24-04-2025
Honorary fellowships awarded by Wrexham University
The university gave the honours to the Wrexham Miners' Project, Lord Barry Jones, and Rachel Clacher CBE during graduation ceremonies last week.
The Wrexham Miners' Project received the first collective honorary fellowship from the university, recognising its services to heritage, culture, and the wider community.
The project has a strong connection to the region's industrial past, tracing its roots back to the Gresford Colliery Disaster of 1934.
The project has transformed the Miners' Rescue Station into a community hub, hosting the developing Miners' Museum, arts initiatives, and learning programmes.
Representatives from the Wrexham Miners' Project, including Keith Hett, the last miner from the Bersham pit, attended the ceremony.
The project presented the university with a Miners' Safety Lamp, symbolising the rich mining history of the region.
Humphrey Ker, patron of the Wrexham Miners' Project and director of Wrexham AFC, said: "On behalf of the Wrexham Miners Project, I'd like to thank Wrexham University for this tremendous honour.
"This recognition is not only a tribute to our work, but a celebration of the strong ties between our charity and the university.
"We're proud to offer a wide range of volunteering and placement opportunities for students across multiple disciplines, and we're excited to deepen this relationship moving forward."
Lord Barry Jones was also honoured for his support of the university and lifelong commitment to public service.
Lord Barry Jones(Image: Wrexham University)
Lord Jones has a long-standing relationship with the institution, having been the first president of one of the university's predecessor institutions, NEWI, in 2007.
He played a key role in the institution being granted university status and became the first chancellor of Wrexham Glyndwr University.
Lord Jones said: "It's a great privilege and an honour to receive a Fellowship from Wrexham University today – an institution, which I have had strong links to for a number of years.
"Today, Wrexham University stands ever taller in North East Wales – with its warm-hearted approach that reaches both near and far.
"It is an institution that understands that businesses need skills – and is working hard to provide them for our region."
The final honorary fellowship was awarded to Rachel Clacher CBE, co-founder of Moneypenny and founder of the charity WeMindTheGap.
Rachel Clacher CBE being presented with her Honorary Fellowship (Image: Wrexham University)
The charity serves the young people of Wrexham, Flintshire, and Cheshire with holistic programmes that aim to change futures.
Ms Clacher said: "I'm truly honoured and delighted to receive an Honorary Fellowship from Wrexham University.
"It means so much to be recognised by an institution that sits at the heart of our city—one known for its care, support, and inclusive approach to education, and for offering courses that reflect the realities of today's world.
"I'm deeply grateful for all the opportunities Wrexham has given me: from helping me find incredible people to join the Moneypenny team, to providing a welcoming home for our charity.
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"Now, I hope to give back by helping bring our city together around bold, brave ambitions for our shared future.
"To do that, we'll need radical collaboration—and the university's team has already shown what's possible.
"Their work with WeMindTheGap on The Big Conversation about young people is just the beginning.
"Who knows where we might go together from here?"
