The summer holidays are getting close and Wrexham Museum has plenty of events to fill your diaries and entertain the little ones.
And great news for parents…they’re free and there’s no need to book!
July 26 1-3pm Craft Session Decorate a wooden shield to take home
July 27 10.30am-1.30pm Paint themed Play! This is a messy session so please ensure you bring spare clothes and things to clean your child with such as an old towel or wipes.
August 2 1-3pm Craft Session Design your own football kit
August 3 10.30am-1.30pm Loose Parts Play! This will be going ahead whatever the weather so please ensure you have what you need come rain or shine!
August 9 1-3pm Craft Session Create your own Egyptian themed papyrus bookmark
August 10 10.30am-1.30pm Loose Parts Play! This will be going ahead whatever the weather so please ensure you have what you need come rain or shine!
August 16 1-3pm Craft Session Design your own football badge
August 17 10.30am-1.30pm Cardboard City Play! What will you create using cardboard in this outdoor play session?
August 19 10.30am-3pm Pro Skills Sports A family friendly event including inflatable football darts, mini golf, and much more outside on our forecourt!
There is a lot going on throughout the County Borough over the summer so make sure you keep an eye on our social media for all the details.
Criw Celf offers young people (aged 9 to 14) who love art, an opportunity to take part in artist-led masterclasses during summer holidays over a consecutive 6 day period.
Our programme of specialist workshops are being delivered in-person at Tŷ Pawb with professional artists, and offer participants opportunities to develop new creative skills and understanding of visual art and craft. As well as meet new friends who also enjoy art too!
Criw Celf is a project for young artists in Years 5 to 9 in school age. It is part of a national scheme to nurture young talent in the visual Arts and is funded by the Arts Council of Wales.
As part of Wrexham County Borough’s long-term ambition to become UK City of Culture, 8 schools within the County, including 6 secondary schools, St. Christopher’s School and Gorwelion Newydd Pupil Referral Unit, recently worked with the North Wales performance poet and previous Young People’s Poet Laureate for Wales Martin Daws, to develop a project called ‘My Wrexham’, exploring young people’s ideas, feelings and relationship towards their home through poetic outcomes.
Pupils from each school received fun, interactive, spoken word poetry workshops with performance poet Martin focused on the theme of ‘My Wrexham’ looking at local identity and what it means to live here. The project specifically included pupils from often marginalised and vulnerable groups in expressing their thoughts and feelings about living in Wrexham.
The content of the poems gives a diverse and honest reflection of Wrexham as a City and a County from the young people’s perspectives, while showcasing the wonderful creative writing abilities of young people across the County.
You can enjoy the young people’s poetry via the SoundCloud links below.
Back in 2002, when we launched our kerbside recycling service in Wrexham, we knew we needed to get our residents up to speed on how it all worked quickly. So, we enlisted the help of a fresh-faced, blonde haired teen wearing a backward facing baseball cap to spread the word for us.
Michael, of ‘Recycle with Michael’-fame first hit our leaflets, posters, bin wagons and fridge magnets (remember those?) twenty years ago. Doesn’t time fly!
As we celebrate the 20-year anniversary of having a kerbside recycling service in Wrexham, we thought it might be a good time to give you a bit of a reminder how Michael helped us all to learn about recycling.
Initially, Michael was keen to show off the green and pink recycling sacks we provided you with to recycle your household items. In your pink sack, you could recycle plastic bottles as well as cans and tins, and in your green sack, you could recycle papers including newspapers, magazines and directories.
As we expanded our kerbside recycling service to include more items you could recycle, such as glass, Michael helped us swap out the original pink and green sacks so that residents would have a green box and new green sack to put their recycling in moving forwards.
Householders with gardens were given a green bin, in which they could recycle their garden waste. Michael also let our residents know they could compost their garden waste if they preferred, with home composters being available at cost price by calling our Recycling Helpline.
