Bòrd na Gàidhlig proud to unveil new Gaelic identifier ¬– #cleachdi – at the Mòd Glasgow 2019

Bòrd na Gàidhlig is today unveiling at the Royal National Mòd Glasgow 2019 a brand-new campaign to encourage Gaelic speakers to let Scotland and the world know they are proud to speak the language.

Speakers and learners of Gaelic are being encouraged to use the hashtag #cleachdi – or #useit – plus the hashtag #gaidhlig when they communicate with others, be it in person, on social media, on email signatures or on their websites.

They can also support the campaign by wearing the symbols on lanyards, badges or stickers, or display a poster at their work or home to tell the world of their pride at being a Gaelic speaker.

Shona MacLennan, Bòrd na Gàidhlig chief executive officer, said: “Bòrd na Gàidhlig is delighted to be launching this new campaign at the Mòd. More and more people want to use and learn Gaelic and this initiative is a very positive and easy to use means to encourage more people to use more Gaelic in more situations.

“We at Bòrd na Gàidhlig will be joining all those who speak the language in displaying our pride at letting others know we are Gaelic speakers. We think #cleachdi is the perfect way to do this. So let’s #useit and put #gaidhlig firmly on the map.”

The new #cleachdi campaign is similar to the Welsh Language Commissioner’s ‘Iaith Gwaith’ (Welsh at Work) scheme, which is used in Wales to show that a service is available in Welsh. To show their solidarity with #cleachdi, the Welsh Language Commissioner Aled Roberts has today travelled to the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow to give his personal backing.

Mr Roberts said: “Iaith Gwaith is well established in Wales, and is a valuable resource for organisations, businesses and charities to show customers that a service is available in Welsh.  In recent years, it has evolved and been used more widely in ways ranging from an engineering company creating a vinyl version on hard hats to health boards creating a magnetic version to be used on beds to show which patients wish to be treated in Welsh.

“It is going from strength to strength in Wales and I very much look forward to seeing the equivalent in Scotland launched during the Royal National Mòd. I am confident that #cleachdi will have the same positive benefit for Gaelic and Gaelic speakers.”

Also backing the campaign are Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s partners Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and VisitScotland, with VisitScotland’s Director of Industry and Destination Development Riddell Graham attending the Royal Concert Hall.

Mr Graham said: “We wholeheartedly support this wonderful #cleachdi campaign and will be actively taking part in it where we can. Gaelic is the founding language of Scotland, its significance to our culture and identity cannot be underestimated.

“It is vital that Scotland is able to provide a memorable and unique visitor experience to meet ever-changing consumer demands and Gaelic has the potential to be a key ingredient in the Scottish tourism offer.

“As the Mòd demonstrates so brilliantly, Gaelic is woven into our musical heritage, and has crossed over to popular culture thanks to the hugely successful TV series Outlander. We believe it will continue to prove a valuable asset to Scotland’s identity and capture the imagination of the Scots at home and around the world.”

Rachel Mackenzie, of HIE, said: “We are delighted to see the launch of the #cleachdi identifier and associated campaign. Supporting Gaelic is at the heart of our remit for economic and social development in the Highlands and Islands and key to this is to build on how the language is being used to add economic and social value, both in our communities and our workplaces.

“We look forward to working with Bòrd na Gàidhlig and partners to explore how we can further use the identifier with our economic and social opportunities. This powerful campaign will both unify and be a symbol for our Gaelic community and also be a beacon to those who wish to engage with the language.”

In its initial roll-out any public sector body who have Gaelic speaking staff can download an order form from Bòrd na Gàidhlig, where they can order up to 10 lanyard, 10 badges, 10 A5 posters and 20 stickers. For any larger orders they can contact Bòrd na Gàidhlig directly on 01463 225454 or by emailing fios@gaidhlig.scot.

A copy of the #cleachdi poster, logo and e-mail footer, can also be downloaded by following this link: https://gaidhlig.scot/the-cleachdi-initiative/ Watch out for the new #cleachdi initiative during this year’s Mod, broadcast on BBC Alba and BBC Scotland.