Empowering the Business Community of ynys môn
THE YNYS MôN BUSINESS Cooperative VISION
The Ynys Môn Business Cooperative (“YMBC”) is a non-political platform focused on economic development and professional networking within Ynys Môn. We believe that by connecting the business minds of our island, we can foster an environment that not only supports existing businesses and attracts new investment opportunities to the area.
Our actions will always be aimed at the betterment of the Ynys Môn businesses, as well as the wider community. We prioritise the needs of local businesses that create employment opportunities by helping them find solutions that benefit the people who call Ynys Môn home. We want to see the island prosper and evolve, to better serve the needs of today’s people and those of future generations.
Ynys Môn Business Cooperative is not a legal entity but is instead the name chosen by a group of Ynys Môn businesses that have decided to unite for the purpose of expressing their views and visions of the local business community in a coordinated way. All Ynys Môn businesses are welcome to join and share their views and visions in our safe space. The Ynys Môn Business Cooperative is the supporting voice of businesses on Ynys Môn.
our PURPOSE
To understand and assist Ynys Môn Council achieve their strategy, through discussion, explain the challenges local businesses are having and identify the route course. We would share this information with all members, explaining the barriers and suggesting what changes would be needed to change the current situation that is damaging the economic and cultural prosperity of Ynys Môn.
our values
We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and transparency in all our interactions. Our forum is a place for honest dialogue and ethical business practices. We believe in the power of collaboration. By working together, we can achieve more than we can alone. Our forum encourages partnerships and cooperative efforts to tackle the unique challenges facing our community.
Every voice matters. We strive to create an inclusive environment where all business owners, regardless of size or sector, can share their insights and contribute to our collective success. We embrace innovation as the key to economic growth. Our forum encourages creative thinking and supports initiatives that pave the way for new technologies and methodologies in business.
The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.
Oprah Winfrey
preserving the welsh language
Welsh Government Target = 1 million more Welsh Speakers by 2050.
In rural Wales, the Welsh language is spoken daily by many people. However, the lack of employment opportunities is having a direct negative impact on the population and language.
YMBC is composed of prominent Welsh business figures, many of whom are Welsh speakers and locals. We cherish the Welsh Language as a fundamental aspect of our heritage, deeply ingrained in our culture. To thrive and grow, the Welsh language necessitates the following:
- a sustainable population
- improved job opportunities for all
- the acknowledgement of English as a tool for global commerce and not a threat
By establishing these three elements, we can expect to see more young people choosing to remain and build their lives in rural Wales, promoting economic advancement and nurturing harmonious relationships with other languages.
Thomas Jefferson
Too many young and skilled people have left the island to seek better opportunities in other parts of the UK, which continues to put greater pressure on rural Wales to retain the skills required for the future. As business leaders, we have seen the need to re-think, adjust attitudes and reprioritise the strategy of the island for many years. We believe that the Council, the local Planning function, and County Councillors need to support inward investment and local investment, thus capitalising on the USP (Unique Selling Point) of Ynys Môn.
Cardiff, with its growth in population and focus on employment and housing, has done better than
Ynys Môn & Gwynedd
Change in the percentage of people able to speak Welsh, by age group, 2011 to 2021.
| Local Authority | Aged 3 to 15 | Aged 16 to 64 | Aged 65+ | All ages (3+) |
| Percentage Point | Percentage Point | Percentage Point | Percentage Point | |
| Isle of Anglesey | -3.5 | 0.3 | -3.7 | -1.5 |
| Gwynedd | -3.0 | 0.5 | -3.3 | -1.0 |
| Cardiff | -0.5 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
You don’t get to new places by following established tracks.
Carlo Rovelli
Our 6 strategic objectives
Isle of Anglesey County Council has developed a Strategy for Ynys Mon
| Council assumed strategic priority | YMBC strategic priority | ||
| 1 | Promoting the Welsh language | 1 | Economy |
| Increasing opportunities to learn and use the language. | Develop the island's economy, creating more employment, improving mobile & internet connectivity, to empower businesses to grow & help reduce the need for many people to travel daily to work. | ||
| 2 | Social care and wellbeing | 2 | Housing |
| Provide the right support at the right time. | Ensuring that everyone has a right to call somewhere on the island home. | ||
| 3 | Education | 3 | Education |
| Ensuring an effective provision for today and for future generations. | The best outcome is for children and their families to have the opportunity to become truly bilingual with all the advantages this can bring the socially and economically. | ||
| 4 | Housing | 4 | Social care and wellbeing |
| Ensuring that everyone has a right to call somewhere home. | Provide the right support, at the right time enabling communities, local authority and businesses to raise to the challenges. | ||
| 5 | Economy | 5 | Promoting the Welsh language |
| Promoting opportunities to develop the island's economy. | Increased population, retaining our young people, will ensure the percentage of people, using Welsh on a daily basis. | ||
| 6 | Climate change | 6 | Climate change |
| Responding to the crisis, tackling change ad working towards becoming a net zero organisation by 2030. | Help businesses and communities prepare for climate changes and achieve net zero emissions by 2050 through technology and standards advancement. | ||
discover more information and data relating to how an increase in population will benefit ynys môn
The key data
The Island has experienced the shutdown of several major industries, raising worries, amongst some about filling the job gap without harming the Welsh Language. Nonetheless, backing sectors such as agriculture, energy, tourism, and technology can draw investments and generate job prospects while safeguarding the region’s heritage. As an illustration, Wylfa Power Station provided jobs for over 20,000 individuals when it was operational, underscoring the beneficial influence of these sectors on the local communities of the island.
