Faith-based Heritage
Projects
: What action is the
Welsh Government taking to promote faith-based heritage projects
in North Wales?
: Our religious
heritage has an important place at the heart of our communities.
The Welsh Government provides funding and support to faith-based
heritage projects in various ways. We actively support both
buildings and organisations in this sector to conserve and
promote this aspect of our shared history.
: Thank you for that
response, Minister, and I am grateful for the support that the
Welsh Government has given to a number of projects across north
Wales and indeed in other parts of the country. One project that
is currently under way in north Wales is being organised by
Nathan Abrams and his team from Bangor University, who've been
researching the history of Jewish
communities in north Wales. They've already undertaken research
into the Jewish
history of Anglesey, Gwynedd and the Llandudno areas, and they're
now moving into north-east Wales to continue with their research.
This is, obviously, very important, not just to the Jewish
community, but to other people in north Wales who care deeply and
passionately about our faith narrative as a country. What support
is the Welsh Government giving to such research projects? And if
little investment is going into the research of this sort of
history, can I encourage the Welsh Government to take a good look
at how it might be able to facilitate these sorts of things in
the future?
: Well, I'll
certainly look at the issue together with the Deputy Minister,
who normally leads in this area. Of course, she is well aware of
Jewish
heritage, given the work that has been done in her own
constituency. And I'm particularly interested in not just
Jewish
heritage within the city of Cardiff, which I represent a good
chunk of, but also the reality that it still plays an important
role in the lives of many people, not just at festival time. So,
I recognise that the history of faith communities is part of
social history and what it means for the future. So, I'm more
than happy to commit to having a discussion with the Deputy
Minister to understand more about both the project and what the
Welsh Government can do to be broadly supportive.
