Posted: Thu 28th Sep 2017

Wrexham’s new Science Garden to celebrate grand opening tomorrow!

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area
This article is old - Published: Thursday, Sep 28th, 2017

A new Science Garden in Wrexham will celebrate its grand opening tomorrow.

Based at Techniquest Glyndŵr’s on the university’s campus, the development aims to provide an attractive outdoor educational space that will be demonstrating themes of biodiversity, renewable energy and recycling.

Local MP Ian Lucas, Lesley Griffiths AM and pupils from Ysgol Plas Coch and Rhosddu Primary School will be on hand for the opening ceremony of the garden, which will take place on Friday 29th September.

The project has been several months in the making, with financial support from various funders amounting to over £33,000.

Help from local companies and over 400 hours of volunteer effort have transformed the piece of unused ground to the rear of one of the buildings used by Techniquest Glyndŵr into an attractive, wheelchair accessible outdoor space giving visitors an experience of various natural sciences currently not available within the indoor areas of the centre.

Operations Manager, Mandy Jones said she hopes that the garden will become a “much loved and visited feature” of the science discovery centre.

Mandy added: “We are so grateful to our various funders, Wrexham Borough Council, some generous local businesses, and not forgetting the many volunteers who have given their time freely in order to make our plans for a science garden become a reality.

“I would also like to thank Wrexham Glyndŵr University for arranging the lease on the additional land for the garden. It has been great to involve students at the university, who have successfully combined work for their respective courses with practical outcomes for the project.”

She added “I hope that, over time, the garden will become a much loved and visited feature to our centre especially since it can be visited free of charge during centre opening hours. It offers an attractive and quiet place to sit and possibly have a picnic.”

There were four major funders to the science garden project and they included WREN who allocated a grant of £18,604 from the FCC Community Action Fund to carry out the basic landscaping works, fencing and creation of a pond. This was supported by additional third party funding of £2,000 from Lendlease and Crownhouse, two main contractors involved in building HMP Berwyn.

The Awards for All Big Lottery Wales provided £4,849 which was used to provide rainwater collection equipment, seeds and plants, recycling and compost bins, outdoor seating made out of recycled plastic and a suitable CCTV system to provide security monitoring to the garden.

The system can also be used additionally to monitor the interior of bird boxes which are planned to be installed in and around the garden in the future.

The Thomas Howell’s Educational Fund for North Wales provided £4,000 to purchase solar photovoltaic panels to generate electrical power for a water feature and an air pump for a heat store in the greenhouse, outdoor tables made from recycled agricultural plastic, a solar thermal panel to provide hot water for a wash hand basin and a weather station to monitor temperature, wind and rainfall in the garden.

Postcode Local Trust, a grant-giving charity funded entirely by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, also awarded £6,076 to purchase a solar powered water pump and high capacity battery, garden tools and equipment, a tool store, signage and additional plants and mulches.

Support for the garden was also provided in kind by various local companies and organisations.

‘Genfit’ the Chester based renewable energy installation company installed the Solartwin solar thermal panel and hand-wash basin free of charge, local landscaping contractors ‘Thomas Landscapes’ installed safety fencing free of charge for the pond area, and Wrexham Borough Council provided and delivered several tonnes of soil improver and mulching material free of charge to get the raised beds and planted areas into shape.

Local schools Ysgol Plas Coch and Rhosddu School together with a number of individual local residents collected over 3,500 2L plastic bottles which have been used to build a greenhouse with walls and roof made out of the bottles threaded onto bamboo poles, with timber for the framework being provided by Techniquest Glyndŵr.

After the official opening residents of Wrexham and visitors to Techniquest Glyndŵr will then be able to visit the new Science Garden as they wish free of chargeat times when the Science Centre is open.

Scot Owen, Education Manager of Techniquest Glyndŵr believes that the new development will make a huge difference to the way that local people and centre visitors will be able to experience the Science Centre.

He said: “The Science Garden is a completely new development for us at Techniquest Glyndŵr. Up until now all of our interactive exhibits have been based indoors and have relied upon visitors coming to the centre and paying for admission.

“Furthermore, because the garden will be open to the public free of charge whenever the main centre is open, it will mean that local residents will be able to pop round and enjoy the garden as it becomes established and develops without having to pay any admission.

“We are really looking forward to further developments for the Science Garden as we involve partner organisations in new initiatives to build on what we have created already.”



Spotted something? Got a story? Email [email protected]



Have a look at...

Turnover up 75% as Wrexham AFC say ‘losses shouldnt be repeated’ as payroll nears £7m

Off-road motorcyclists ‘using their bikes dangerously’ warned they ‘will be seized’

Saturday’s Wrexham Artisan Market to be ‘showcase’ of local and national products

MMA Event coming to north east Wales this weekend!

Rare newts thriving after north east Wales pond restoration

Plans for new studio flat above Wrexham fast food restaurant

Football Banning Order issued to Wrexham man for ‘pyro offences’

Ambulance Service ‘expecting the Bank Holiday period to be a busy one for us’

Reminder to check for Schools Essentials Grant before window closes at end of May

Wrexham AFC Women Awarded first UEFA License and FAW Tier 1 License renews for 2024/25 Season

“Disrespectful” easter egg hunt in cemetery cancelled after backlash

Free Easter Egg Hunt in Wrexham city centre tomorrow!