Michael set out a number of handy tips for us too, some of which are still relevant today, such as:
• REMOVE caps from plastic bottles • RINSE cans/tins • FLATTEN materials where possible to save space • DO NOT include kitchen waste, plastic bags, soil, stones, bricks, timber or other garden debris in the your green bin • TRY to reduce waste in the first place by using real nappies and buying goods with less packaging
Michael definitely played a big part in educating people about recycling in those early years, and he’s helped us to get to the point where we can say that most of our residents now take part in the recycling scheme.
But the BIG question remains…what’s Michael up to these days?
Michael in 2022
Is he still in Wrexham? Did he emigrate? Look out for our Recycle with Michael posts on our social media pages and leave a comment with your thoughts on what Michael might be doing in the current year.
We’d also love for you to tell us if you still have your vintage Recycle with Michael fridge magnet 🙂
Race Council Cymru and Tŷ Pawb are pleased to announce the beginning of a new partnership to deliver an exciting pilot programme for the North Wales Multicultural Hub in Wrexham.
The Multicultural Hub will support Tŷ Pawb’s Useful Art Space to host a range of activities led by Wrexham’s diverse communities; these will be directed by participants, and will include arts and crafts, music and dance, culinary exchanges, cultural celebrations and other exciting activities.
The project is supported in part by funding from Arts Council of Wales.
Community groups will receive support from Race Council Cymru representative Iolanda Banu Viegas, who is a long-time champion of the Portuguese diaspora in Wrexham, and has a wealth of experience across both local grassroots and national projects, including Black History Wales.
The objectives of the project are to create a welcoming, inclusive space for people of all backgrounds, to celebrate the diversity of cultures in Wrexham and to empower people from minority and marginalised backgrounds to participate in creative, cultural and community experiences of their choosing.
The Multicultural Hub builds on successful work currently delivered by Race Council Cymru in partnership with Swansea Council to run The Grand Multicultural Hub based at Swansea Grand Theatre.
Professor Uzo Iwobi, OBE Race Council Cymru Chief Executive said: “Race Council Cymru is delighted to work with Tŷ Pawb to grow a North East Wales grassroots led Multicultural Hub which will mirror the Grand Multicultural Hub in Swansea, providing an exciting and community centred space for new contemporary and creative artistic programmes to thrive and grow. Showcasing the diversity, creative and cultural co-production which will enable Wrexham’s Tŷ Pawb to develop as a community space for all and add vibrancy to Wrexham.”
The project will also extend Tŷ Pawb’s ongoing work with asylum seekers and refugees (Make Yourself At Home) and engagement with Portuguese elders through Bom Dia Cymru.
Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety, said: “As ‘Everybody’s House’ being a welcoming space where all of Wrexham’s diverse communities can feel at home central to our mission at Tŷ Pawb. We are thrilled to be working with Race Council Cymru to develop The Multicultural Hub for the benefit of Wrexham and the region. We look forward to the seeing the activities and events that users of the space will generate.”
There’s yet another opportunity to support our armed forces when the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, The Welsh Cavalry, hold their Homecoming Parade from 11.00 on 12 July.
The Regiment have returned from 12 months of NATO operations in Mali, Africa and are very much looking forward to marching in Wrexham. The last time they were here was 2009.
They will begin with an Inspection by the Mayor, Cllr Brian Cameron and the Lord Lieutenant, Mr Henry Fetherstonhaugh OBE DL, on Llwyn Isaf followed by permission to march through the centre of Wrexham at 11.25.
They’ll be taking the following route:
From Llwyn Isaf, right onto Chester Street.
Along Chester Street past Welch Fusilier pub onto pedestrianised part of Chester Street past Ty Pawb.
Right on to High Street at Wynnstay Hotel.
Right onto Hope Street.
Bare right into Queens Street.
Right onto Lambpit Street.
Left onto Chester Street at Saith Seren pub.
Left into Library car park at Llwyn Isaf where the Regiment will halt and fall out.
Chester Road will be closed between 9am and 12pm for the event with rolling road closures for the rest of the route.
Major R C Mansel QDG said, “1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, ‘The Welsh Cavalry’ are delighted to have the great honour and opportunity to conduct a homecoming parade in the City of Wrexham.
