Welsh government unveils £5.2m funding boost for museums, libraries and archives

This article was first published by Arts Professional.

The funding will be benefit institutions ranging from large local authority services to small independent and community-run museums.

The Welsh government has announced that 31 museums, libraries and archive projects in Wales are set to receive part of a £5.28 million funding boost.

The aim is to “improve access to culture, protect collections and modernise facilities for communities” across the country.

The projects, which were eligible to apply for grants of up to £500,000, come from organisations of varying sizes, from large local authority services to small independent and community-run museums.

They include the likes of Swansea University’s Richard Burton Archives, Newport libraries, Holyhead Maritime Museum on Anglesey, Pembrokeshire’s Mobile Library Service and Swansea Museum.

Speaking about the investment, Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport Heledd Fychan 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.”

Councillor Jason Hughes, Newport City Council’s cabinet member for communities and sport, said the funding “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”.

It is one of Fychan’s first big funding announcements following her appointment to minister earlier this year.