Community
is
Everything
People visit Wrexham for its heritage, history and vibrant community.
Without community, we have nothing. On this page we bring stories of community from locals and from visitors - all connecting with Wrexham.
The Tweet of the Year combined with a touching story about the love of Wrexham.
Jeff
Ivey
A missing hoodie, and a viral re-location story about a couple moving from Texas to Wrexham. That's the Jeff and Janice Ivey story. We got to meet Jeff both at the Visit Wrexham offices and then by chance joining him for a pint at the Turf the very next day.
Wrexham
Students'
Union
This September Wrexham will welcome thousands of new students to our amazing town. They will be warmly welcomed into our Community by the team who run the Wrexham Students' Union, based on campus, next door to Wrexham AFC.
Saving history and building community.
Wrexham
Miners
Trust
The Wrexham Miners Project was formed some 10 years ago to create a hub in the community, sited on the original rescuers station for the mining tragedy. This original site was then repurposed into a miners training station for decades afterwards.
A Personal History of the Spirit of Wrexham.
Grahame
Davies
Growing up in nearby Coedpoeth, his is a fascinating life story.
A story of how one man changed the world.
Terry
Fox
Foundation
Last autumn we sat down and met with Fred Fox who was kind enough to share his table with us over his lunch.
We got talking and got an understanding of exactly why he was here and how we might be able to help him and support the Terry Fox Foundation.
Feel Good, Do Good, For Good.
Choirs
For
Good
Choirs for Good is a not-for-profit social enterprise and network of community wellbeing choirs across Wales and South West England, founded in 2020 by a group of five choir leaders (including co-founder Iori Haugen) to make community singing sustainable, inclusive, and impactful.
Major Community-Led Heritage Attraction opens in Brymbo, Wrexham.
Stori
Brymbo
Now open for bookings from July 10 2026, the project tells a unique "300 million year journey" connecting three distinct eras: Nature, Industry, and People. We attend their official opening ceremony celebrating their hard work.
The Guardians of Wrexham and Wales’ Ancient Past
Heneb
For anyone fascinated by Wrexham's fascinating history, Heneb offers a window into the past that continues to shape the present. We meet them at our Visit Wrexham offices to find out more.
Wrexham
City
Radio
Wrexham Premier Radio, our local community radio, rebrands and re-launches as Wrexham City Radio on 14th February 2026. We meet the team to find out more.
Enriching lives through Nature.
Erlas
Victorian
Walled
Garden.
Nestled on the outskirts of Wrexham, Erlas Victorian Walled Garden is far more than a beautiful green space.
A celebration of dedication, community and preservation.
Wrexham
National
Trust
Association
50 Years of the Wrexham National Trust Association. Supporting Erddig Hall and Gardens’ Legacy.
Set for a bright future it’s
Park in
the Past
In early autumn we were fortunate enough to spend a whole afternoon over at Park in the Past, located only a 10-minute drive north of Wrexham town centre, occupying a beautiful spot in the Welsh countryside, nestled at the foot of Hope Mountain.
A physically impressive site in scale of some 120 acres with a 35-acre lake, Park in the Past is a truly phenomenal visionary project as it offers a uniquely exciting day out and encompasses nature, archaeology, history and ecology all in one stunning setting.
Feeling like a life’s work for the small team of founders and volunteers involved who are some 10 years into their quest, we were treated to a personalised, guided tour of all the different projects and builds that are in various stages of completion, dotted around their extensive and thoughtfully planned out site.
A former quarry, the site was previously abandoned to nature with limited options for future uses – that was until Paul Harston and his team set their bold and clear vision out to the local council. Born locally, Paul’s father was also a well-read and regarded local historian, and Paul himself grew up with a similar passion for local history and had a particular interest in Roman history and archaeology.
We first came to know Paul many years ago when his friendly face was a familiar sight giving popular guided tours around Chester City centre dressed in his full Roman soldier regalia. Paul spent many years searching the UK for a perfect site to achieve such a grand vision, and it was completely by fluke the opportunity finally arose, and such a site being located on his very own doorstep.
Paul and his team offer their team of volunteers training, safe working environments, and is supportive of local communities and veterans in particular looking for skilled work training opportunities, all set in pleasant, relaxing and calming settings.
Possessing the world’s only full-sized reconstructed Roman fort as their great reveal, it is further amplified with other grand designs and builds located around the park. The fort was built using research and experimental archaeology techniques.
There is also an Earth House which can hold up to 250 people, and everything designed has been physically built on site, following strict architectural footprints, based on other historical Roman sites in the UK, with everything made as close as possible to being authentic.
Paul highlighted the painstaking attention to detail the team takes with the colours and patterns on fabrics faithfully copied from local museums and artefacts. We certainly felt like we had time travelled back to that period. This was made even more believable with some of the volunteer carpenters quietly working on site under cover, using traditional methods and materials and the faint aroma of died down fires from the night before filling the air. We even met a business owner on site who makes real mead nearby!