Assuming a conservative figure of approximately 50 students leave each of the 5 secondary schools on the island each year, we can estimate that over the last ten years (2011-2021), roughly 2,500 young people have received education locally and are now bilingual or fluent Welsh speakers. Despite this, the population of Ynys Môn has seen no substantial growth. Sadly, the picture is worse over the preceding three decades, resulting in the number of young people who have left the island during this period has exceeded 8,000.
Decrease in Anglesey’s Population since 2011.
Increase in the population of people aged 65 years old and over living in Anglesey.
Increase in the population of people aged under 15 years old living in Anglesey.
Decrease in the population of people aged 15 - 64 years old living in Anglesey.
| Mid-year 1991 | Mid-year 2001 | Mid-year 2011 | Mid-year 2017 | Mid-year 2018 | Mid-year 2019 | Mid-year 2020 | Mid-year 2021 | Mid-year 2022 | |||
| Wales | 2,872,998 | 2,910,232 | 3,063,758 | 3,081,366 | 3,063,840 | 3,087,732 | 3,104,483 | 3,165,633 | 3,131,640 | ||
| North Wales | 647,692 | 664,563 | 658,417 | 687,156 | 685,482 | 685,315 | 658,167 | 687,041 | 685,201 | ||
| Isle of Anglesey | 69,123 | 67,886 | 69,913 | 68,617 | 68,539 | 68,278 | 68,794 | 68,937 | 69,049 | ||
Between 1991 and 2022 the population of Ynys Môn has declined seeing no growth in population over this period and in 2023-24 it has seen a further decline, therefore the demand for resources such as housing is not due to a small number of people purchasing second homes. There are two main factors contributing to the challenges we are facing. The first factor relates to the struggles businesses face when trying to establish or expand due to the restrictive and complex planning procedures. This not only incurs unnecessary costs but also leads to a shortage of housing and job opportunities.
The second factor we identify is the emphasis placed by councils on their strategic goals. If we persist in prioritising language preservation over economic and demographic sustainability, our efforts to protect the language could have a significantly detrimental impact on the population of the island, the Welsh language, our communities, and the economic prospects of Ynys Môn.
Raise awareness of how Ynys Môn and Gwynedd with a high percentage of Welsh speakers has seen the greatest decline in population.
These new Census figures confirm that the island’s age profile has changed. Ynys Môn has an ageing population, and this will undoubtedly have an impact on our services in years to come, especially health and social care.
Chief Executive, Dylan Williams
YMBC agree with Mr William’s statement and would add, that if strategic priorities are not changed then communities’ culture and language will be severely damaged within another 30 years.
YMBC
59
Businesses Currently
Signed Up to Support Ynys Môn.
1161
Number of People Employed by our Current Members.
48
Industry Sectors Spanned By Our Current Members.
12
Number of Planning Decisions Overturned this Year.
Why Join US
Becoming a member of the Ynys Môn Business Cooperative is simple and free. Sign up today to start engaging with other local leaders enthusiastic about the growth and prosperity of Ynys Môn. Let us work together to make our community a beacon of innovation and success.
Community Strength: Engage with a network of local business professionals committed to mutual success and support.
Invest in Anglesey: Working with Ynys Môn economic development and other County Council leaders to actively create opportunities that drive economic growth and job creation on our island.
Share Your Voice: Contribute to discussions in a safe space on a wide range of topics that matter to our community and your business.
Our Objectives
- Promote Ynys Môn, as open for business and welcoming to tourism which is the third largest contributor to the economy after agriculture and energy.
- Well Paid Jobs for local people, so we retain the hundreds of young local people that leave Ynys Môn each year, which is having a major detrimental effect on sustainable communities, the culture, and the Welsh language.
- Improve Active Participation and encourage people who want to create a better, more prosperous future for Ynys Môn to step forward and become Councillors.
- Generate Real Action and Tangible Results of inward investment to Ynys Môn that creates well-paid jobs for local people and their families.
- Planning Reform to enable local people and businesses to reinvest locally, grow, and diversify their businesses to create more employment.
register your support
The more voices we have the stronger we are to create change. Please register your support with us by completing the form below!