Dear Delyth Jewell,

Good afternoon.

We’re writing to you in your capacity as Chair of the Culture and Commications Committee to give an update on the open letter campaign we contacted you about on the 11th of August. The campaign to safeguard magazines and websites funded by BCW has taken on extra momentum as more writers have contacted us wishing to sign, with signatories now totalling 178. Also, Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, the Association for Welsh Writing in English and Wales PEN Cymru have now joined the National Union of Journalists and Society of Authors Wales in adding their signatures.  

With ever rising costs and pressures on working conditions becoming desperate, the clock is ticking for this campaign to succeed in order for publications in both languages to survive and to safeguard the wellbeing of those who work in the sector.  

In media coverage of the open letter, the Welsh Government has responded with reference to £135,000 additional support for magazines. This was very welcome. However, this is only for Welsh-language magazines, is for one year only, and established Welsh-language magazines have not received sufficient resources from this fund to substantially address chronic underfunding and consequent poor working conditions. (For example, O’r Pedwar Gwynt receive £34,000 annually as a core grant, and £10,000 as a one-off from the £135,000 fund.) 

They also refer to £200,000 provided for journalism under the Plaid-Labour co-operation agreement as helping address the issues, but none of this has been pledged (as yet at least) to improve core funding for magazines & websites funded by BCW.

We will be reporting back to our signatories on the progress of the campaign. If adequate provision for core funding schemes in both languages has not been secured by the end of the month we will request an online meeting with Welsh Government, Creative Wales and Books Council of Wales at an appropriate time that also takes into account the urgency of the situation, to help resolve this constructively.  

Yours sincerely, 

The campaign team