The crowning beauty of the site is their beautiful crystal-clear lake, which offers a ½ mile swim when swum across its longest section out and back, and in places is up to 90 feet deep. We saw evidence of a beaver who has decided to settle here as well. Offering so many choices for long summer days out there is a beach, sauna tent, wild swimming, boating and sailing – and with a strict no engine policy the site remains tranquil, peaceful and supporting both mindfulness and well-being.
With a great future potential and a lovely café already on site, the team have grand plans to turn this into a world class destination, and we can believe it. Hosting many organised events already throughout the year that include organised trips from schools across the north of the UK and Wales. Events also include Viking weekends with longships on the lake, Roman Days, Natural World Days, Bronze Age Days and re-enactments, meaning there is something for everyone. Park in the Past has a bright future.
Hospice in Wrexham Celebrates 30 Years of Care and Community Support
Nightingale
House
Hospice
Wrexham’s local hospice was warmly welcomed as a beacon of care and community spirit to the whole of Wrexham when it first opened its doors some 30 years ago.
Visit Wrexham were invited in March to get an understanding of what they do and offer today, along with raising awareness about their latest fund-raising events taking place this summer. We had a lovely greeting upon our arrival by Helen Paddock and the friendly reception team. The site exudes warmth, with a well-stocked on-site shop offering locally crafted gifts—helping to raise vital funds—and a popular café serving affordable, home-cooked meals to visitors, staff, and patients alike. Pets are made most welcome, adding to the relaxed and inclusive atmosphere.
Olivia Beckett, Events and Communications Director—known as Liv—and pictured above - welcomed and guided us on a tour of the modern, thoughtfully designed facilities. The layout prioritises wellbeing, creating a calm and healing environment for all who come through its doors.
The hospice, which officially marked its 30th anniversary last year, relies heavily on fundraising, with only 20% of its £5.6 million running costs coming from the Welsh Government. The remainder is self-funded through donations, events, and community support and this means huge efforts each year are required to ensure high standards are maintained year after year.
A key highlight of the hospice’s calendar is its growing events programme. This year’s schedule is their busiest yet, with live music events being hosted in the main fields under a big top behind the nearby Wrexham Council Headquarters, located some 150m south of the Hospice.
This year, their events calendar features major acts like Ocean Colour Scene, whose upcoming concert scheduled in early May has already sold two-thirds of its tickets. The Snuts, another billed act taking place on the same week have also sold over 500 tickets despite being slightly less well-known.
Organised in conjunction with the team behind Focus Wales, the big tent music experience is becoming a mainstay in the calendar of popular events that Liv and the team plan and organise. All profits from these events will benefit the Hospice directly.
EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY
Kids Festival (Llwyn Isaf)
1st August
Liv, a Wrexham local who lives in nearby Penley, emphasised that raising awareness of what they do is just as crucial as raising funds. “We support hundreds of individuals and families across Wrexham, Flintshire, and into Shropshire,” she said, underscoring the hospice’s wide catchment area.
The facility offers comprehensive on-site care, including rehabilitation, treatment rooms, and diagnostic tests—minimising the need for patients to travel between NHS sites. A dedicated wellbeing centre runs tailored 12-week programmes, supporting up to 15 patients at a time with weekly sessions combining therapy-based sessions with informal activities like crafts, art, and music.
Additional support includes respite care for both patients and their carers, onsite physiotherapy, a gym, and social events such as pub quizzes and bingo.
The hospice employs 140 staff and is supported by 450 volunteers, with further funding from organisations like Children in Need.
Adrian Bellwood, Medical Director, reaffirmed the hospice’s mission: “Despite challenging situations, our mission is to help people live their lives as best as they can.”
With Visit Wrexham helping to support and promote their busy schedule of events beyond the summer season, Liv concluded our meeting by highlighting in addition to the events and fundraising efforts, the hospice continues to work at a national level for a fairer funding framework for all UK hospices.
This means by doing so, the organisation can continue to expand its services and reach, benefiting all those in Wrexham who may need them —rooted in compassion, community, and care.
We look forward to sharing further news and updates later in the year.
Proudly supporting our Veterans
Woody's Lodge
Supporting, Mentoring and Signposting Veterans, Emergency Services, Reservists, and their families is the mission statement for Woody’s Lodge. We met with Graham Jones, CEO to learn a bit more about what they do both here in Wrexham, and what valuable support they offer veterans right across the country.
Every year, Woody’s Lodge supports thousands of veterans and their families in Wales by assisting with tasks like form filling, medical referrals, benefit applications, and appeals. Since 2018, they’ve helped secured over £1.0 million in public benefits for those in need.
The charity was inspired by former marine and elite SBS member Paul ‘Woody’ Woodland who wanted to retire to a remote lodge in the countryside with his family once his military career was over.
Sadly, Paul never got the chance to realise this ambition as he lost his life in a training accident so the charity was formed in his memory to help achieve this ambition, and to fulfil his dream for others.
Graham explained that their services are family centric so they offer direct support for both the veterans who are affected and their immediate family, dependent on the type of support they might need.