“The Regiment are returning from 12 months of NATO operations in Mali, Africa and very much look forward to being back in North Wales, one of our main recruiting areas. The regiment has a long history of recruiting soldiers from Wales. In 2027 the QDG will be returning permanently to a newly built camp in Caerwent, the first time the regiment has been based in Wales since the outbreak of the first world war”
The Mayor of Wrexham, Cllr Brian Cameron, said, “I’m looking forward to seeing the Queen’s Dragoon Guards in Wrexham once again and I know many people will join me in welcoming them back from Mali.”
Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Beverley Parry Jones, said, “We’ll once again be gathering in Wrexham to watch our troops march on the streets of Wrexham. The Queen’s Dragoon Guards haven’t been here for over 10 years and I know they’ll receive a very warm welcome.
If you live in the Cefn, Plas Madoc and Ruabon areas of Wrexham there’s a chance to find out first-hand how you can establish your own business that will help older or disabled residents to improve their independence.
Wrexham Community Catalyst, Tom Hughes, will be on hand at Cefn, Rhosymedre and Newbridge Community Association on Monday 18 July between 10am and 12pm to answer your questions about how you can become involved.
You may already have an idea that you’d like to take further or you’d just like to help people in your community to improve their quality of life and this is an opportunity to work locally, earn an income and make a positive difference.
Tom said, “I’m looking forward to meeting many people from the area and to setting them on their way to become self-employed and make a positive difference to their community. They’ll join several others who have taken this route into employment by using and enhancing the skills they already have.”
Cllr John Pritchard, Lead Member for Adult Social Care, said, “This is an excellent opportunity for people to become involved and by being self-employed they will be able to enjoy a work life balance that suits them and their families.”
From Monday 18 July there will be a one way system along Watery Road and Croesnewydd Road by the Maelor Hospital to allow for necessary improvements to the bus shelters along this route.
The road will operate one way from Croesnewydd Road towards A5152 Bradley Road roundabout. Traffic wishing to access Croesnewydd Road from Watery Road will be diverted via A541 Mold Road and B5101 Berse Road.
From Monday 1st August for one week, additional two way temporary traffic lights will be in place on Croesnewydd Road, at the Gate 1 junction of the main entrance/car park into the Maelor Hospital.
The works are expected to last 3 weeks.
The works are part of a Welsh Government scheme to improve Infrastructure for Traws Cymru Bus Services. These works will allow for improvements along the T3 Wrexham to Barmouth and T12 Wrexham to Machynlleth bus services.
Motorists are advised to plan an alternative route wherever possible for the duration of the work and are thanked in advance for their co-operation.
Those wishing to use the bus services along this route are advised that there will be temporary bus stops at the Railway Crossing for those leaving the hospital and at the Ramada Hotel for those visiting the hospital.
Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member with responsibility for Strategic Transport, said, “We know these works will cause inconvenience to road and bus users but they are necessary and bus users will see improvements to the shelters once they are completed.”
This month (July 2022) marks the 20-year anniversary of having a kerbside recycling service in Wrexham.
Over the past 20 years, we’ve come a long way to reach the point where most of our residents now take part in the recycling scheme, and we’ll be celebrating the anniversary with a number of recycling-themed challenges over the coming months.
Keep an eye out for #Wrexcycle20 on social media to stay up to date with our latest celebrations!
But the anniversary also gives us the chance to reflect on how there is plenty more to be done, if we’re truly going to play our part in tackling the global climate emergency.
One of the agreed outcomes from the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) was for countries to accelerate their actions against the emergency, and we need everyone in Wrexham to help us do better.
“We want to do everything we can to support people”
Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Environment, said: “20 years is a significant milestone and we want to thank everyone who has worked so hard on the recycling service over these years. Our first recorded recycling rate was 3.75% in 2002 and our most recent yearly figure was 67.89%, which shows how much the service has developed over time.
“Many people living in Wrexham have embraced recycling as part of their daily routines to get us to the point we’re at, but we know there is still a lot of recyclable materials and food waste going into the general rubbish bins.
“We want to do everything we can to support people to get better at recycling, through education and the recycling services we provide, but we need them to come on board with us and take the initiative to recycle as much as they can.
