The Welsh Government’s £108 million Cultural Recovery Fund (CRF) was fundamental to the survival of many cultural organisations in Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic which helped safeguarded 2,700 FTE jobs, a new report has shown.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to 2021 the Welsh Government launched the CRF, which provided financial support to the cultural, creative and events sectors across Wales.
94% of the organisations surveyed for a Welsh Government-commissioned evaluation report said the Fund had played a part in their survival, with 57% saying it had been fundamental to their survival to a great extent.
With the funding received, over half of creative and cultural organisations developed new activities or services in response to the pandemic, meaning that the fund has enabled innovation as well as supporting organisations to develop new areas of business and diversify their revenue streams. This has the potential to improve the sector’s resilience to manage future disruption and operational restriction associated with the pandemic.
The funding also enabled organisations to maintain contact with their volunteer base. It is estimated that around 77,000 volunteer roles have been protected through the Fund, ranging from one off volunteering opportunities such as at large scale participation events to longer-term volunteers.
For further information visit Wales’ Cultural Recovery Fund provided a lifeline to the sector, new report | GOV.WALES