We are very pleased to be announcing a new partnership with the Welsh National Opera to help further the education and social mobility of young people in Wales.
The Welsh National Opera work to break down barriers and provide young singers between 10 and 18 pathways through music and drama to develop their musical performance skills. The WNO delivers weekly workshops that develop skills in singing, drama and performance as participants work towards an annual event to showcase their work over the year.
The WNO work to ensure the scheme represents a diverse group of participants from all social backgrounds with their Partner School Programme ensuring equal opportunity across all social and economic backgrounds.
The 66 participants of last years scheme found it to be incredibly inspiring, inclusive, creative and fun, building their network and making new friends.
The Siôn Mullane Foundation is proud to be renewing its partnership with The Brilliant Club to continue their great work giving less advantaged students in Wales greater access to the most competitive universities.
Their work mirrors our belief that everyone in Wales should have access to the best means to achieve their potential and live more fulfilling lives. Their scholars programme enables students to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to progress tot he most competitive universities.
In Wales, only 4% of young people from low participation areas progress to the most competitive universities, compared to 22% of students from high participation areas. The pandemic has further exacerbated these inequalities, affecting students from the least affluent backgrounds most severely.
“The support and encouragement through The Scholars Programme has helped my daughter find her passion and identify a career path”
— Parent, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Legal Wales increases interest in and access to the legal profession in Wales. Collaborating with the Lord Edmund Davies Trust Legal Education Trust (LEDLET) to expand their Access to Law Summer Scheme both in London and Cardiff.
Lord Edmund Davies began his education in South Wales. He was a bright, hardworking, normal schoolboy who ended his career some sixty years later in the House of Lords, one of the most distinguished judges of his generation. Throughout that time, he never lost touch with Wales. He did not come from a family of lawyers or a wealthy background, but his ambition, ability, hard work and scholarships gave him his start in law.
The weeklong Summer Scheme is held each year for up to 20 students to experience what a career in law may entail. The scheme involves spending a day with a firm of solicitors, a day in barristers’ chambers, and a day in court with a judge.
The scheme is entirely free to students with expenses covered. Additional bursaries are also offered to ensure access to suitable clothing for a legal setting.
The Siôn Mullane Foundation are delighted to have supported the 2022 LEDLET-Legal Wales Summer Scheme which received positive feedback from all students who took part. We look forward to fund-raising to help Legal Wales and LEDLET further develop this excellent initiative.
“I gained experience which will be invaluable for me going forward with university and my career that I never would have got access to without this scheme. Everybody I met was so supportive and lovely, I look forward to keeping in touch and being part of the LEDLET community”
— Participant, 2022 Summer Scheme
We are very pleased to be continuing our support with Merched Yn Gwneud Miwsig and continue their efforts to get young women in Wales greater access to the music industry through inspiring workshops led by female music professionals helping women understand the intricacies of the music industry and the complexities of composing and giving them the opportunity to network with other professionals.
Through our joint efforts we are able to bring the cost of these opportunities down and thus making them more accessible to a wider audiences in Wales who wouldn’t usually be able to access such opportunities.
Merched yn Gwneud Miwsig is a joint project by Maes B and Clwb Ifor Bach. Following discussions with other festivals organisers, it was noted that many festivals struggle with a lack of women on their line ups across the UK due to a lack of female acts in the industry.
The Maes B organisers have created a project encouraging and inspiring girls in Wales into the music industry, both as performers and behind the scenes. In partnership with the Urdd, they have established a twice yearly weekend residencies during which several workshops are held by female music professionals.
“Best experience ever! If I had the chance to do this weekend again, I’d be in! I’m grateful for the friends I’ve made and to have the opportunity to meet the tutors who are people I look up to”
— Beth, Tywyn
In 2023 we supported E Sports Wales to offer an 8-week Esports league to students at Eastern High School in Cardiff. The project was established to use gaming to address social isolation during the pandemic and, more broadly, for young people to develop new relationships and digital skills, supported by a team of youth workers.
A total of 40 students across years 7-11 took part in the league, which involved casting and streaming workshops alongside a weekly “Rocket League” gaming competition. Of the students that took part in the technical workshops, 95% scored them 5 out of 5 and the majority of participants said they had both developed new skills and that the sessions had a positive impact on their wellbeing. Cardiff Youth Service and Esports Wales are particularly pleased to have engaged students who would not normally participate in afterschool activities by offering something different.
The Siôn Mullane Foundation funded a pilot project and worked with Cardiff Youth Service and Esports Wales to develop it further, including exploring opportunities to offer equipment that can be used to run competition in multiple schools and communities.