Wales: EnrichWales - convert page to Welsh

A range of innovative Welsh projects have received grants from the New Opportunities Fund to convert a wide range of local material on subjects like history, science and culture into digital format to become a valuable learning resource on the Internet.

Over the next few months, the groups and organisations funded by the digitisation programme will be gathering their material and putting it into place. You will be able to access their collections through the EnrichUK·net website.

In Wales, there are a wide variety of projects, all focusing on different elements. Here are some examples:

National Library of Wales
Project Name: Gathering the Jewels
http://www·gtj·org·uk

Gathering the Jewels is a pioneering, large-scale project to give free, worldwide online access to a substantial part of Wales' cultural heritage. It aims to digitise over 23,000 images of cultural heritage material held in institutions all over Wales, promoting the extraordinary diversity and significance of materials held in Welsh libraries, museums and archives. Fully bilingual, the project will enhance and broaden understanding of a panorama of Welsh history and culture, using innovative tools to present items such as manuscripts, artifacts, photographs, paintings and sound and moving images. The site will become a new national learning resource and is aimed at anyone, whatever their age, purpose or location, who wishes to learn about the history, culture and life of Wales.

Swansea Museum Services
Project Name: Swanseaheritage.net
http://www·swanseaheritage·net

Swansea Heritage is promoting enjoyment and understanding of cultural heritage in a local and national context, interpreting the history and natural environment of the Swansea and Gower areas through digitised information and images of the Museum Service's collections. Objects and related information are grouped under six themes: Industry, the Sea, World War II, People, Archaeology and Art & Culture.

Powys County Council
Project Name: A Day in the Life
http://a-day-in-the-life·powys·org·uk/

An exciting opportunity to explore what life was really like 120 years ago in Powys, focusing on a single day in history -- Monday 6th April 1891 (the day of the national census). It offers a cross-section of the community: what was being taught in school, what crimes were being committed, who lived in the great houses? What work did people do, what did they wear, what did they eat, what did they do for entertainment?

University of Wales, Swansea
Project name: Coalfield Web Materials
http://www·agor·org·uk/cwm/

Coalfield Web Materials aims to improve lifelong learning opportunities by stimulating in the local history and cultural heritage of South Wales. It offers digital versions of original documentary and audiovisual material relating to the history and development of the South Wales Coalfield. This material will be available in both Welsh and English.

Gwynedd County Council
Project Name: Llechwefan
http://www·welshslate·info

This site, available in both Welsh and English, shows the Wales slate industry and the society from which it grew. Linked particularly to Gwynedd County Council Archive and Museums Services and the Welsh Slate Museum, which are both supporting partners, it aims to be the main source of interpretive and teaching materials for lifelong learning about the industry, culture and social context of the North Wales slate areas.

University of Aberystwyth
Project Name: Getting in on the Act
http://www·cronfa·com/

Community Advice in Welsh This will be an all-Wales bilingual web portal site for community information. It will draw together community information databases, providing access to a digitised multi-media material resource bank for local communities. It will also provide links to other electronic information, local authorities, EU structural funds and lottery funded initiatives.

address :
New Opportunities Fund (Cardiff Office)
EnrichUK Enquiries
13th floor, Capital Tower
Greyfriars Road
Cardiff CF10 3AG
Enquiries: 0845 0000 122
email: general·enquiries(at)nof·org·uk
website: www·nof·org·uk