Latest news with #DelythJewellMS
Business News Wales
04-06-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Senedd Committee Calls for an End to Charges for Big Pit Underground Tours
Access to Wales' coal mining history should not be put behind a paywall, according to a Senedd Committee. The Culture Committee's report on charging for exhibitions asks the Welsh Government to fund Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales enough so that that underground tours at Big Pit National Coal Museum can be free of charge. A charging trial in place since April set the ticket price at £8 per person – or cheaper on the day or with concessions. It follows the Committee's previous report which showed that, after a decade of funding cuts, Wales spent the second smallest amount per person on culture compared with other European nations. Delyth Jewell MS, Chair of the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee, said: 'Free entry to national museums has been a successful policy and we want to see it continue – as a matter of principle, no one should have to pay to enjoy collections that belong to the people of Wales. 'As the custodians of our nation's history, the Welsh Government has a responsibility to fund our national institutions adequately so that they can afford to provide free entry to everyone. 'But it has not been meeting this responsibility. 'Over a decade, the Welsh Government has cut public funding for culture in Wales to the extent that it's one of the lowest levels in Europe. Ministers even made suggestions that charging for entry to museums was 'on the table'. 'There have been some welcome increases for culture in the latest budget, but it does not obscure the real terms cut in funding the sector has had to endure, and the Welsh Government is yet to find a way to provide sustainable funding that recognises the worth of our culture.' Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenavon, Torfaen, is one of Amgueddfa Cymru's seven museums. It offers underground tours led by former miners so visitors can explore the original mine shafts and machinery. From April 2025 to July 2026, tickets for the underground tour at Big Pit must be purchased in advance for £8 per person. Limited tickets are available on the day for £5. Concession tickets are available without the need for evidence to be shown. The Committee notes that most visitors were happy with the amount they paid – but as a matter of principle, it recommends that underground tours should remain free of charge. The report made another four recommendations, including that income from temporary exhibitions should not replace the need for adequate public funding for museums, and that the Welsh Government should explore ways of helping organisations host more temporary exhibitions to improve the range of exhibitions on offer.
Wales Online
04-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Charging for tours at Big Pit National Coal Museum is 'wrong'
Charging for tours at Big Pit National Coal Museum is 'wrong' A report has criticised the new admission fee for underground tours at Big Pit in Blaenavon and calls on the Welsh Government to better fund our museums Amgueddfa Cymru has recently introduced admission fees for underground tours at Big Pit (Image: David Williams/WALES NEWS SERVICE ) It is wrong to charge people to enter the Big Pit National Coal Museum, according to a Senedd committee. A charging trial which began in April set the ticket price for underground tours at £8 per person, with some concessions, until July 2026. However, the culture committee's report on charging for exhibitions asks the Welsh Government to fund Amgueddfa Cymru enough so that underground tours at Big Pit in Blaenavon, Torfaen, can be free of charge. It argues that access should remain free in principle and calls for better government funding for Welsh museums. The committee argued that the underground tours which the fee has been introduced for are not an optional extra or a luxury, but is a fundamental part of the Big Pit museum. It comes after a previous report by the committee which showed that, after a decade of funding cuts, Wales was the second poorest nation in Europe in terms of spending per person on culture. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Delyth Jewell MS, chair of the culture committee said: "Free entry to national museums has been a successful policy and we want to see it continue – as a matter of principle, no one should have to pay to enjoy collections that belong to the people of Wales. "As the custodians of our nation's history, the Welsh Government has a responsibility to fund our national institutions adequately so that they can afford to provide free entry to everyone. But it has not been meeting this responsibility. Article continues below "Over a decade, the Welsh Government has cut public funding for culture in Wales to the extent that it's one of the lowest levels in Europe. Ministers even made suggestions that charging for entry to museums was 'on the table'. "There have been some welcome increases for culture in the latest budget, but it does not obscure the real terms cut in funding the sector has had to endure, and the Welsh Government is yet to find a way to provide sustainable funding that recognises the worth of our culture." Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenavon, Torfaen, is one of Amgueddfa Cymru's seven museums. It offers underground tours led by former miners so visitors can explore the original mine shafts and machinery. Article continues below The committee notes that Amgueddfa Cymru said most visitors were happy with the amount they paid – but as a matter of principle, recommend that underground tours should remain free of charge. The report made another four recommendations, including that income from temporary exhibitions should not replace the need for adequate public funding for museums, and that the Welsh Government should explore ways of helping organisations host more temporary exhibitions to improve the range of exhibitions on offer.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Big Pit charging mine admission is 'wrong'
