A Strategy for Cornish
The Charter requires the UK Government to ensure the needs and wishes of Cornish speakers and people wanting to learn Cornish are taken into consideration in implementing Part II.
This will be an ongoing process but public consultations held in Cornwall in 2003, to inform the development of a strategy for Cornish, have enabled those needs and wishes to be captured at an early stage.
The strategy, commissioned by a Cornish Language Advisory Group, has been adopted by Cornwall County Council and Cornish language organisations. In June 2005, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced Government match funding to support an application by Cornwall County Council for EU Objective 1 funding for a Strategy Manager and supporting resources to take forward work on implementing the strategy.
The strategy document, published in Cornish and English, is available on the Cornwall County Council website (link below) together with further news, links to Cornish language organisations and other information on the language.
Our Role
Government Office for the South West played a central role in advising the Government on the case for recognition of the Cornish language under the Charter, including the commissioning of an independent academic study in 2000, to help inform the Government's decision. In addition, we:
- act as a single local co-ordinating point of contact between Government Departments and Cornish language organisations on implementing the Charter, and
- are represented on the Cornish Language Advisory Group and a Steering Group that developed the Strategy.
The full independent academic study report is available to download in various parts as follows:
