Cynon Valley Museum Trust was delighted to welcome to the museum, Vattenfall, Pen Y Cymoedd Community Fund and Vikki Howells MS for the Cynon Valley to Cynon Valley Museum on Friday 8th October for a tour and lunch. This was to share the museum’s work to reopen to the public in 2016 and to show how the funding Pen Y Cymoedd awarded to the charity in 2017 has enabled the museum to expand and continue its journey towards sustainability.
Cynon Valley Museum joined by representatives from Pen Y Cymoedd and Vattenfall
From the autumn of 2017 Cynon Valley Museum has been transformed through a substantial grant funded by the Pen Y Cymoedd Vision Fund. This fund was established by Vattenfall as an independent community fund, directly funding the communities affected by the development of the Pen Y Cymoedd Wind Farm.
Cynon Valley Museum Trust received £ 388,177.95 which funded capital investment and staffing initially to March 2021 (extended due to the Covid-19 pandemic to April 2022). This investment reconfigured the first floor creating a new space for room hire, the “library” and carrying out essential decorating to improve the appearance of the museum’s public areas and external experience. The investment to support staffing secured the museum’s future allowing the team to focus on developing income streams, building the organisation’s sustainability through its use at the centre of the Cynon community.
Thanks to this funding Cynon Valley Museum successfully expanded opening hours from 3 days per week at 4 hours per day, to 5 days per week and 7 hours per day. Through the work of the CVMT team, the museum successfully established itself at the centre of the community hosting exhibitions telling local stories, such as the NLHF funded WWI exhibition which explored the impact of war on the local community. The exhibition programme worked to create a broad inclusive programme of exhibitions which sets local artists, art societies and colleges alongside artists with national profiles. The Museum’s rooms are fully utilised with a community focused approach seeing the museum become a venue for yoga, playgroups, adult learning courses and a host of charities working directly with the Cynon community.
Through the Covid-19 pandemic Pen Y Cymoedd has continued to support the museum, providing emergency funding to support core costs and ensuring the museum was able to weather the museum’s closure due to the pandemic.
Richard Jones Chair of Cynon Valley Museum Trust said, “It was wonderful to be able to welcome Pen Y Cymoedd, Vattenfall and Vikki Howells MS to the Museum on the 8th October. I was pleased to be able to talk about the history of the organisation, the impact Covid-19 has had on our operations and the post covid-19 landscape for Cynon Valley Museum. On behalf of the museum I’d like to thank all those who attended for their continued and ongoing support”.
Cynon Valley Museum continues its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and from the 19th October the museum will be opening on Tuesdays between 10am and 3pm, returning to the number of days open prior to the pandemic. It is continuing to work to secure its future, recently appointing a business consultant to help in the development of a 5-year business plan. If you are interested in supporting the museum as a volunteer or trustee follow the links at the bottom of the page.
Find out more about Pen Y Cymoedd Community Fund
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