YesCymru Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
YesCymru

Formation	13 September 2014 20 February 2016 (official launch)
Founder	Iestyn ap Rhobert Siôn Jobbins Hedd Gwynfor
Focus	Welsh independence
Headquarters	Swyddfa 23609, PO Box 92, Cardiff, CF11 1NB, Wales, United Kingdom
Members (2023)	7,000
Chair	Vacant (Since 13 August 2021)

YesCymru is a group that wants Wales to become an independent country. It is not connected to any specific political party. The group started in the summer of 2014. It officially launched in Cardiff on February 20, 2016. In 2022, YesCymru became a private company.

How YesCymru Started
What YesCymru Believes In
- Views on the European Union
- Views on the Monarchy
Campaigns and Events
Polling
See also
- Wales
- Related movements

How YesCymru Started

Early Days and Inspiration

YesCymru was created in 2014 by activists like Iestyn ap Rhobert, Siôn Jobbins, and Hedd Gwynfor. They were inspired by groups in Scotland that campaigned for Scottish independence. They saw how local groups helped the independence movement grow. The official launch of YesCymru happened in Cardiff in 2016.

Iestyn ap Rhobert explained that YesCymru is a "bottom-up" group. This means it gets its ideas and energy from its members, not just from leaders. The group focuses on what an independent Wales would look like. Iestyn left his role in 2018. Siôn Jobbins then became the chair.

Jobbins said YesCymru has one main goal: for Wales to be an independent country. This includes Wales having its own seat at the United Nations. It also means Wales would have its own written constitution. The group welcomes people from all political backgrounds.

Growing Support for Independence

In 2014, about 14% of voters supported Welsh independence. By November 2020, this number grew to 33% among those who would vote. A poll in January 2021 showed 29% support. Recent polls show support for independence between 29% and 33%. This is when people who answered "don't know" are not counted.

Membership Growth During the Pandemic

YesCymru's membership grew a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its membership doubled from 2,500 to 5,000 in just two months in spring 2020. In October 2020, about 3,000 more people joined. This happened when the UK government did not offer financial help to Welsh businesses during a lockdown.

By January 2021, YesCymru said it had over 17,000 members. Siôn Jobbins believed this growth was because the Welsh Government handled the pandemic well. People saw Wales making its own decisions successfully. He also said people were tired of the UK government in Westminster. Many people in Wales vote Labour, but the UK has had a Tory government. By March 2021, YesCymru reached 18,000 members.

A lecturer named Owen Worth said YesCymru was the fastest-growing political group in Britain in 2020. Jobbins said that Wales is "big enough, rich enough and smart enough to make decisions for ourselves." He also said that people do not want to be in a UK without Scotland.

Changes in Leadership

Siôn Jobbins stepped down as chair in July 2021 due to health reasons. Sarah Rees, the vice chair, took over temporarily. In summer 2021, six members of the central committee resigned. This was due to disagreements about leadership and direction. There were also debates about transphobia within the group. Sarah Rees said members needed to be "respectful to everyone's views."

In August 2021, an emergency meeting was held. Local groups discussed changing the group's rules. During this meeting, the central committee faced a vote of no confidence. All remaining members of the central committee then resigned. They said they faced "harassment" that affected their well-being.

In December 2021, YesCymru found that its membership records were not up to date. Many members had not been told their membership had ended. The group then had about 9,000 active members. They delayed a vote to allow members to renew. In January 2022, new elections were held for a new governing body. Elfed Williams became the new permanent Chair in March 2022. Later, the group hired a full-time Chief Executive Officer, Gwern Gwynfil Evans. They also hired a Head of Communications, Campaigns and Membership, Carwen Davies.

Returning to Public Events

On July 2, 2022, YesCymru held its first in-person protest since the pandemic. It took place in Wrexham. About 6,000 people attended. Singer Dafydd Iwan performed. Mary Lou McDonald, a leader from Ireland, gave a speech.

Another independence march happened in Cardiff on October 1, 2022. Nearly 10,000 people marched through the city. Famous Welsh figures spoke and performed. These included actor Julian Lewis Jones and singer Eädyth Crawford.

What YesCymru Believes In

Views on the European Union

YesCymru does not have an official view on whether an independent Wales should join the European Union. In the 2016 vote, 51.9% of Welsh voters chose to leave the EU. However, many YesCymru members support joining the EU.

There is also a difference in views between age groups. Siôn Jobbins said about 50% of younger people support independence. Older people are less supportive. He explained that younger people do not feel connected to Westminster. They have not benefited from the central government as much as older generations. Many young Welsh voters feel that independence is the answer. They feel that Westminster does not represent them.

Views on the Monarchy

YesCymru does not have an official position on whether Charles III would remain head of state in an independent Wales. The group's Director, Ethan Jones, said he wants Wales to be a republic. However, he also said that YesCymru includes people with different views. These include republicans, monarchists, and those who are unsure. YesCymru believes the people of an independent Wales should decide this question.

Campaigns and Events

The first Welsh independence march organised by YesCymru and AUOB Cymru, May 2019

In May 2019, YesCymru held the first Welsh independence march in Cardiff. It was organized with All Under One Banner Cymru. The organizers said about 3,000 people attended. Speakers included Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price.

A second march took place in Caernarfon in July 2019. Organizers claimed 10,000 people gathered there. Speakers included Dafydd Iwan. A third march was held in Merthyr Tydfil in September 2019. About 5,300 people attended. Speakers included rugby player Eddie Butler and footballer Neville Southall. Other planned marches in 2020 were postponed due to the pandemic.

In January 2020, YesCymru helped push the song "Yma o Hyd" by Dafydd Iwan to the top of the iTunes Charts.

In March 2021, YesCymru launched Yestival. This was a year-long series of online discussions about Welsh independence. A spokesperson said Yestival was a "festival of digital engagement." It aimed to shape plans for a stronger and fairer independent Wales. They also said Wales's independence movement needed to become a "digital uprising."

In March 2021, YesCymru announced plans to give out 400,000 copies of a newspaper across Wales. They hoped to reach 1 million people. In 2022, two more marches were held. One in Wrexham had about 6,000 people. Another in Cardiff had nearly 10,000 people. The first protest of 2023 will be in Swansea on May 20.

YesCymru facts for kids

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