Welsh bilingual content for Cardiff wellness creators

What to take away

How the Welsh brief reaches a creator

A Cardiff creator rarely contracts with Public Health Wales directly. An agency wins the campaign, then subcontracts talent, and the language duty travels the same route. It appears in the agency's creative brief, so read the brief for language terms before you quote.

Public Health Wales runs national health improvement programmes, and named programmes include Help Me Quit, Beat Flu and Healthy Weight Healthy Wales. The Welsh Government sets the policy and funds campaigns through its communications budget. Ask the campaign manager on the first call which language versions are in scope.

Expect a written brief, a timeline and a named campaign manager. The brief names the behaviour change, the target audience and the evaluation measures. Add one question of your own: who approves the Welsh text, and how long does that approval take?

The language duty is the same on every route. Your portfolio helps: campaign managers want evidence you can talk about health without overclaiming, so show work where you corrected a claim or added a source. Before you sign, run the offer through a supplier check with privacy and exit gates.

What the Welsh Language Standards ask of the campaign

The Welsh Language Standards require public bodies to treat Welsh and English equally in public communications, and the Welsh Language Commissioner enforces them. When Public Health Wales funds a campaign, that duty flows into the creative brief, and the contract then asks you to deliver it.

The statute behind this is the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, which creates the Commissioner and a duty to comply with standards. You do not need to read it to take a commission, but it explains why a brief treats Welsh as a requirement and not a courtesy.

Accuracy applies in both languages. Contracts require claims to match UKHSA and DHSC guidance, and the UK Health Security Agency publishes guidance that creators can cite on health protection topics. A Welsh claim needs the same source as its English twin.

Keep an audit trail for every claim in Welsh campaign content, because Public Health Wales can ask for sources after publication. Health is devolved in Wales, so a UK-wide brief may not match Welsh rules; the UK-wide rules for fitness creators show where the two meet.

Deliver two versions, not one translation

Deliver two versions of each asset, and write each for its own audience. A direct translation often reads stiff, and Welsh-speaking audiences notice. Work with a translator who understands health terminology and your tone, and give them the sources behind each claim.

A workable order of work:

Accessibility belongs in the same pass. Add captions to both versions, keep text on screen long enough to read, and avoid fast cuts that make lip-reading impossible. Public health campaigns reach older and disabled audiences, and your content should not exclude them.

Some campaigns target specific communities in Cardiff, such as Somali, Polish or Urdu-speaking residents. If you do not speak the language, say so and propose a collaborator. Pretending to represent a community you cannot reach is a reputational risk.

Label the partnership in both languages

Label every paid partnership clearly, in Welsh and English, before the audience engages. That means a visible label at the start of a video, not only in the caption. Disclosure follows the CAP Code and CMA guidance, and the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled against UK creators who buried it.

Welsh public health contracts often specify the label text and placement, so follow the brief. If it conflicts with CMA guidance, raise it before you publish. A disclosure policy that triggers on benefit, not on format, already covers the commercial side of the work.

Write the language terms into the contract

Welsh public health contracts are stricter than typical brand deals, so give the language terms their own lines. Do not accept a clause that says only "bilingual delivery". Name the versions, the reviewer and the timing.

Public bodies often want to reuse your content in paid advertising, and that should carry a separate fee. If the contract is silent, ask for a written amendment. The pricing models article shows how reuse fees can be structured.

Payment terms follow the agency's purchase order, not your invoice date. Public sector payment targets are typically 30 days from a valid invoice, but late payment is common when approval chains are long, so build a buffer into your cash flow.

Common questions

Do I need to speak Welsh to work on Public Health Wales campaigns?

No, but you need access to a professional translator. The contract will require bilingual delivery, and you remain responsible for the accuracy of both versions. Name the translator in your quote so the campaign manager knows who adapts the Welsh text.

What happens if I make an error in the Welsh version?

You may be asked to take the content down and issue a correction. Some contracts include a clawback clause for fees if the error breaches the agreement. Keeping the source file for each claim lets you show quickly where the error came from.

Can English captions stand in for Welsh ones?

No. Add captions to both versions, so each audience can follow its own cut. Treat the two versions as equal assets with equal review, and check that on-screen text stays readable long enough in each language.

Does Welsh devolution change ASA rules for my content?

The CAP Code applies across the UK, so ASA rules do not change. What changes is the policy context and who commissions the campaign. When in doubt, ask which jurisdiction the claim sits in and who signs it off.