Families offered £5,000 to live in parts of Wales

Grants are being offered to people to move back to certain areas, such as Porthdinllaen, on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd

Welsh speaking and young families are being offered up to £5,000 to return to some areas of Wales.

The incentive is intended to encourage people from Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Anglesey to move back.

The organisation Llwyddo'n Lleol is working alongside councils to address emigration from these areas, which it says is a major cause of language decline.

It says the grants could be used to help with "pay for transport costs, rent or mortgage costs, childcare costs, or even Welsh lessons".

Huw Brassington, who is originally from Gwynedd but has been living in Cumbria for a few years, is one of the first beneficiaries of the scheme.

Mr Brassington, who works as an engineer and is also a mountain runner and TV presenter, said his family were planning to move back to Wales but the grant “made it easier for us to make that decision”.

"In the end that was the catalyst in a way for us to come back,” he said.

Huw Brassington has taken advantage of the new programme to return to the region

"Not only am I bringing my job with me but I’ll also be looking for people from north Wales to work with me.

"This is part of the Llwyddo’n Lleol grant’s effect - it has led to good jobs for other people in north Wales."

Who can apply for the grant?

• Couples and families with at least one adult aged 35 or under

• Couples and families with at least one member who originally comes from the ARFOR region (Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Gwynedd or Anglesey) but now lives elsewhere

• An individual who knows Welsh or is committed to learning the language, or a family with one member who speaks or is learning Welsh

• Must be able commit to return to the ARFOR region by March 2025

• Must be happy to share their experience of moving back on camera

Llwyddo'n Lleol also runs other schemes with the same aim.

Sioned Meleri Evans, who has returned to live in Carmarthenshire due to the organisation’s careers support programme, said she was very lucky to have found work locally as a sub-producer.

“This has enabled me to be closer to my family and friends," she said.