It was a pleasure to welcome several members of the Welsh Government to our Ystafell Athrawon (Staff Room) this week during the Urdd Eisteddfod, including the First Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, and the Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education, Cefin Campbell MS.
As the National Music Service, we also welcome the recent comments from the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Sport, Heledd Fychan MS, who recognised the vital contribution of the arts to our wellbeing as a nation, and highlighted the new government’s plans to work across the sector, acknowledging the need for clear pathways and fair funding throughout the system.
As the National Music Service, we warmly welcome this policy direction. We agree, and recognise the powerful connections between education, culture and health, and the exciting benefits these can bring.
Our message is simple: we are ready. The foundations are in place, we understand the challenges in detail, and we have the energy, as one unified organisation, to move forward with a shared goal — to ensure that every child and young person in Wales has the opportunity to experience, learn and thrive through music.