Oration for The Wrexham Miners’ Project

I am delighted to present The Wrexham Miners’ Project for the group award of Honorary Fellowship of Wrexham University.

On 22nd September 1934, just a few miles north of Wrexham, The Gresford Colliery Disaster, one of the most significant mining disasters in British history, occurred. 

At the time of the disaster, the Gresford Colliery was one of the largest and most modern coal mines in Britain. It employed over 1,000 miners and was considered relatively safe. However, on that fateful day, a massive explosion led to 266 miners losing their lives. The event had a devastating impact on the local community as a generation of men was lost and many families were left without a source of income and support.

The history of our university is intertwined with the history of the mining community.  Miners were instrumental in the establishment of the early iterations of the University  and after the Colliery Disaster, courses in Mine Safety were delivered to over 400 students. In 1927 a gift from the Miners’ Welfare Fund helped to transform the Wrexham School of Science and Art into the Denbighshire Technical Institute and its relocation to Regent Street. All this time later, as Wrexham University, we still retain the magnificent Regent Street Building.

The Wrexham Miners’ Project is a dedicated local charity committed to preserving and celebrating Wrexham’s rich mining heritage. Based in the historic Miners Rescue Station, just a short walk from here, the project is restoring and repurposing this important building into a thriving community hub.

At the heart of the project is the development of a  Miners’ Museum, which offers a powerful glimpse into the lives of miners—their bravery, resilience, and camaraderie. The museum pays tribute to the 266 men and boys who lost their lives in the Gresford Colliery Disaster, ensuring their story continues to educate and inspire future generations. 

Beyond heritage preservation, the Wrexham Miners Project fosters community engagement, education, arts and creativity. The project’s educational, arts and learning  strengthens local and international connections, instilling a sense of pride and belonging among children and young people and adults of all abilities or with support needs. 

The charity’s mission is to honour the past while creating opportunities for the present and future—demonstrating the power of heritage to unite, educate, and inspire generations to come. 

The next phase of restoration will commence in May with the development of specialist supported living accommodation in the Superintendents House which will be known as Humphrey’s House in recognition of the effort Humphrey Ker and Wrexham Football Club have committed to financially contribute to the project as the Wrexham Miners Project is their Charity of the Season.

As a University with a stated goal of listening, engaging and reflecting on what matters most to our people, places and partners, it is fitting that we are honouring the organisation that commemorates the disaster, its place in Welsh history and its legacy which has contributed to ongoing efforts to improve safety standards in the mining industry worldwide.
We warmly welcome members of the Wrexham Miners’ Project to our ceremony today, in particular, Keith Hett – the last miner to come out from Bersham pit when it closed. Pause for applause.

I would now like to invite 

George Powell
Sharon Powell
John Gallanders
David Thompson
Michael Hett
Humphrey Ker

to come forward to receive the award. 

In recognition of services to heritage, culture and the wider community, I present representatives of the Wrexham Miners’ Project, to accept this group Honorary Fellowship award.