With a wide range of different initiatives and activities they have undertaken numerous projects that included refurbishment of properties for veterans to occupy, volunteering opportunities, organising annual charity bike rides for both fundraising and community needs, and the launch of a dedicated high street charity shop, right here in the heart of Wrexham on Chester Street.
Many veterans find it challenging to seek help and may struggle to re-engage with local services after leaving the military. This can lead to missed opportunities for essential support in areas like housing, healthcare, and pensions. Woody’s Lodge offers a welcoming social hub where Veterans, Reservists, and Emergency Service personnel can access the resources and support they need to transition successfully into civilian life.
Graham and his team are always keen to foster and develop local partnerships with fellow organisations here in Wrexham and Wales who are forces friendly and particularly those who have signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant.
If this story has inspired you, you can make a direct donation to their charity via their website charity donation page Woody's Lodge - Donate now They also take quality clothing and household donations for charity sales made in their charity shop located next to the entrance to Ty Pawb on Chester Street in Wrexham.
Supporting those with vision impairment across Wrexham.
Vision
Support
We first met Stephanie Harding, Fundraiser at a recent Wrexham Connect event, where she was invited to speak about the valuable work their charity undertakes every day. Their story and work inspired us and we have signed up to help them in their ongoing fundraising efforts together and bring their story to the readers of Visit Wrexham. Stephanie is pictured centre below with local fellow fundraisers.
Approximately 2 million people in the UK are living today with some degree of sight loss, and around 24,000 Certificates of Vision Impairment (CVI) are issued each year. Additionally, it is estimated that the number of people living with vision impairment in the UK will increase from around 2 million to approximately 4 million by 2050.
Vision Support provides valuable services across North Wales and Cheshire for people with a vision impairment and work hard to support people to feel confident, connected and capable. Established nearly 150 years ago they have helped countless people in the Wrexham area deal with the loss of vision and support them in meaningful ways to help them rebuild their lives.
Every penny donated does make a big difference. Money received through donations goes on to support their valuable services, including social events, counselling, digital skills, welfare rights advice and home visiting services.
Donations go towards helping people with vision impairments thrive. Frank who is one of their local benefactors said “It’s nice being with people in the community, being at the crafts sessions. I don’t feel as isolated now and everyone, including myself has made more friends”.
The charity makes a lot of effort to raise awareness of vision impairment to support and encourage a more inclusive and empathetic society. It has a busy schedule of forthcoming events planned as they prepare to celebrate their forthcoming 150th anniversary in 2026.
And as we headed towards the end of last year, Visit Wrexham supported Vision Support at their fundraising event called Santa Stumble 2025.
This event was held in Chester City Centre on Saturday 29 November, where a number of highly spirited Santas and an organised pub crawl in a competition around town to raise awareness and funds for the charity.
There will many more events and news to share on the future progress that Stephanie and the team continue to make in the new year, and we look forward to sharing news and supporting them in due course.
If this charity story has inspired you, you can make a direct donation to : Support Vision Support - Make a Donation Today. 100% of all sponsorships made via Just Giving and donations you make via the link above go direct to the charity.
A visit to Wrexham makes the world a happier place
The Spread
Positivity
Team
Rick is based in Toronto, Canada and visited Wrexham for his holidays last summer. We spotted their stickers around town and started following each other– and jumped on a call together to find out more.
Rick is an experienced entrepreneur and The Spread Positivity Team was set up as a project about a year ago to offer a space for the whole world to share and capture stories of random acts of kindness. Countering the negative content widely pushed on social media platforms, Ricks’ content always offers uplifting, powerful and growth themed messages – always aimed for the betterment of people and society.
Sharing stories and amplifying them for people all over the world to get involved in, Rick believes his concept – amazingly straight forward and simple - is something the world needs more than ever right now – which if many got involved, could snowball and make a massive impact. From meeting with him online the other day, we’d have to agree it’s a great idea and concept.
Hosted on a dedicated platform https://spreadpositivityteam.com/ Rick has grown his idea into an active community site with hundreds of contributors with stories from all over the world listed on his positivity panel.
Rick helps to grow the brand with stickers popping up everywhere where he visits and you will have spotted them around town. With every new follower, Rick wants them to then become active contributors on his platform and they in turn will create more followers, which will create a chain reaction and the plan is – the whole world gets involved! A simple plan and a simple strategy but could make a big difference to us all.
Give Rick’s channel a follow on YouTube, link is located here https://www.youtube.com/shorts/u28z_WTU6qM
We will be helping spread the positivity by leaving some of their stickers the team have posted to us for others to find! 😀👍Also follow them on Tiktok, Threads and Instagram.
Explore Even More
Eats
Popping into town for a welsh breakfast, or looking for a decent spot for brunch or lunch? Maybe a special and memorable meal? We've got you covered.
Events
With national and international events and festivals taking place throughout the year, you won't want to miss any of what goes on.
Stays
Make your visit to Wrexham an overnighter, or stay even longer. Stop over in our recommended places right here in town and nearby to extend your visit.