Big names get behind Wrexham’s city of culture bid

Sporting stars and organisations have come together to collectively back Wrexham’s UK City of Culture 2029 bid.

With a rich sporting history, Wrexham religiously puts itself on an international stage – from football, to tennis, to padel – continuously bringing communities together to watch, enjoy and participate in sport.

Recently making the longlist for UK City of Culture 2029, Wrexham is going for gold and is more determined than ever to secure the podium spot. The win will bring in £10m from the UK Government, which will be put towards sectors such as sport to improve facilities, give grassroots clubs more opportunities, and encourage more people into the sector. It’s also estimated that the win could draw in as much as £200m from additional funding; a huge gain for sport and other sectors across the county.

With stakes relatively high, Wrexham has the backing of many clubs and sporting bodies for the 2029 win, demonstrating a real sports mentality of coming together to win and celebrate.

The Lexus Wrexham Open is an international women’s tennis event, bringing global stars to North Wales, including Mimi Xu, a rising Welsh tennis star who won last year’s competition.

Dave Courteen at Lexus Wrexham Open commented: “As an international event, we’re bringing tennis players from all over the world to Wrexham.

“It’s the one of only 25 cities in the world to host an event of this stature on the tennis circuit and has the highest attendance of any indoor International Tennis Federation event worldwide. It’s also a real opportunity to see the British stars of tomorrow.

“Wrexham is completely different to what many people expect, which is why we love hosting it here. The UK City of Culture bid is another reason to emphasise that Wrexham is a place that’s totally worth coming to.

“Our last event had record figures of more than 4,000 attendees, which is why we love hosting the event in Wrexham, as it brings everyone together to watch premium sport.”

In addition to tennis, Wrexham is also a place for people to play padel, a sport which has globally accelerated in recent years.

Kirsty Sawyer, from Wrexham’s Tennis and Padel Centre commented: “If we have a chance for more money to be funded into the arts and culture space in our community, that means we can diversify the city and create a real buzz for the community.

“It will give organisations like ourselves the opportunity to host more events and get more people engaged in sport.

Speaking on the Lexus Wrexham Open, she added: “When the Open was on last year, I bumped into an old school friend who now runs a local hotel in Wrexham.

“His hotel was fully booked for the week because of people going to the tournament. It’s one of the biggest tennis tournaments outside of the grass court season, which is amazing to say that it’s right here in our city!”

As one of Wrexham’s most highlighted sports, Wrexham AFC also strongly backs the bid, with two prominent members heavily involved.

Footballer Lili Jones is an ambassador for Wrecsam2029, and Kerry Evans sits as a Trustee.

Lili said: “As a proud local girl and representative of Wrexham AFC, being part of the UK City of Culture 2029 bid means the world to me.

“Wrexham is an incredibly special place with a unique identity built on community, resilience and passion; values that have shaped me both on and off the pitch.

“This bid is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Wrexham’s remarkable talent, not only in the arts sector, but across sport as well. Football, especially the women’s game, is growing rapidly, and increased investment, visibility and community engagement through this bid will help create better facilities, inspire young players and open up more pathways for aspiring athletes.

“I’m especially proud to support this bid because I’ve seen first-hand how sport brings people together and the vital role it plays in growth, healing and development. In Wrexham, football is more than a game, it’s part of who we are. Supporting this bid is my way of celebrating that spirit and showing the rest of the UK what our city is truly capable of.”

Kerry Evans, Disability Access Officer/Supporter Liaison Officer at Wrexham Football Club shared “Working at the club for the last ten years and having grown up in Wrexham, I’ve seen how much the city has changed, especially recently.

“I truly believe that winning the bid will propel the club to another level completely, and that’s where we need to be. It’s about creating a city that’s accessible to everyone, and the bid could support this, helping Wrexham to become one of the most accessible cities in the UK.”

And it’s not just the high profile clubs which are backing Wrexham’s bid. Wrexham Rugby Club were prominent in backing the bid in the last competition and will be doing the same this time round.

Jason Fletcher, Director of Rugby at Wrexham Rugby Club added: “The bid is really important to show the diversity of sport right here in Wrexham, and it’ll be an opportunity to really shine a spotlight on the clubs, as well as support us operationally.

“We have both male and female teams, and work with youth teams as well as adults. Our pitches get used 7-days a week, so naturally over time get worn away. The bid will allow us to develop our facilities, giving better grounds for all of our players to use. It could also help us fund new job opportunities, such as coaches and physio therapists, and allow us to deliver more workshops to local schools. It’s a really exciting time!”

Erddig Nordic Walkers are a community group based in Wrexham, who meet weekly to explore walking routes across North Wales. Primarily with members aged 60+, they have really solidified themselves as an outlet to get older people out, socialising and combating loneliness. Erddig Nordic Walkers are also ambassadors for Wrecsam2029.

Gareth Lloyd, from Erddig Nordic Walkers said: “Our Erddig Nordic Walker group is a great way to promote the historical and cultural dimension of the Wrexham area and by backing the bid, we’re becoming part of the potential future success of Wrexham. The bid will help develop the infrastructure throughout the county, meaning we can offer more to our members and the community, with new, developed areas to walk and meet.”

Wrexham has lots of businesses, spokespeople, organisations and communities backing the bid, with one thing for certain – sport is coming together to do the same.

Follow Wrecsam2029’s journey via the official website: https://www.wrecsam2029.wales/en_gb/