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 Copper Kingdom Project in Amlwch, the restoration of the Bonded Stores in Narberth 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.”

With a grant of £497,000 the Amlwch Industrial Heritage Trust (AIHT) will conserve iconic features of the copper mining heritage on Parys Mountain which has had such a significant impact on the landscape and people of Anglesey.   

The Copper Kingdom project will be of great benefit to local people and visitors who will be able to access new on-site and web-based resources which will interpret the industrial history story at Amlwch. The Amlwch mines were once the world's most important producers of copper in huge demand by the emerging industries of the early years of the Industrial Revolution.

Training courses will also be provided in conservation skills, such as masonry repair and dry-stone walling and volunteer heritage guides will be trained to interpret restored features and the whole site for visitors. One of the key aims of the project will be to produce a local workforce skilled in conservation repairs who can be employed on future heritage projects in the area.

Training Co-ordinator, Andrew Wright, will train volunteers in dry stone walling and heritage conservation skills as part of the project. Andrew believes this project will provide invaluable opportunities for people living in Amlwch especially younger people.

He said: “This is excellent news for Amlwch and the young people that we work with. The courses will provide them with a great opportunity to learn traditional heritage skills and at the same time develop important life skills. From my experience of working on similar projects in the area this will help give them much needed aspirations for the future and has the potential to lead to paid employment. What’s more we’ll be creating a team of young people who are passionate about looking after their local heritage.”

Gareth Wyn Jones, Chairman of AIHT, commented: “The Trust is absolutely delighted with the news of the generous support from the HLF. This support is critical to our work and is a vital step in realising the wider Copper Kingdom project. It is in recognition of the national and international importance of the industrial heritage of Mynydd Parys and Porth Amlwch and a vote of confidence in the Trust itself.”

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 encourage with other funders to contribute.

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