Three heritage projects in Wales, who rely heavily on the support and dedication of volunteers have been given a total of £1.2m by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The three projects, the restoration of the Bonded Stores in Narberth, the Copper Kingdom Project in Amlwch and Taking Forward our Church Heritage will also create invaluable opportunities for people of all ages to learn about our rich heritage.

Dan Clayton Jones, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Wales, said: “These three projects rely heavily on the commitment of volunteers who make a huge contribution to the preservation and celebration of our heritage here in Wales.

“Volunteering is a cornerstone of HLF projects and, according to research, on average 13 volunteers are involved in every heritage project in Wales. This £1.2 million cash boost will provide many thousands of volunteers with more opportunities to gain additional training in modern and traditional skills.

“Learning is not just about schools and children; it is about offering different opportunities for everyone to develop their understanding of heritage in a way appropriate to their needs, interests and backgrounds. As well as making a tangible impact on heritage, these grants will provide people with the encouragement to succeed in life, develop new skills, and build their confidence and self-esteem.”

Narberth Museum is one of the projects to benefit from this substantial cash injection and has been awarded a grant of £586,500 which will see the derelict Bonded Stores brought back to life and become the permanent home for the museum’s collection.

Built in 1907 the Bonded Stores is a former industrial warehouse and when conservation work is complete the building will be given a new lease of life and made suitable for exhibiting and conserving the museum’s collection of 15,000 items of local and regional significance covering the last two centuries. It will also accommodate a bookshop, coffee shop, community space, education suite and research room.

This grant will also fund a number of educational and learning opportunities for volunteers, staff and students, and a heritage learning officer will be appointed to develop museum based activities, educational packs, oral history, guided walks and cultural events.

Sue Lloyd has been an active volunteer at Narberth Museum over the past ten years helping with research and publications. Sue believes this project will provide invaluable learning opportunities for volunteers to broaden their skills base. 

She said: “Since retiring I’ve gained so much from volunteering at Narberth Museum. I’ve learned new skills, made friends and developed a passion for history I never had at school!”

Pauline Griffiths, Curator of Narberth Museum, commented: “Volunteers have been the key to our success. Without their experience, skills and commitment, we would never have made it. This grant means we can continue to work together to bring the collection back to its newly-restored and exciting new home in the Bonded Stores.”

To receive a HLF grant all projects must encourage people to learn about their own and other peoples heritage, and these three projects will provide a variety of informal and formal opportunities for learning and training, as well as access to our rich and diverse heritage.

Of the £200million which HLF has awarded in Wales, more than £86.3m has been awarded to projects involving volunteers and 98 per cent of grants awarded in the last year have created volunteering opportunities.

Notes to editors

Process

• The full award has now been secured from HLF
• These projects have already had development funding to help them plan their proposals
• Projects may not start immediately. Other funders may still need to make decisions and further planning work might be required. HLF hopes that the thumbs up from our committee will provide leverage with other funders

Volunteering/skills/training facts

• More than £86.3m has been awarded to over 1,484 projects in Wales that involve volunteers. More than 98% of grants awarded in the last year have created volunteering opportunities
• Volunteering is a cornerstone of HLF projects. Our research indicates that, on average, 13 volunteers are involved in every project, providing nearly 450 hours of volunteering time per project  – that’s a total of 667,800 volunteering hours across Wales!
• HLF has awarded £49.3m to 179 projects in Wales that have included delivery of taught programmes for learners of all ages
• Over 60 projects in Wales have offered participants the chance to learn new skills such as blacksmithing, textile and paper conservation, traditional building skills and dry stone walling
• 64 new work-based training opportunities have been created in Wales through our Training Bursary programme which aims to address specific skills shortages in the heritage sector

Further information

Kate Sullivan or Helen Newton at Equinox on 02920 764100 or hlf@equinox-pr.co.uk.