£3 million for Welsh museums

29 local cultural projects across Wales are set to receive a share of £3 million in Welsh Government funding.

18 local museum, five library and six archive projects will receive funding to enhance their facilities and make them more accessible for visitors

The 1910 Conacher Pipe Organ at Pontypridd Museum is the beneficiary of £150,000. visitors will soon be able to hear the organ play on demand through a digitally controlled trigger which allows a recital to be recorded and then played back without an organist being present.

Other funding will go towards introducing a pollinator garden in Rogerstone library, lifts and braille interpretation in Dinefwr Park and digital enhancements for neurodiverse users in the Museum of Welsh Cricket.

Culture Minister, Jack Sargeant, said: "Our local museums, libraries and archive projects are vital community assets serving as visitor attractions, valuable resources for schools, and health and wellbeing hubs for the whole community.

"This fund will help protect them into the future. And it will do so with a focus on my priorities: improving access and facilities for visitors, diverse communities, families and young people; enhancing collection care and digital access; and developing the sustainability of the local culture sector."

Nigel Blackamore, Museum Business & Partnerships Manager at Pontypridd Museum, added: "The Conacher Pipe Organ is more than an instrument - it’s the beating heart of our museum and a living link to Pontypridd’s rich musical heritage. Restoring it will not only revive its powerful presence but also reconnect generations through sound, memory, and innovation.

"Thanks to the generous support of Welsh Government, and the expertise of leading organ builders, we’re harnessing digital technology to ensure this iconic object doesn’t fade into silence but sings once again for our community and the world."