“The message to residents is that we should be proud of how far we’ve come, but let’s now push on and do even better. Recognising we’re in a climate emergency is a starting point to changing our habits, and we hope people get behind this.”
As part of our 20 year recycling celebrations, over the next 12 months we’ll be working with several Eco-Councils based in Wrexham schools.
We’ll be setting twenty challenges to celebrate 20 years of kerbside recycling in Wrexham, which will be starting in September! If you’re a teacher and your school are interested in joining this challenge you can register your interest by emailing Wrexcycle20@wrexham.gov.uk
The challenges will cover themes including reducing single-use plastics, recycling, composting and eco-wrapping.
How recycling has increased over time
As Cllr Jones touched upon, in 2002, our first recycling figure was 3.75%, which increased the following year to 10.51%.
Our recycling figures continued to steadily rise over the next couple of years reaching 18.41% in 2006 before we saw a big increase in 2007 when we hit 30.09%.
In 2010, we surpassed the 40% mark (41.86%) and in 2013, we topped 50% (52.83%).
2016 saw us go past 60% (62.29%), and our most recent yearly figure, 2022, is 67.89%, which covers the period April 2021-April 2022.
Recycling milestones
On July 1, 2002, our first kerbside recycling and garden waste scheme was trialled at around 6,000 properties in Wrexham. Who remembers the pink and green sacks that we first used for our recycling? The pink sacks were for plastics, cans and tins and the green sacks were for paper.
You might also remember a blonde haired teen with a backward facing baseball cap who was front and centre of this…
Yes, ‘Recycle with Michael’ was our first recycling brand. We’ll be bringing you a separate blog on Michael in the coming days, so keep your eyes peeled for that one.
In September 2004, Bryn Lane Recycling Centre was opened, which is the largest of the three recycling centres now in Wrexham. The other two are situated in Brymbo, and Plas Madoc.
By 2007, the original pink and green sacks had been phased out and replaced by the green box and green sack for kerbside recycling (see below). By the end of this year, almost every household was able to recycle cans, plastic bottles, glass and paper from their homes as well as garden waste.
In April 2009, the Wrexham Recycling Park was opened as part of a 25-year PFI contract with FCC Environment on Wrexham Industrial Estate. The site includes a Materials Recycling Facility, In-Vessel Composting Unit, Education Room and Waste Transfer Station.
Also in 2009, we first piloted using blue sacks to 6,000 households, which was to replace the green paper recycling sacks. The new blue sack was also for paper recycling, but residents could recycle cardboard in their sack too. The trial was a success and we still use the blue sacks to this date.
And in the same year, we began rolling out our first kitchen caddies so residents could recycle their food waste. Residents could transfer the waste from their kitchen caddy into their garden waste bins. Corrugated cardboard could also go in with garden waste during this period.
2015 saw the new Mechanical Biological Treatment Plant open within the Wrexham Recycling Park to recover recyclable materials found in the general waste and produce a refuse-derived fuel from household residual waste.
2016 was a busy year, firstly with 13,000 wheelie boxes being given out to residents in certain areas of Wrexham. We also finished rolling out the food caddies across the county so that every house had a food caddy.
2016 also saw 47,000 black boxes given out so that residents could recycle glass at the kerbside. Residents could also recycle plastic pots, tubs and trays in their kerbside recycling by this year.
In November 2016, the Nightingale House Hospice reuse shop opened, situated in Bryn Lane Recycling Centre. It’s still there – pop in and have a look around, there’s plenty of bargains to be had.
In 2017, we received funding for a further 3,500 wheelie boxes which were supplied to some of our residents.
In 2018, we started offering free caddy liners as part of the recycling service. Remember, if you need a new roll, just tie a liner to your caddy handle on your collection day and the crew will leave you a free roll. You can also pick up the free liners from a number of locations in Wrexham.
In 2018, we received funding for a further 3,000 wheelie boxes which were supplied to some of our residents.
Well, did you enjoy that little trip down memory lane? If so, remember our Recycle with Michael blog will be appearing in the coming days!
