Talk Dialect Five-Point Promise 

1.  To record and revitalise dialect heritage in a contributory co-op organisation for all
Together we will create, collect and keep building a central, accessible digital archive of dialect words, phrases, pronunciations and stories from every one of England’s 39 historic counties. We will ensure that no local language, from Cornwall to Cumberland, is lost to time. The goal is to keep tongues wagging with our most memorable words, connecting people through language forever.

2.  To empower individuals, communities and organisations to contribute freely
We will provide open, welcoming spaces such as online wikis, submission forms and community pages, where people of all ages and backgrounds can add, share and shape their county’s dialect. We will give older people their voice back and a platform to be heard, younger ones a sense of belonging and pride in where they live, and us middling people the opportunity to become highly skilled living-language bridges.

3.  To promote understanding, connection and cultural pride across England
By highlighting the richness and diversity of regional dialects, we will help people appreciate the unique ways language reflects place, history and identity — fostering respect between communities, reducing division and strengthening a shared sense of English cultural heritage through workshops and events, and connecting all dialect speakers, groups and communities in fun and informative ways.

4.  To support education, creativity and lifelong learning through dialect
We will encourage the use of dialect in everyday life, storytelling, writing, education and the arts — providing resources, tools and inspiration so that dialects remain living languages that inspire creativity, build confidence, and pass knowledge from old to young, from one generation to the next.

5.  To remain independent, inclusive and sustainable for the long term
As Talk Dialect is a community interest company (CIC), we will reinvest all profits into the project and its communities — staying open-source, collaborative and free from commercial or political bias — while protecting user contributions, respecting privacy and ensuring the resource endures and expands in our caring and careful community loop around older people to younger people and up through the hard-working people in the middle.

Rest assured:

We promise The Talk Dialect Team 🗣️💚