We’re proud to announce the first of three articles describing the winners of the Wrexham Recognition Awards for November 2024 to January 2025.
The Wrexham Recognition Awards Competition for 2024-2025 are bigger and better than ever! It’s easy to apply or nominate somebody. Just consider whether they have a talent or make a difference in people’s lives or the local community.
Contact them on Facebook or Instagram, fjonesinit on X or email [email protected] with a name, and they’ll do the rest.
Wrexham Sounds
Wrexham Sounds is a non-profit organisation which works with disadvantaged children, transforming young lives through music. They offer a range of music lessons and activities for young people and children who are unable to access them at school, as well as for adults who want to support their cause. They also run courses and workshops tailored to children and young people facing health, educational, and social challenges, utilising trained musical therapists, with the youngest child being 2 years old.
Wrexham Sounds has been based in Rhosrobin since 2021, when they rebranded and took on trained music therapists. Last year, they provided 68 workshops to 305 children, 14 community events, and fundraisers, as well as a musical-sponsored walk in Alyn Waters and engaged with 31 local schools.
Ian B Jones
Ian is a freelance artist and illustrator from Wrexham. He has always been an artist and has worked in Wrexham Maelor Hospital for 12 years. His prints, mugs, and cards have raised over £1,000 and counting for The League of Friends.
Ian says, “Around March 2023, Chris, the manager of the League of Friends shops at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, approached me. He asked if I would like to sell them from there, and I suggested donating £5 from each one sold to the League of Friends, a charity that supports the hospital and helps to purchase crucial equipment, among other things.”
Iolanda Banu Viegas
Iolanda has received the award in recognition of the incredible work she does helping to integrate the international community into the local community. She has worked for the North East Wales Multicultural HUB and Refugee Kindness North Wales. She has run a workshop at Tŷ Pawb for Portuguese elders called Bom Dia Cymru.
Ty Pawb funds Bom Dia Cymru and has 15 to 20 members who are over 50 and not working, either retired or unable to work due to illness. They love to come together and learn about Welsh culture, share Portuguese culture, and also have a Facebook page.
Iolanda also chairs Black History 365 Wales, which recently commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Windrush arrivals, celebrating the triumphs of Black individuals in Wales, from historical figures to modern-day trailblazers.
Florence Hardman
Florence, 88, is a prolific poster on Facebook, sharing all her adventures with her friend Joan with @wrexhamtownmatters. Ms Hardman tells us, ‘I just write the truth about where I go with my friend Joan, 81, and I write the truth of how I find people in the shops we use and the cafes. Our city is a lovely place to live. I am so proud of my family and happy that I came to Wrexham all those years ago.’
Florence is 88 years old as of 21st December. Her children range in age from 56 to 67 years old. She has 15 grandchildren, all born in Wales, and 17 great-grandchildren. Joan is 81 years old.
Florence’s husband, unfortunately, has severe arthritis, but Florence is planning a visit to the garden centre with him soon.
Wrexham Recognition Awards November to January 2025
Kimberley Wright
Kimberley is a very talented dancer and started dancing at the age of 3, competing in dance competitions around Britain. She has performed in stage productions such as Annie, Oliver, and Bugsy Malone, among many others, since the age of 5. Ms Wright studied at the Elmhurst Ballet School in Camberley, London, which is associated with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, and was one of nine pupils offered a scholarship.
She has also danced with the English National Ballet in Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker at the Royal Albert Hall in front of members of the Royal Family. At the age of 16, Kimberley was accepted into the five top dance schools in London but chose to come closer to home and studied at the Hammond Dance School.
After completing her level 6 National Diploma, Kimberley has travelled the world dancing. She now runs her own dance academy in Wrexham, the KWDF academy, passing on her knowledge to the next generation. Kim continues to train and learn, attending Royal Ballet School teacher programmes and attending Birmingham Royal Ballet School, training to deliver workshops to dance schools around the UK.
The Wrexham Miners Project
The Miners’ Rescue Station was officially opened in 1913 as a training centre for mine rescue teams. It is a Grade 2 listed building that was derelict and closed for many years due to financial constraints until it was sold in 2014.
A group of volunteers then got together, and the Wrexham Miners Project is now working to preserve the building in memory of the brave people who trained there and provide a cultural hub for the local community. The project is working to rebuild and renovate damaged parts of the building to house a museum, art studio and community rooms.
There is a community café, an Art workshop, after-school clubs, cookery classes for adults with learning difficulties, and pensioners’ meetings. The training tunnels from 1913 are still in place. They are used for various purposes, including Santa’s Grotto, Halloween events at different times of the year, and a fairy village, which has now been converted into a sensory room for children with autism.
Hannah White
Hannah is a 26-year-old lady with special needs. Ms White attends the Bitesize Youth Theatre every Thursday without fail. She participates in drama and singing and volunteers in the kitchen. The team at Bitesize say, ‘Hannah brings JOY. She can roll away any clouds with the biggest smile and warmest hugs.
“Hannah, though she is entirely unaware of what she does or the effect she has on others, is the best role model a young person could have. She is enthusiastic about life, and it rubs off on everyone she interacts with.
“If you could bottle what it is Hannah has, you would be a millionaire. We count ourselves very lucky to have Hannah in our lives. She is valued by all who know her.”
Barbara Edwards and Liz Metcalf
Barbara and Liz (see featured image) set up two art groups. The first one is Blitz Art, primarily intended for those over 55, but is open to anyone. Inspired by the success of this group, they set up a ‘Meet and Greet’ group in the coffee cabin at Waterways Garden Centre every Wednesday for chats, quizzes, art, and games.
Barbara and Liz met during the COVID-19 pandemic through a Zoom art class. Liz had lost her husband, and Barbara was recovering from an operation. Through this meeting, they found friendship and have tried to help other people combat loneliness.
The sessions last 1 to 1½ hours with a maximum room capacity of 12 people. There is a wide range of art, including jewellery making, zen tangle, painting, and clay work.
Featured image: Barbara Edwards and Liz Metcalf
We hope you enjoyed reading “Wrexham Recognition Awards November 2024 to January 2025”. Click here for more of our Wrexham Recognition Award articles.
