Press Releases

This represents the largest funding cut in the museum’s history and will have a sizeable impact on Amgueddfa Cymru’s day-to-day operations. To ensure that the organisation can continue to operate within the revised budgets, Amgueddfa Cymru is having to consider different cost-saving options including changing operating arrangements, closing services, and potential job losses. 

This is an unsettling period for Amgueddfa Cymru, and the first priority is to provide care and support to our staff and volunteers over the coming weeks and months. Consultations with trade union colleagues will also be taking place throughout the process. 

Amgueddfa Cymru Chief Executive, Jane Richardson said:

“We shouldn’t underestimate the long-lasting effect these cuts will have on Amgueddfa Cymru and the wider culture sector in Wales. We are already working within an extremely challenging financial environment post-Covid as we try and manage the ongoing risks to protecting, preserving, and promoting the national collection. 

 “This financial situation is challenging for everyone, and we recognise that we have to make difficult financial decisions. We will focus on delivering on our core purpose of inspiring learning and enjoyment for everyone through the national collection of Wales.”

Welcoming over 1.3 million visitors a year to its family of seven national museums and Collection Centre, Amgueddfa Cymru is responsible for conserving and caring for the national collection of Wales, made up of over 5 million items of significant historic and cultural value. Each year over 200,000 children and young people engage in the museum’s collections-based learning programmes resources, making it one of the largest providers of learning outside of the classroom in Wales. 

Following the Welsh Government announcement on the proposed budget cuts in October, Amgueddfa Cymru’s senior team and Trustees have already begun planning for potential significant changes. Under the title ‘Shaping our Future’, the organisation will now begin a large programme of work to help shape and deliver a more sustainable future for Amgueddfa Cymru. 

Jane Richardson stated:

“We have to look again at what Amgueddfa Cymru is, what we represent and what we deliver. There are different opportunities and options to consider, but it’s not going to be easy and there will be many more challenges ahead. 

“The national collection is a precious cultural treasure that belongs to all the people of Wales. It is a resource for everyone to explore, enjoy and experience in their own communities, in our family of museums and digitally. It represents and celebrates art, history, science, and the diverse cultures of Wales. It is therefore imperative that we tackle this financial challenge head on with the view of creating an Amgueddfa Cymru fit for the future.”

Notes to editors

• Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales is an Executive Welsh Government Sponsored Body, established by Royal Charter, and receives a large percentage of its funding from the Welsh Government. We are also a registered charity, subject to the regulatory oversight of the Charity Commission.
• Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales is a charity, and a family of seven national museums and one collections centre located across Wales. But we’re more than our buildings. Our sites are vital community spaces that reach far beyond their location on a map. Our aim is to inspire everyone we reach through Wales’s story and we recognise that everyone has something to contribute through our museums, collections and the work we do.

• 2022-23 Facts and Figures: 

• This year St Fagans came top in Which? Top Ten UK Free Visitor Attractions, with National Museum Cardiff positioned in fifth.

• In 2023 Big Pit celebrated its 40th Anniversary with both public and staff events. It was also named one of the top free visitor attractions in You Magazine.