A fantastic evening celebrating youth and youth volunteering at Xplore! last night (02/06/2026) for Volunteers’ Week. We were thrilled to have the new Mayor of Wrexham, Cllr Jeremy Kent to give out certificates, alongside our Trustee, Jayne Unalkat.
The event was introduced by Amy, AVOW’s Community Development Officer with a focus on Volunteering and Governance. The event was hosted by our Chair of Trustees Peter Howell, who many people will be familiar with as the host of Wrexham City Radio’s Community Show on Wednesday (between 4 and 6).
The Mayor then spoke about the importance of youth volunteering, and the impact that it has had on him. As someone who volunteers their time to support youth volunteers, he spoke passionately about how they were working to make Wrexham a better, more connected place.
During the event, we heard form Paralympian Sabrina Fortune who spoke about their experience volunteering as a coach in Deeside and Wrexham, and the struggle for finding volunteer coaches. They also spoke about the volunteering done at the Paralympics, and their vital role in ensuring their sport can continue. Without volunteers the Paralympics wouldn’t have had officials, or people to guide the competitors around the massive arenas.
Amy spoke about the impact of AVOW’s Young Influencers. AVOW’s Young Influencers are a group of young people who work together to examine grant applications, and make real decisions about funding local projects. One local project that they funded was the ‘First Night In Care Bags’.
Gavin Cass from Youth Shedz Cymru, talked about their First night In Care Bags. The First Night In Care Bags project is designed by children who have experienced what their first night in care looks like, and what kind of things they might need. The bags contain things like blankets, a teddy knitted by some ‘knitting nanas’, toiletries, and other useful bits and pieces. Each bag is put together by a youth member of the Youth Shedz project, volunteers making a difference.
“It was a real privilege to see so many volunteers and young people recognised for the difference they make within our communities. The event was a wonderful celebration of the power of volunteering and community spirit across Wrexham.” Gary Cass
After the event, everyone was let loose into Xplore!. They all had a fantastic time exploring the exhibits, and learning through play.
Even Mayor Kent got stuck in, having a go at the reaction-time wall. He graciously got a low score, so that the young people could easily beat him.
All in all, it was a fantastic night that started with pizza, moved through celebrating the hard work of the young people, and ended with fun.
A big thank you to all the people who came and helped us celebrate Volunteers’ Week! and a big thank you to all the volunteers that make it happen!
Xplore! is the premier Science Discovery Centre in North Wales attracting families, tourists, community groups, and school groups of all ages. Xplore! is a visitor attraction and educational charity in the heart of Wrexham. As a subsidiary company to Wrexham University we exist to see the local and regional communities actively engaged with and passionate about science, enriching the lives of over 70,000 visitors every year.
Cymraeg 
English (UK)