THE National Museum Wales has begun a 45 day consultation period on proposals to save around £770,000 over the next six months.

Amgueddfa Cymru is facing a reduced budget and must find a total of £3.5m in savings over three years in order to remain financially viable. The museum has seven sites across Wales - including Big Pit in Blaenavon.

The National Museum in Cardiff and St Fagans National History Museum are among the others.

Over the last five years, Amgueddfa Cymru’s grant in aid from the Welsh Government has been reduced by over 25 per cent in real terms. This is alongside reductions in the capital maintenance grant of more than 30 per cent.

As a result of these cuts and increasing operating costs, Amgueddfa Cymru, said it has no choice but to make these savings to balance its budget and provide long-term sustainability for the organisation.

A spokeswoman for the museum said 21 posts will be affected by the proposed changes, of which 11 permanent posts will be lost from the current structure subject to the outcome of the consultation. The museum spokeswoman said they are hoping to avoid compulsory redundancies by offering redeployment, voluntary redundancy, and early or flexible retirement for those affected.

As part of the savings, 21 members of staff have already been accepted for voluntary redundancy.

Amgueddfa Cymru has entered into a 45-day consultation with its staff and Trade Unions.

A spokeswoman for the museum said: "The proposed changes, which are driven by the need to make savings and balance the budget, will undoubtedly mean some areas of the museum’s work and services will be affected. Yet, the Museum is committed to minimising the impact on visitors as far as possible by keeping museums open and offering a high quality experience for those who visit Wales’ national museums."