It is wrong to charge people to enter the Big Pit National Coal Museum, a Senedd report says. The museum in Blaenavon, Torfaen, has started charging £8 per person, with some concessions, on a trial basis until July 2026. But the culture and sport committee says access should remain free on principle and not be a luxury for those who can afford it, calling for better funding for Welsh museums so collections remain free for all. The Welsh government said it was committed to keeping entry to all seven museum sites free, as well as to the national collections, and would consider the report's findings. Tours of Big Pit, one of Amgueddfa Cymru's seven museums, are led by former miners and explore original mine shafts and museums. A sign outside the entrance now states: "Due to financial pressures and funding cuts, from 5 April we will be charging for the underground tour." But Delyth Jewell MS, chair of the Senedd's culture and sports committee, said the tours are "a fundamental part of our national collections, they are part of our national story, and that shouldn't be limiting if people can't afford to access them". The report says the Welsh government has "not fulfilled its responsibility in funding museums adequately", citing a 17% cut in real terms to funding for culture and sport in Wales in the last decade. "We appreciate that it is expensive for Amgueddfa Cymru to provide access to the underground workings at Big Pit," it says. "However, we think this is an argument for the Welsh government to provide an adequate level of funding, not for Amgueddfa Cymru to charge for access." Bygone photos show life in Wales' oldest multi-ethnic community Tom Hanks writes letter backing rural war museum Publicly funded gallery 'turning its back on art' Visitors gave a mixed response to the charge, with Deborah Clubb from Merthyr Tydfil saying: "I think [the fee] would make it something that I wouldn't visit as often, definitely, because it was always a free attraction before and something that you could do as a family without thinking about." Mother-of-six Amy Hughes, from Aberdare, said she took the underground tour several times when it was free. She said: "[The admission fee] does make me not want to take all my kids down there but I do feel it's such good value to be able to go underground and see an actual mine. "It would be good if they did a family ticket." Savannah Knox, visiting from Southern Ontario, said she didn't mind paying because she is used to doing that back home in Canada. She said: "If it's historical or a museum it's usually charged. It helps with the upkeep, right?" Showing her around Wales was Lauren Price from Risca, who said she didn't mind paying the fee "if the money's going back into keeping it up and going". Amgueddfa Cymru said the Big Pit experience extends "far beyond" the underground tour, and the rest of the site remains free. It said it looks forward to continuing working with the Welsh government as they consider the report's findings.
South Wales Argus
03-06-2025
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Letter demands better pancreatic cancer detection in Wales
The letter, signed by more than 59,000 people, was handed over on behalf of a dad who died four weeks after his diagnosis. Pancreatic Cancer UK joined forces with Plaid Cymru's deputy Senedd leader, Delyth Jewell MS, and Isla Gear, a Scottish campaigner whose brother, Tam Barker, died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 47. Mr Barker's diagnosis came too late and he died, leaving behind a 12-year-old son. Since then, Ms Gear has been fighting for earlier detection of the disease, and her petition on received 200,000 signatures. Ms Jewell said: "Pancreatic cancer still robs too many people of their loved ones. "Five hundred people will likely be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year in Wales, but 300 of them will be diagnosed at a late stage. "It's these cruelly late diagnosis rates that we have to tackle because we have to find new ways of offering hope to the people it affects. "My grandmother died of pancreatic cancer more than 20 years ago. "The pain she went through was devastating to my family, and I want to do everything I can to prevent other families from having to face that kind of ordeal. "I don't want anyone to have to go through what she went through, or what my mother went through in losing her like that." The letter calls for the Welsh Government to invest in regular monitoring for those at high risk, support the development of new detection tests, and urge the UK Government to allocate at least £35 million annually for 20 years for research. Currently, there are no early detection tests, and 80 per cent of patients are not diagnosed until the cancer is at an advanced stage. Isla Gear, 38, said: "While he was in hospital Tam said he never wanted anyone else to go through this. "By uniting, I hope to raise even more awareness and secure change for everyone facing pancreatic cancer in the future."
