The Minister for Education and Welsh Language has today announced
additional funding of half a million pounds for the National
Eisteddfod and the Urdd Eisteddfod, to make this year's festivals
accessible to lower income families.
£350,000 will be provided to the National Eisteddfod and £150,000
to the Urdd as one-off funding to enable families and individuals
from lower income households to attend the national festivals in
Rhondda Cynon Taf and Montgomery this summer.
This means that free admission tickets and food vouchers will be
available for up to 18,400 eligible local people to attend the
National Eisteddfod in Pontytpridd in August.
The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, , said: "I’m delighted to
announce this additional funding to support our renowned national
Welsh language festivals.
"The eisteddfodau are not only a cultural highlight in the Welsh
calendar, but also a great opportunity for people to see, hear
and speak Welsh, and take part in the various competitions and
social events on offer. The Welsh language belongs to us all, and
I want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience
and to enjoy our eisteddfodau."
Betsan Moses, Chief Executive of the National Eisteddfod said:
"We’re very grateful to the Welsh Government for their support in
ensuring that local residents have the opportunity to visit this
year's Eisteddfod. The offer will include a free ticket to the
Maes along with food vouchers. We believe it's vital that we’re
able to offer more than a Maes ticket to make our festival
accessible to everyone wishing to come along to Parc Ynysangharad
in early August, enjoy a great day, and get to taste the language
and culture.
"We’ll be announcing further details about the tickets in due
course, and we look forward to welcoming all to Rhondda Cynon Taf
shortly."
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council
said: “I send my thanks to the Minister and Welsh Government for
this generous funding.
“For many people in Rhondda Cynon Taf, this will be the first
Eisteddfod that they have had right on their doorstep. During the
cost of living crisis, it’s important that we all work together
to ensure as many people as possible, no matter their
circumstances, are able to join in and be inspired by the
Eisteddfod.
“As a Council, we have worked closely with the Eisteddfod to
create an inclusive event that all the community can be a part
of, and this funding underlines that ambition.”
The National Eisteddfod will administer the funding and ticket
sales.
The Urdd will announce their plans for admission tickets on the
18th of March, after each Local and Regional Eisteddfodau have
been held.
