Major £248,308 grant awarded to Welsh miners’ museum

Nation.Cymru staff 

The South Wales Miners Museum has been awarded a grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to bring in resources to support resilience and capacity building.

Today, the South Wales Miners Museum has announced they will receive a £248,308 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to protect and develop the museum which has been in existence for over 50 years, to ensure a sustainable future and provide a reflection on Welsh heritage which is accessible to all.

The South Wales Miners Museum provides a unique experience and vision of mining within the South Wales valleys. It offers a vital resource to visitors and the local community to explore and understand the heritage.

The museum’s aim is to preserve and promote Wales’ cultural and intangible heritage for future generations, while providing opportunities for people to develop knowledge and understanding of their heritage.

Andrew White, Director for Wales, The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “South Wales Miners Museum preserves stories that matter to families, to communities and to the nation.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, this funding will help the museum become more resilient and sustainable, ensuring these powerful Welsh stories continue to be shared, understood and celebrated.”

The National Heritage Lottery Fund project will enable the museum to recruit a full time development manager and two part time posts to bring in resources to support the museum’s resilience and capacity building over a 2-year period, putting the building blocks in place to enable the museum to transition to a more sustainable future.

This resilience and capacity-building project will enable a more sustainable future supporting the museum to be more relevant, financially secure, connected in the local area and continuing to provide a unique experience and understanding of the local heritage.

The Board of Trustees from South Wales Miners Museum said: “We are thrilled to have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

“Thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to support the Board and other volunteers at
the museum by the appointment of 3 key staff members who will build on the development plan, focusing upon the risks and the resilience necessary to take this unique museum forward with strength and adaptability to the demands of its visitors.”