A GWENT museum is Wales' only candidate to make the short list for a top national award.

Blaenavon's Big Pit is in the running for the Gulbenkian Museum of the Year award along with ten other museums from across the UK.

And our readers can do their bit to help bring the award home to Wales.

You can visit the Gulbenkian website and post your views on the popular mining museum and why it should win the £100,000 prize and title.

According to Big Pit spokeswoman, Kathryn Stowers all the comments will count in favour of Gwent's big attraction.

"We're the only Welsh representative left out of 60 original entries and we are asking people to get online and tell Gulbenkian why Big Pit should win," she said.

Yesterday Big Pit received a group visit from the official judging panel consisting of chairman Sir Richard Sykes, Sir Neil Chalmers, former director of the Natural History Museum, broadcaster Joan Bakewell, sculptor Sokari Douglas Camp and writer and journalist Victoria Hislop.

The ten remaining contenders, which include London's Foundling Museum, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and Birmingham's Back to Back to four by March 18. The winner will be announced on May 26.

"Our recent £7.5 million overhaul was the catalyst for entering and now it really looks like we've got a fantastic chance of winning," said Ms Stowers.

That revamp consisted of a complete renovation of the pithead baths exhibition area and a new fully interactive educational section telling the story of Big Pit and mining in South Wales. The museum also combines a unique underground tour by former miners and became part of the National Museum of Wales in 2002.

Since then it has been free to visit.

l The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a private organisation which invests in the arts, social welfare and educational projects. l To register your support visit www.thegulbenkianprize.org.uk