Changing Negative Perceptions Of Wrexham
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Every town, city or place has a personality it is known for. Much of this comes from generations of history and DNA. Wrexham is known for its industry, and its market town. A place with engineering skills, and strategically located for trade.
Many of us love Wrexham, and we need to decide who we are for our own good, and to be successful with economic prosperity, looking after our young and old.
It could be well known for it’s heritage. Bersham Ironworks, Bersham Colliery, Bersham Heritage Centre, Brymbo Steelworks, The Telford Aqueduct, Plas Power, Mines Rescue Station, Llangollen Steam Trains, Minera Lead Mines, Nant Mill, Rossett Mill to name but a few. What an industrious past we have had that with knowledge could benefit future generations.
@zinger 7612 wrote:
It could be well known for it’s heritage. Bersham Ironworks, Bersham Colliery, Bersham Heritage Centre, Brymbo Steelworks, The Telford Aqueduct, Plas Power, Mines Rescue Station, Llangollen Steam Trains, Minera Lead Mines, Nant Mill, Rossett Mill to name but a few. What an industrious past we have had that with knowledge could benefit future generations.
Sadly one negative event will usually get much more coverage than 100’s of positive ones. I was over in Dublin with some friends a few years ago and a guy we got talking to asked where we were from. When we told him he responded ”Would that be where you had them riots a few years back”. I wonder how many of the above examples he would have been aware of…?
@zinger 7612 wrote:
It could be well known for it’s heritage. Bersham Ironworks, Bersham Colliery, Bersham Heritage Centre, Brymbo Steelworks, The Telford Aqueduct, Plas Power, Mines Rescue Station, Llangollen Steam Trains, Minera Lead Mines, Nant Mill, Rossett Mill to name but a few. What an industrious past we have had that with knowledge could benefit future generations.
I think thats true Zinger, marketing of the town and surrounding area is poor.
But also as mentioned previously…the beggars, scammers, druggies and drunks who blight our town centre in the daytime scream “NEGATIVE” in big neon lights. That will be your only memory as a one-off visitor. Get that sorted out, then try and do some positive marketing. Until that feeling of wellbeing is in place, everything is window dressing.Incidentally…My mother in law, who lives in N.Ireland went into town today, the first visit for 12 months…Her first unprompted comment….”All the shops are boarded up, its looks terrible!”
To add to that last comment. My auntie visited town recently, she only come to Wrexham once or twice a year. She was shocked at the number of uncouth shouting going on, the number of foreign voices around the town and the general state of the town.
She asked me if I was happy here and whether I wanted to move away. I said no I certainly wouldn’t. I’m proud of our town, I think what she experienced is happening everywhere.
But, these points are relevant when people’s perspectives of the town are so negative.Further to this. Like many others I received an email from the Owl Messaging Team this afternoon. I think this is a great concept, but this email could have been written by a politician’s media advisor. It seems to miss the point about the town centres negative image, almost like it will all go away and everything’s great! Its seems to be mainly statistics, which are sometimes meaningless and can be easily manipulated to support an argument. I know the town is safe, but when I walk through it in the daytime, I don’t like what I see, which is begging, drunks, drug dealing, boarded up shops, a feeling of poverty etc….and thats what visitors think and see. I quote:
“Over the past week, recent events in the town centre and the wider Wrexham area provided people with a cause for concern.
These incidents over a short period of time have understandably created a heightened perception of crime in Wrexham.
However it is important to remember that these incidents were isolated and that Wrexham is a safe place for anyone who wishes to work, live or visit here. The fact is, thanks to the good work being carried out by the Community Safety Partnership, violence crime that involved injury has reduced by 6.7% compared to this time last year.
Other serious crimes, such as robbery, vehicle theft and other victim based crime, are also down.
Wrexham is a great town full of fantastic people. Our community spirit is second to none and this has been highlighted over the past few days with the creation of the Facebook Group ‘Change Wrexham For Our Future’ and a recent article that featured on Wrexham.com tackling the negative perception of the town
Please click on the link below for more information;”
OWL Messaging wrote:“Over the past week, recent events in the town centre and the wider Wrexham area provided people with a cause for concern.These incidents over a short period of time have understandably created a heightened perception of crime in Wrexham.
However it is important to remember that these incidents were isolated and that Wrexham is a safe place for anyone who wishes to work, live or visit here. The fact is, thanks to the good work being carried out by the Community Safety Partnership, violence crime that involved injury has reduced by 6.7% compared to this time last year.
Other serious crimes, such as robbery, vehicle theft and other victim based crime, are also down.
Wrexham is a great town full of fantastic people. Our community spirit is second to none and this has been highlighted over the past few days with the creation of the Facebook Group ‘Change Wrexham For Our Future’ and a recent article that featured on Wrexham.com tackling the negative perception of the town
Please click on the link below for more information;”
Missed the point completely haven’t they? They’re out of touch. The facebook page has shown that there has been a feeling of crime and unsociable behaviour that isn’t being combatted. The two events were so to speak the straw that broke the camel’s back that made people come together to help to change it.
What I keep saying to friends is that if I was visiting Wrexham for the first time, there’s nothing here to make me want to come back. I would go home and think it was quite a run down place and not worth visiting again. That’s quite a big problem that needs to be solved.
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