Pride in Place funding will deliver £8 million youth hub for Welsh city

Alec Doyle, Local democracy reporter

Wrexham has been awarded £20 million to help the city board deliver a grassroots regeneration plan.

The UK Government’s Pride in Place fund – formerly known as the Long-Term Plan for Towns – has pledged £20 million over the next 10 years to 250 counties, towns and cities to support locally-developed regeneration plans across Britain.

Funding for phase one is about to be released with Wrexham included in the initial funding round.

Wrexham City Board has indicated that some of the money will be spent over the next four years to fund a new £8 million youth zone in the city centre as well as transport infrastructure to help young people access the facility.

The remainder will support initiatives to improve the city centre experience for residents and visitors.

Wrexham City Board chair Rachel Clacher, co-founder of Wrexham-based Moneypenny, said: “The approval of our ambitious four-year action plan is a major milestone and a hugely significant moment for Wrexham.

“This plan is rooted in the voices of our community and the energy of our board. It reflects what people want for Wrexham – and our shared determination to build a future that matches the city’s ambition, pride and momentum.

“At its heart is a bold commitment to young people. We are not just investing in a single building, we are strengthening youth provision right across the borough.

“Alongside the flagship youth hub, we are investing in existing youth services and spaces, creating a connected, high-quality offer that will support thousands of young people, wherever they live.

“The hub itself is a once-in-a-generation opportunity: a safe, inspiring, state-of-the-art space that young people will choose to spend time in, week in, week out. A place to belong, to grow, and to thrive.

“We are committing £4 million from our allocation to make this happen, using it to unlock at least a further £4 million of match funding, doubling our impact from the outset.

“Alongside this, we are investing £800,000 to support and enhance youth provision across the borough, ensuring this is not about one place, but a step-change in opportunity for young people everywhere.

“And critically, we are working with Transport for Wales and Wrexham County Borough Council to make sure young people can access these opportunities easily and equitably, because access matters just as much as ambition.

“Our goal is simple but bold: through collaboration, we want Wrexham to become one of the best places in the world to grow up.”

Confirming the first phase funding, UK Government Communities Secretary Steve Reed MP said: “People have watched their communities decline for too long, with little say over how they’re run.

“This government is determined to change that — giving communities the tools, the funding and the power they need to rebuild.

“From new playgrounds to reimagined high streets, we’re putting power back in people’s hands. People across the country will see and feel the difference this investment makes, restoring pride in local areas.”