Thirty-one local museums, libraries and archive projects across Wales are set to receive part of a £5.28million funding boost, helping to improve access to culture, protect collections and modernise facilities for communities.
The funded projects span all three sectors and include organisations of different sizes, from large local authority services to small independent and community-run museums.
They range from Holyhead Maritime Museum on Anglesey and Penmaenmawr Museum on the north Wales coast, to Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre in the south-west and the Egypt Centre and Swansea Museum in the south.
Projects stretch from the Richard Burton Archives in Swansea and Firing Line Museum in Cardiff, to the Opening Up Powys project in mid-Wales – with further investment in Ceredigion, Gwynedd, Denbighshire, Conwy, Monmouthshire and Merthyr Tydfil.
Marking the announcement, the Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport Heledd Fychan visited Newport Library where grant funding will be used to transform the children’s library, creating a more welcoming and inspiring space for young people and families.
The Cabinet Minister said:
“Museums, libraries and archives are at the heart of our communities across Wales. These are places where people connect with our culture and history, where children discover a love of reading, and where older people share their memories. They are places everyone should feel welcome. This investment will make a real difference, protecting vital collections, improving access and ensuring our cultural spaces are fit for the future.
“I’m delighted to see Newport Library among the projects receiving support and learning more about the transformation of its children’s library firsthand.”
This investment has been made available thorough cultural grant schemes designed to be accessible to organisations of all sizes, including smaller independent and voluntary bodies, where grants of up to £500,000 were available for projects.
Councillor Jason Hughes, Newport City Council’s cabinet member for communities and sport, said:
“We would like to thank Welsh Government for this funding which will allow us to transform the children’s library into a fully accessible and inspiring environment that will be used for class visits, early years groups and sensory play as well, of course, by those that want to borrow from a wide selection of fantastic books.”
