Sam Rowlands Talks Wrexham – Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, loves that Wrexham University and Coleg Cambria have joined together to drive growth in North-East Wales.
Wrexham University and Coleg Cambria
“I find this announcement tremendously exciting. I regularly visit Wrexham University and Coleg Cambria, and their forward thinking is always impressive. It’s great to see this collaboration. We are extremely fortunate to have two excellent institutions for further education in North-East Wales, offering first-class facilities and opportunities for students.
The partnership agreement aims to develop skills to enable growth and prosperity for North-East Wales and beyond. Focused on producing a highly skilled workforce through the development of skills, innovation and being responsive to the demands of industry and the public sector, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will see the two institutions work more closely aligned in order to create a more joined-up tertiary education system.
Professor Joe Yates, Vice-Chancellor of Wrexham University, said: “Wrexham University and Coleg Cambria have crucial roles to play in driving the skills eco-system here in North-East Wales, and a more joined-up system approach is definitely a step in the right direction to enable growth and leverage further investment in our region.
Yana Williams, Chief Executive of Coleg Cambria, added: “Together, we have educated, supported and inspired generations of learners in North-East Wales and beyond. We will work with our current and future employers to identify skills for the future to enable us to provide highly skilled jobs in a strengthening local economy and inspire our communities to upskill and reskill into what will be evolving careers.
Wexham Carnival of Words 2025
Sam is also supporting Wexham’s Carnival of Words 2025.
He said, “I’m happy to continue backing this major annual event taking place in the city once again and delighted to see a number of local authors supporting this wonderful literary festival. It is a great event, and apart from talks from different authors, there are also workshops featuring storytelling, poetry and a writer’s panel, all well worth attending.”
Among the many authors taking part are Elly Griffiths, Emma Kavanagh, TM Logan, Myfanwy Alexander and Harriet Evans. You can book tickets for all events online or from Wrexham Library. The special Festival Ticket is available at an ‘early bird’ rate until the end of March.
The festival held its first events in 2015 and celebrated its 10th birthday in 2024. It has grown in size, stature and impact from those early days and is now a regular feature on the festival scene of Wrexham County Borough.
For more information, go to wrexhamcarnivalofwords.com.
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Eisteddfod Transport Links
Sam was speaking in the Senedd during a discussion on transport links for Wrexham during this year’s National Eisteddfod and called on the Welsh Minister to back proposals for the proposed direct rail link from Wrexham to London.
He said, “People in North Wales, and Wrexham in particular, are very excited about the Eisteddfod coming to their patch in the summer. Beyond the summer, we want to continue to see major events in Wrexham because it’s such a welcoming place, but there are challenges around some of the transport links there.
“You will be aware, Cabinet Secretary, of proposals from Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway, WSMR, in relation to a direct rail link from Wrexham train station through to London, which opens up Wrexham beyond its locality, to attract more visitors, and hopefully attract more events into the area, supporting the local economy.
Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, said he was supportive of more rail services that better connect communities and had spoken with a number of organisations this week about that very initiative.
Cox Wood Campsite
Sam tried his hand at outdoor activities during a visit to Cox Wood Campsite in Rossett. He believes all young children should have the opportunity to enjoy outdoor education, and he rolled up his sleeves to join Scouts at the popular campsite.
He said, “Everybody knows how important I feel it is for our children to have the benefits of outdoor education, and I was happy to meet up with Scouts at Cox Wood and see for myself the importance of such a site. It was great to look around and meet Kerrie Gemmell, Director for ScoutsCymru, who was able to tell me more about the movement and how it continues to thrive.”
During his visit, Mr Rowlands met with Scouts and Cubs from 1st Rossett and 1st Moss and their adult leaders and spoke with some Explorer Scouts from the Atlas Explorer Scout Unit. He also had the opportunity to talk to activity and admin volunteers from Cox Wood and they encouraged him to join in the activities.
Cox Wood is a Scout campsite in Rossett, between Wrexham and Chester and has lush green woodland with clearings for camping. It has several buildings, including toilets and showers, a kitchen/diner and places to get out of the rain. Part of the site is ancient woodland, ideal for nature trails and wide games.
Welsh Language
Sam is also backing an initiative to ask people in Wrexham to share how they use the Welsh language. He is supporting a survey by Wrexham council which wants to find out about people’s experiences when accessing council services in Welsh and how residents use the Welsh language on a daily basis.
Sam said, “I welcome this initiative as I think it is very important that local people have the opportunity to share their experiences of accessing local government services in Welsh. It is also good to see the council wanting to make sure that the Welsh language is upheld and respected in our communities.
The council is running a questionnaire to understand the experiences of local Welsh speakers when accessing council services. The council will then rerun this questionnaire in 2026 to compare the findings.
Cllr Hugh Jones, Welsh Language Champion at Wrexham Council, added: “The questionnaire is now live and will run until the 30th of April. I encourage Welsh Speakers and Welsh Learners to participate. Public participation will help us know what we are getting right as well as highlight areas for improvement.”
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