Xplore! Science Discovery Centre is delighted to announce that it has been successful in a bid as part of the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. This transformational fund will allow Xplore! to build for the future and become more sustainable. Xplore! will be carrying out redevelopment work on its city centre building with the aim of improving energy efficiency and reducing Xplore!’s carbon footprint with the installation of solar panels and improvements to the roof.
It is an exciting time to be in Wrexham. The fund will also enable Xplore! to do more in our local community, with fantastic new community events and activities all being planned for the next 18 months. The long-term vision of Xplore! as a hub for science and tourism in Wrexham will be driven forward by this exciting fund.
The Shared Prosperity Fund is part of the UK Government’s levelling up agenda. The fund provides £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment by March 2025, with all areas of the UK receiving an allocation via a funding formula rather than a competition. It aims to allow organisations to identify and build on their own strengths and needs at a local level, focusing on pride in place and increasing life chances. Xplore! is delighted to be one of several successful bids in Wrexham County.
Scot Owen, Centre Manager, said, “Over the 20 years of Xplore!’s existence, we have been fortunate to receive funding that has allowed us to grow and develop, and the shared prosperity fund will again allow us to move forward with our vision for the building and Wrexham as a City.
I want to thank the hard work of the team at Xplore! and Wrexham University for the work they do daily that has made Xplore! such a valuable community resource.
We have had the opportunity to use this money to make Xplore! sustainable for the future.“
The Shared Prosperity Fund will enable transformation for Wrexham which Xplore! is hugely proud to be part of.
Jasbir Dhesi OBE, Chair of the North Wales Science Board, said, “The Shared Prosperity fund is something truly regenerative for Xplore! Science Discovery Centre and Wrexham as a City.
This injection of funding will allow Xplore! to move forward with its dream to see all young people engaged with science, given opportunities to thrive, and encouraged into further education.
North Wales Science is a small educational charity, and we rely on funding like this to ensure we are here for future generations. The Shared Prosperity Fund is the future of Xplore! and I couldn’t be more excited to see what the fund allows Xplore! to achieve.”
In the coming months, Xplore! will be releasing more information about its plans and the exciting future for engagement in Wrexham. The first of these events is a free Family Funday on the Old Hippodrome Site on 7 October. It is going to be full of fun family activities and is running from 10am til 4pm. No need to book just turn up on the day.
