Sports organisations have come together to collectively back Wrexham’s UK City of Culture 2029 bid.
Wrexham is one of nine places across the UK to have been longlisted to be the next UK City of Culture in 2029.
The locations will each receive £60,000 in funding to support their bid for the title. For the first time there will be a cash prize of £10 million for the UK City of Culture winner to help them deliver a year of cultural activity.
Previous Cities of Culture have attracted millions of pounds in additional investment and thousands of visitors to their area, as well as generating new jobs.
Wrexham has the backing of many clubs and sporting bodies for the 2029 bid.
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 said:
“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, said:
“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.
“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.”
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, said:
“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.”
Wrexham Rugby Club was 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, said:
“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. The group is also ambassadors for Wrecsam 2029.
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.”
