Museum handed £11,500 boost

A community museum in a Powys town is set to benefit from a grant of more than £11,500.

Powysland Museum in Welshpool has been awarded the funding as part of the Welsh Assembly's Government package of £860,000 for museums, archives and libraries.

It wants to develop a series of innovative and collaborative projects to promote Wales's cultural identity and benefit local communities.

Alun Ffred Jones, heritage minister, said the money for Powysland Museum would help foster greater involvement with the local community.

The money will help Powysland Museum to set up two core projects collating an oral history on the life and work of Laura Ashley by recording interviews with local people for a summer 2009 exhibition and providing an educational activity package based on a seaside theme for schools and families.

In addition improvements will be made to security at the museum.

Mr Jones added: "I am delighted to allocate this funding to so many fascinating projects across Wales.

"Our nation has a wealth of unique material collected and cared for by Welsh museums, archives and libraries.

"This funding will enable access to a wide range of historical material and increase the opportunity to engage with our national collections, all of which tell the story of Wales and its people through time."