Brymbo Heritage Project Shortlisted For Major Grant

A project aiming to make the most of some of Wrexham’s open spaces has won through to the second round of a new community funding programme from the BIG Lottery.

The ‘Create Your Space’ programme will eventually support up to eight community projects across Wales to help bring open spaces into community use – as playing areas, leisure spaces, allotments, heritage trails, parks and so on. Brymbo Heritage Group is one of 16 organisations to make it on to the short list of 16 such projects, with an idea they hope to develop further with residents’ input over the next few months.

The group’s Chair Colin Davies explained “Our big idea is about joy, pride and identity in our community. Our part of Wales has strong and proud connections with our industrial past – of coal mining, iron and steel making, stone quarrying and brick making – that started in earnest in the 18th century. Since the last of our industries (our steelworks) closed in 1990 our sense of identity and place has become clouded and our pride dented. We want to reconnect people with the great many spaces that got left behind in the wake of industrial decline.”

“Some sites have been redeveloped for housing and commercial use, but we have numerous ‘brownfield sites’ – slag heaps, reclaimed open cast mines, quarries, former railway lines, streams, pools, ponds and car parks – that aren’t suitable for rebuilding on. In many cases these are already used for informal play, for dog walking, recreation and generally enjoying the outdoors. We want to grow these uses, to encourage more people to use the spaces, to find new spaces and new ways of using them, and to find ways of connecting the spaces, both physically and in the sense of their common historical bond. Some spaces aren’t accessible, either physically or legally, and we’re hoping to use this project to explore ways of bringing them into the public’s reach.”

The group are already driving forward plans to develop the former Brymbo Iron and Steelworks site into a major visitor attraction to showcase the renowned Brymbo Fossil Forest, but their ambitions stretch beyond Brymbo alone.

Mr Davies added “This project is about us and our neighbouring villages – we all grew up around these industries – so we’re inviting people, groups and ideas from Brynteg, Southsea, Pentre Broughton, Moss, Tanyfron, Lodge and Vron as well as Brymbo to come forward and see how we can work together to make more of our landscape. Come along to our open day in the former iron works in Brymbo on Saturday 30th July to find out more, and look out for a programme of public meetings and events across the area over the coming months.”

The news has also been welcomed by local councillor Paul Rogers, who said: “It is fantastic news that Brymbo Heritage Group have been successful in being shortlisted for Create Your Space.”

“I would like to thank everyone who has been involved to date and I look forward to working on the project as it moves to the next stage”

“This success will mean we can consult with residents further with regards to the ongoing regeneration of Brymbo and the surrounding areas through improving spaces in our communities.”

“I would encourage residents in Brymbo and the surrounding areas get involved in this project over the coming months.”

The project is called ‘Reclaiming Our Spaces: New Light Through Old Windows’. Find out more at www.brymboheritage.co.uk, at www.facebook.com/BrymboHeritageSpaces, or by phone on 0800 772 0981.