Community Arts

I made the case in Culture Questions for a higher investment by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Trust in the Valleys in historic buildings like chapels. Their performance has been poor. However, one project which is getting significant Assembly support is the Valleys Kids' project in Penygraig.

Leighton Andrews: One chapel in South Wales Central that is receiving significant investment from the Arts Council of Wales is Soar Ffrwdamos in my constituency, which will be providing an enhanced arts facility to be run by Valleys Kids in my constituency. I welcome that. However, would you agree that there are organisations in Wales, such as the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Trust, whose record in supporting projects for the renovation of chapels and other community buildings in the south Wales Valleys is not as good as it should be?

Alun Pugh: The Valleys Kids project is a cracking example of bringing a chapel building back into a modern and very productive use. Everyone who has been involved in that project—and it has been good to see it for myself—should be commended for the quality of their work.