation of resources and effort to this.</p><p>"It
is therefore enormously disappointing to be subject to such vigorous
approaches that largely seem to overlook the very wide range of ways in
which the garden actively contributes to bringing the unique importance
of Wales to everyone who visits."</p><p>She added: "We are very sorry indeed that the matter of a single, targeted <a style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;border:0px none transparent;padding:0px;background-color:transparent;background-image:none;display:inline" class="" href="http://www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/Language-row-thorn-garden/story-26329002-detail/story.html#" id="itxthook4" rel="nofollow"><span id="itxthook4p" class=""><span id="itxthook4w" class="" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;text-decoration:underline!important;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-style:none none solid;border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,204,0);padding:0px 0px 1px!important;color:rgb(0,153,0);background-color:transparent">marketing</span><img class="" id="itxthook4icon" src="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png" style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px ! important; margin: 0px ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important;"></span></a>
banner has been felt, in any way, to diminish our commitment or our
representation of the importance and essence of the Welsh language.</p><p>"This
is certainly not the view or interpretation we would seek to convey and
clearly we will explore how best we can, in future, successfully
capture the attention of those from outside Wales who transit through
Carmarthen on its arterial roads, without being aware, or ever stopping
to benefit from the many assets it offers."</p><p>Mrs Wyn said the garden's response is meaningless unless they show a greater commitment to the language.</p><p>Manon
Elin, from Cymdeithas yr Iaith added: "Why should people fund the
National Botanic Garden of Wales when it is so disrespectful towards the
Welsh language?"</p></div></div></div></div></div><div style="overflow:hidden;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-align:left;text-decoration:none;border:medium none"><br>Read more: <a style="color:rgb(0,51,153)" href="http://www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/Language-row-thorn-garden/story-26329002-detail/story.html#ixzz3XOKThARZ">http://www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/Language-row-thorn-garden/story-26329002-detail/story.html#ixzz3XOKThARZ</a>
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