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Welsh music venues share £700,000 boost

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TWENTY-ONE music venues, studios and arts centres across Wales are set to benefit from more than £700,000 of government funding.

The latest round of the Welsh Government’s Music Capital Fund will see grants of up to £40,000 awarded to help improve facilities, support sustainability and strengthen the future of the industry.

Now in its third year, the fund provides support to small and medium-sized music businesses, enabling them to upgrade equipment, refurbish premises and invest in long-term development.

Beneficiaries across Wales

Among those receiving support is Steffan Pringle Music in Rhondda Cynon Taf, which will build a state-of-the-art recording studio with a dedicated mixing and mastering room.

Musicbox Studios in Cardiff will use its grant for refurbishment and environmental improvements, while other recipients include Sain in Gwynedd, ROC2 Studios in Wrexham, CWRW in Carmarthenshire and The Lost ARC in Powys.

The Memo Arts Centre in the Vale of Glamorgan is also among those benefiting. Chief executive Kate Long said the funding would allow the centre to install a new high-quality PA system.

“This upgrade will strengthen our ability to innovate and expand the scale and diversity of our live music programme,” she said. “It will also help us support grassroots musicians and create new opportunities for youth-led showcases and co-productions.”

Government support

Culture minister Jack Sargeant said the investment reflected the importance of the sector.

“The live music industry in Wales is crucial to developing both musicians and audiences,” he said. “By investing in these 21 businesses, we are supporting communities and strengthening the music ecosystem across the country.”

Applications for the next round of the Music Capital Fund will be announced in due course.

 

Crime

Portfield Gate man faces careless driving allegation after Tufton crash

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A PORTFIELD GATE man has appeared before magistrates accused of failing to stop after a road accident on the B4329.

Tony Mallon, 32, of Chestnut Tree Cottage, Portfield Gate, Haverfordwest, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Jun 17).

He is charged with driving a Peugeot Partner without due care and attention on the B4329 Preselly Mountain Road at Tufton on November 12, 2025.

Mallon is also accused of failing to stop after an accident in which damage was allegedly caused to a Toyota Auris, and failing to report the accident to police within 24 hours.

The case was adjourned at the request of the defence for an intermediary report to be prepared.

Mallon is due to appear again at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on July 8 for a further pre-trial review.

 

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New left-wing political party forms first Welsh branch in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire

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Founding conference to be held at Aberystwyth University with Jeremy Corbyn expected to speak

A NEW political party has formed its first Welsh branch covering Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

The Ceredigion Penfro branch of Your Party Cymru held its inaugural meeting on Sunday, June 7, with members attending in person in Aberystwyth and online from across both counties.

The group says it is the first Your Party Cymru branch to be formally constituted in Wales and will now receive party funding to develop locally and begin campaigning.

Your Party Cymru says it aims to address inequality and injustice, with the new branch planning to stand candidates in elections, launch local campaigns, and support existing causes.

The branch said its priorities would include industrial action, housing campaigns, protecting local health services, environmental issues, Palestine solidarity, and opposing the far right.

Organisers say the party will operate as a member-led movement, giving local members a say in how branches are run and offering opportunities to become active in campaigns.

Dinah Mulholland, Your Party Ceredigion Penfro organiser, said: “We are offering a significant alternative to political parties in the Senedd and in Westminster, who have disregarded the needs of ordinary people for far too long.

“Your Party Cymru will be a new kind of political party. We are rooted in communities, trade unions and social movements, and we are building positive and sustainable change from the ground up.”

Maria Donnellan, Your Party Cymru representative for Your Party UK’s collective leadership, said the formation of the branch was a “historic day” for the party and for Welsh politics.

She said: “Ceredigion Penfro communities have always found ways to look after each other when the state has failed to. It is exactly the right place for Your Party Cymru to take its first steps as a member-led party built from communities, not from the top down.”

The Ceredigion Penfro branch will host the Your Party Cymru founding conference at Aberystwyth University on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19.

Jeremy Corbyn and other socialist figures are expected to speak at the event.

 

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Business

Wales unemployment close to UK rate as ministers promise productivity push

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WALES’ unemployment rate is broadly in line with the UK average, according to the latest labour market figures.

The Welsh Government said figures from the Annual Population Survey showed unemployment among people aged 16 and over in Wales at 4.5%, compared with 4.4% across the UK.

Ministers said Wales’ employment rate was also “relatively close” to its all-time high, but acknowledged that official labour market data should be treated with caution because of continuing concerns over reliability.

The figures come as the newly elected Welsh Government seeks to put productivity at the centre of its economic agenda.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “As a newly elected Government we are committed to driving investment, innovation and higher productivity across Wales.

“We have announced a National Productivity Goal to close the gap with the rest of the UK and help unlock the full potential of the Welsh economy.

“By focusing on productivity, we will deliver more jobs, higher pay, stronger businesses and thriving communities.”

The Government says the new goal will help shape the work of its planned Welsh innovation and development agency, including how it supports businesses, develops skills and invests in the wider economy.

However, ministers also said Wales’ labour market appears to be following similar trends to the UK as a whole.

They pointed to ongoing work by the Office for National Statistics to improve the quality of Labour Force Survey data, saying the figures should be read alongside other labour market indicators to get a clearer picture.

The Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy, Adam Price, is seeking a meeting with the ONS to discuss the reliability of labour market data for Wales.

 

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