Addoldai Cymru is the only charity in Wales set up to take ownership of Welsh Nonconformist chapels no longer viable as religious buildings, often labelled the ‘National Architecture of Wales’
We recently welcomed another uniquely Welsh icon Mari Lwyd to Hen Dŷ Cwrdd, Trecynon on 15th December 2023 (courtesy of Llantrisant Folk Club) to raise funds for another Welsh cultural icon, the National Eisteddfod, to be held in Rhondda Cynon Taff in 2024.
She [Mari] will be visited our most recent acquisition, The Pales Quaker Meeting House, Llandegley, for a ‘Hen Galan’ celebration with Aberedw folk musicians and the Maesyfed Welsh speaker group, and the Plygain will celebrated in January at Capel Ainon, Llanuwchlyn.
Built heritage, culture, and language are all intrinsically entwined in telling the story of Wales’ past in the here and now!
As nights grew darker and the weather more miserable, the Christmas decorations sparkled on the supermarket shelves, and many remembered the value of the simple pleasures such as the holly and the ivy, candles, carols and communities coming together in collective spirit and voice in a local chapel. Communities across Wales celebrated their Christmases in chapels saved by Addoldai Cymru: Yr Hen Gapel, Rhydowen; Peniel, Tremadog; Beili Du, Pentrebach; and Caebach, Llandrindod.
None of these would be occurring without the support of Cadw our main sponsor, who recognised the importance of saving these buildings, as well as the dedication of the trustees, staff and community volunteers that arranged and attended these events.
A few days after our successful event at Hen Dŷ Cwrdd, the proposed Welsh Government budget cuts were announced; sectors such as the National Museum of Wales and the Arts Council of Wales are seeing budget cuts of 10.5%, “brave” decisions, including a “restructure” and potential job cuts were needed, said CEO of National Museum of Wales, Jane Richardson.
Dafydd Rhys, the CEO of the Arts Council of Wales, said in an article in Nation.Cymru on 20th December:
“Our current budget is lower than it was in 2010 which means that we have already lost a third of our real-terms funding since then. This significant new cut of 10.5% will make it even more challenging to ensure that high quality arts activity is available across Wales for all of our communities.”
These are indeed desperate times for the arts, cultural and heritage sectors… but wait, Cadw, responsible for safeguarding historic places in Wales, will face a budget cut exceeding 20%. This will represent the highest cut of all sectors! Who cares about the built heritage, the physical manifestation of Wales’ cultural heritage; a precious inheritance that we must care for and pass on to our children……?
As a small trust set up by Cadw to save some of Wales’ most important redundant chapel buildings, we receive a small grant from Cadw to maintain 2 part-time staff, based in Wales to support the care and promotion of 11, soon to be 13, exceptional chapel buildings here in Wales. We empathise with the large organisations such as the Arts Council of Wales and the National Museum of Wales, but a 20% budget cut for an already small trust such as Addoldai Cymru is literally a ‘cut to the cwic’, a cut too far!
Who values the built heritage here in Wales? You may well ask.
Christine Moore, Trust Manager, Addoldai Cymru
Contact details:
Tel: 07528 491819 | christine.moore@addoldaicymru.org | www.welshchapels.wales
