Our Purpose

Our core purpose is giving disadvantaged children and young people opportunities to gain confidence and skills and improve their prospects while having fun and expressing themselves.

We develop and support children and young people referred to us by schools, charities, local authorities, youth justice, care providers and families. Our facilities offer a safe, nurturing environment where they can express themselves, collaborate and explore their potential.

We also work with vulnerable adults, provide music lessons to children who can’t access them at school and provide a launch pad for school-aged musicians, groups, producers and technicians.

"Everyone who comes to Wrexham Sounds for music lessons is putting something back into the local community by contributing to our core work with disadvantaged young people."
Chris Lloyd, Chairman, Wrexham Sounds

Wrexham Sounds is all about:

• Equality: We work together with our service users, community, clients and supporters, sharing power and responsibility to improve what we do.
• Positivity: The circumstances of young people referred to us can make long-term commitment difficult. We focus on the needs of every individual and what they achieve.
• Being practical: Our community engages best when our services and activities are practical, relevant to them and their lives, and the outcomes are tangible.
• Having fun: Gaining confidence and feeling better about yourself is more likely to happen in an environment where you can be yourself and mistakes are fun not faults.
• Personal growth: We are fully committed to the development of everyone we engage with and do what we can to help them develop skills, grow in confidence, and enjoy life.

Wrexham Sounds is run by a volunteer Board of Directors, all based in Wrexham:

David Gray BA MBA is a creative arts entrepreneur with a strong national reputation. He founded Undegun in Wrexham which provides work, exhibiting and performance space for artists.

Chris Lloyd BA Hons, MA (Chairman) is an experienced business leader who has founded and developed several professional services businesses operating in UK and Internationally.

Caroline Richards BEd Hons, MEd is an experienced teacher who spent her career in further education where she developed and delivered business and administration programmes.

Reporting to the Directors and responsible for operations and resource management is General Manager, Olivia Gallagher BA Hons, PGCE. Olivia is a creative arts practitioner, skilled in community engagement, and trained as a teacher. She has a strong background in third sector Fundraising and Marketing.

Funding has been received from The National Lottery Community Fund, Thomas Howells Educational Fund for North Wales, Temperance Hall Trust, Wrexham County Borough Council, Yamaha Music Europe, Wales Council for Voluntary Action, Arts Council Wales, Third Sector Resilience Fund, Moondance Foundation, Community Foundation Wales and AVOW.

In particular we want to thank Arts Council Wales - Cultural Recovery Fund and Third Sector Resilience Fund 1 (administered by the WCVA) for helping us prepare our new studios for opening in November 2021.

Donations have been received from the following Community Councils in Wrexham area: Gwersyllt, Minera, Acton, Caia Park, Abenbury, Rhos, Offa, Brymbo, Marchwiel and Penycae.