Wrexham University announces partnership in new £5 million UK-wide Centre for People’s Justice
Date: Monday, April 14, 2025
Wrexham University has been announced as a partner in a new UK-wide Centre for People’s Justice, which aims to bring law and social justice research together to support fairer, stronger and more inclusive societies.
The centre, funded by £4.1 million from Arts Humanities Research Council (AHRC), is led by Liverpool University, working in partnership with Glasgow, London (SAS) Sheffield, Swansea, Ulster and Wrexham universities and brings together academic, civil society, government and the creative, corporate and legal sectors.
The £5.8m centre is set to develop a cutting-edge education and training programme and an innovative range of creative, funded social justice projects which will result in a radical and novel social justice research methodology. Wrexham University will lead aspects related to trauma-informed work and arts and creativity.
Professor Joe Yates, Vice-Chancellor of Wrexham University, said: “We are incredibly proud of this work and the team that has worked collaboratively to enable this innovative approach to social justice across the UK.
“As an academic and practitioner in Youth Justice, this work is really close to my heart. Our involvement will support the growth of our civic mission work to tackle social inequality and build on our strengths and expertise in criminology, trauma-informed, arts and creativity.
“The focus of enabling the voices of citizens and communities to shape future policies and strive for justice is core to our values, as well as the Well-being of Future Generations Act in Wales.”
Dr Caroline Hughes, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Social and Life Sciences at Wrexham University, said: “I am delighted to be leading this vitally crucial project from a Wrexham perspective, and developing a values-based learning culture in partnership with the communities that we serve.”
Elen Mai Nefydd, Head of Welsh Medium Development at Wrexham University, said: “The Welsh language is at the heart of our work with the centre and gives a platform for us to share and showcase our approach and passion for driving equality of language and the importance of Welsh culture, heritage and identity. With the National Eisteddfod as a partner in the centre, we have a unique platform to engage.”
Dr Tegan Brierley-Sollis, Lecturer in Policing, Criminology and Trauma-Informed approaches, said: “The trauma-informed framework embedded throughout the centre will allow us to create sound alignments between research, practice, law, and policy.
“Trauma-informed approaches are rooted in the principles of empowerment, safety, dignity, and autonomy whilst giving choice and embracing a strengths-based approach. The Centre for People’s Justice will consider individuals as holders of valuable knowledge, leaders, and as active change-makers in shaping a more inclusive, equitable world.”
Dr Karen Heald, Reader in Interdisciplinary Arts Practice at Wrexham University, added: “The inherent power of arts and creativity to foster cultural understanding, personal growth, and social change cannot be overstated. By engaging in artistic expression, individuals and communities can explore complex emotions, challenge dominant narratives, and build bridges across differences.
“Arts-based approaches offer unique avenues for marginalised voices to be heard, for hidden stories to be told, and for transformative dialogue to emerge. This centre, therefore, recognises that embedding Arts and creative methodology, within trauma-informed work and social justice initiatives is not merely an aesthetic choice, but a fundamental strategy for cultivating empathy, promoting healing, and driving meaningful social transformation.”