A MINISTER says he was impressed with the sense of community in Wrexham.

Will Quince MP, the UK Government’s Minister for Welfare Delivery at the Department for Work and Pensions, visited several exciting projects in the town as well as businesses who are working to invigorate the high street following the easing of lockdown measures.

He visited the site of the new Jobcentre due to open in the town.

Mr Quince said: "As a Department for Work and Pensions minister I had the privilege of visiting Wrexham this week to take a look at how renovation work is progressing on our second Jobcentre in the town, before it opens next month.

"Situated on the High Street, in what you will probably know as the former New Look store or perhaps even Littlewoods, I am delighted to say work is gathering pace and it will soon be home to around 50 Work Coaches, adding to the 60 plus who already work in the existing Wrexham Jobcentre.

"The location is deliberately in the heart of the community. It is where we want to position ourselves so that more people can receive the individual, face-to-face support and advice our work coaches offer to help them find new work and improve their skills as we recover from the last 18 months."

While in the town, he visited other organisations and businesses, who he he said left an impression on him.

Mr Quince added: "While in Wrexham I had the pleasure of visiting a number of other local organisations and local businesses – including the Lot 11 Café and Frisky Pudding bar and restaurant. But what struck me most was the sense of community that exists in the town with a number of groups linking together, and with the DWP, to provide for residents.

"One of the best examples of this collaborative work can be found at Champions House, an addiction recovery centre on Grove Park Road.

"Their employability work includes Ican Works, a joint DWP and Health Board funded project to support people with mild to moderate health conditions move into or remain in employment. It is achieving great results and I was very impressed to hear of the work at Champions House to tackle the stigma of recovery and the support offered by their job club to help people to search and apply for jobs by matching their skills to vacancies and helping them to update their covering notes and CVs."

He was then joined by Wrexham MP Sarah Atherton and the Secretary of State for Wales at The Racecourse.

He added: "I also had the pleasure of visiting Wrexham AFC’s Racecourse Ground, alongside Simon Hart MP, the Secretary of State for Wales and Sarah Atherton, MP for Wrexham, to see the work of their community foundation.

"Whilst you might have expected a Club bought by famous Hollywood owners to lose part of what tied it to the local community, Wrexham AFC has gone the other way. They’re working more than ever to support the people around them with schemes like after school clubs, looking after children whilst their parents work and keeping youngsters fit and healthy through football.

"And we’ve been working closely with the club through our Kickstart scheme, which gives young people on Universal Credit the opportunity to do six-month work placements they might not otherwise have had access to. Here I met Oliver, a charismatic young man and one of the club’s Kickstarters who is now working on the club’s marketing.

"It’s clear that Wrexham AFC and the DWP coming together has given him a brilliant opportunity to get his career going."

He ended is visit by saying there was much in the town to be proud of.

Mr Quince said: "There are countless other examples across the town, and while visiting our existing Jobcentre I spoke with our Armed Forces Champion, Katharine, who specifically supports Wrexham’s veterans and their families. She told me about how she works with the Salvation Army to support homeless people in the town at their Ty Dewr Lifehouse, which provides a roof over the heads of up to 12 people at any one time. The joined up support of the Lifehouse and the Jobcentre, to help our veterans repurpose their skills and set themselves up for a new chapter in life, is something I am proud of and you in Wrexham should be too."

He concluded: "I am well aware my visit just scratched the surface of Wrexham and there are many more great stories to be told of the town – no doubt as a reader of the Wrexham Leader you will be aware of. Working together, we want to continue writing these by preserving and promoting the very best Wrexham has to offer, and I cannot wait to see how this community will continue to thrive as we collectively build back better."

Sarah said: “It was a pleasure to host the Secretary of State for Wales, the Prisons Minister, and the Minister for Welfare Delivery in Wrexham, showcasing what our amazing town has to offer the country and the world.

“Indeed, the day of visits shows Wrexham really is on the map, and I am pleased to have been able to facilitate this.

“Throughout the day, it was excellent to be able to introduce UK Government Ministers to those that contribute to our community and identity, from Wrexham Lager to those at the football club.

“More importantly, it was brilliant to be able to see UK Government successes in action, whether that be at HMP Berwyn where the Veterans’ Wing is providing veteran-specific support or at the Job Centre, where it was clear the Government’s wide-ranging employment support measures as we exit the pandemic are doing helping people back into work.”