Wrexham University achieves Bronze Award for the Race Equality Charter

Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Wrexham University’s efforts to address racial inequalities and create a more inclusive environment have been recognised with a Race Equality Charter Bronze Award.

The award highlights the University’s commitment to achieving race equality and marks the launch of a comprehensive programme aimed at removing barriers and creating a more inclusive environment for Black, Asian, and minority ethnic students and staff.

The Race Equality Charter (REC) is a nationally recognised framework, which provides a structured approach to fostering meaningful change and promoting equitable opportunities across academia. 

This prestigious award, confirmed in a letter from Anne Mwangi, Head of the Race Equality Charter at Advance HE, acknowledges that the University’s submission met the rigorous standards required, with the Bronze Award being valid until June 2030.

Over a three-year period, the University’s Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team, which includes representation from staff from across the University and the Students Union, have been working to understand the challenges and inequity that lead to racial inequality.

This achievement marks a significant milestone in the institution’s ongoing journey towards fostering a more inclusive and equitable university community.  

Professor Joe Yates, Vice-Chancellor of Wrexham University, said: “This award stands as a testament to the unwavering commitment of our staff and students in embedding equality and inclusion into every element of university life, fully aligned with our newly launched 2030 Vision and Strategy.

“Our strategic framework underscores this commitment through its core themes—student experience and opportunities; people, places and partnership; and research and enterprise.

“While, at the heart of it all lies our core value of inclusion, which is woven throughout our strategic vision, serving as a guiding principle for our entire university community, shaping our collective efforts to champion equality and inclusion in all that we do.

“This recognition demonstrates our collective efforts to build a fairer academic environment for all. I would like to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to this success whose collaboration and commitment made this achievement possible.”

The awarding panel commended several areas of good practice, particularly the University’s integration of Race Equality into its broader civic goals.

They noted: “The thoughtful connections made between REC work and the University’s other civic responsibility goals, including their ambition to become a Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experience (TrACE) informed institution shows an effort to embed race equality into broader institutional values and external-facing strategy.”

As part of the requirement to achieve the award, the University was required to develop a comprehensive Race Equality Action Plan.

The plan supports the University’s Vision and Strategy by enabling the cultivation of an inclusive environment where staff and students can thrive, guiding the University’s race equality initiatives over the next five years as the institution continues its journey towards becoming an anti-racist university.