I remember 4 years ago going to a demonstration outside the Senedd. You know the place. In Cardiff.

It was the first such thing I had been to. It was in the run up to the Scottish independence referendum, and it was being followed by a fair few people down here with interest.

People had actually started to wonder what would become of Wales if Scotland left. How the rest of the United Kingdom would react. The “we are all British” thing was suddenly not sounding *quite* so definite. So “sun rises in the morning” inevitable. Whatever Wales did afterwards, if Scotland left, we wouldn’t belong to the same state as we did now.

There was a speaker there. I forget his name. He was a member of Yes Scotland. Obviously not a polished speaker, but he came across as straightforward and honest. Just someone who had thought action was needed.

He spoke of the fact that for him, Yes Scotland became something different – became something – real – when people around Scotland started setting up their own groups. People who hadn’t been involved in politics before. Just because they felt action was needed. Basically “someone needed to do something”. And, looking around, they realised that someone was them.

I remember listening to him, and thinking “Yes, that’s right! That’s good! People should do that here. Someone should set up a group in Swansea.”

And then, of course, did nothing.

But there were a few rumblings. A group of a few people meeting up in Swansea Museum’s cafe. Some talk of what people should be doing.

There were more people who wanted to do something. Who were worried about Wales’ future and considered independence as a viable option, which had to be considered.

Then someone took thew bull by the horns and set up a rally for Yes Cymru in Swansea. The group started up and continued.

The central group kept out of it, with only one individual encouraging when he heard of it, then stepping back. So the fact there was no help from other members of the committee was not a hindrance. It was a help.

So now, we can look back on a rally, many meetings, but more importantly many subsequent events, an indy fringe festival, music nights, comedy nights, banners on bridges, leafleting outside the Liberty Stadium, working with other groups, encouraging and helping new groups, and talking to new groups associated in aim such as Football Supporters for an indy Wales.

Yes Cymru’s strength lies in its groups. In its spread of people. Not its committee. Yes Cymru’s birth lay in its spread of groups, in people setting up groups around the country, in groups helping others to do that.

It is the groups which help each other, not some central committee. It is the people who gave birth to Yes Cymru, who will spread it, not some central committee.

If it is to grow healthily.