RESIDENTS have been urged to make their voices heard in the consultation over the plans to mothball a cultural institution. 

Members of the Senedd for South Wales East Delyth Jewell and Peredur Owen Griffiths have urged residents to make their views known about proposed cuts to two landmark buildings in Caerphilly County, and to a vital service on which so many vulnerable people depend.

The Plaid Cymru representatives have written to educational trade unions urging them to get their members to respond to the consultation by Caerphilly County Council before the consultation ends at 5pm today, Tuesday, September 10, 2024. 

Blackwood Miners Institute is facing having its funding withdrawn, while Llancaich Fawr, is facing closure and the county's Meals on Wheels service, Meals Direct, could be stopped by the end of the year. 

The two cultural institutions have several educational programmes.

In a joint statement Delyth Jewell MS and Peredur Owen Griffiths MS said:

“We are writing to you as educational trade unions to alert you to the consultation and to urge you to encourage your members in the south east to make their views known. The two cultural institutions are cultural cornerstones of the community and have an important role educationally.

“We appreciate the difficult financial climate for local authorities, however the proposed cuts to two landmark buildings in our county, as well as cuts to a vital service on which so many vulnerable people depend have caused us great concern.

“The Blackwood Miners Institute is the centrepiece for performing arts in the whole of the county borough and has been a hub for fostering the local talent of the future, as it provides many opportunities for young people to get into dance, drama and music.

“We are equally concerned about the proposal to close Llancaiach Fawr. The manor house is an historical gem, and unique to our county borough. It provides rich and varied educational opportunities for local schools, as it brings history to life and allows them to understand the role our area played in notable historical events.”

On Saturday, September 7, the MSs walked with hundreds of people in a march in support of the Blackwood Miners Institute, while community groups across the county have been expressing their dismay at these plans.