The weeks leading up to Christmas has been a busy period in the University, with students continuing with their studies, a series of Open Days and a wide range of activities and events involving staff, students and the community.
The University’s three-year partnership with the Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) concluded in October. “Towards a sustainable future for north Wales and its communities” took place in Pontio on 3rd October and was well attended. The event included Dr Ed Jones (Bangor University), Meleri Davies (formerly of Partneriaeth Ogwen), Nia Jones (Cwmni Frân Wen) and Sarah Schofield (Adra) as speakers, and looked at how we can ensure the wellbeing of north Wales communities and their economic, environmental and socio-cultural sustainability. The University wishes to thank the IWA for a successful partnership and a series of events over the past three years. Similar events will be held by the University in 2025 and beyond.
The University’s Community Fund continues. The latest call for University staff to submit proposals that strengthen or kickstart new collaborations with community partners will close in early January. On 24th September, the Fund helped to support a sustainability summit on Yr Wyddfa. The first Eryri COPA1 summit involved teams of children from local secondary schools to develop projects that tackle plastics and plastic waste. The event provided a platform for school pupils to work alongside expert facilitators, refining their ideas and pitching them to a panel of judges.
The latest meeting of the Community Board took place on 7th October. Chaired by Professor Andrew Edwards, presentations included an overview of the International Student journey, an update on the progress of the University’s Race Equality Charter application, and the latest developments with the North Wales Medical School since its formal launch on 3rd October. Further updates were received from Bangor Maritime Learning Centre, North Wales Africa Society and Mantell Gwynedd.
On 27th November, the Bangor University Legal Advice Clinic (BULAC) was formally launched. Launched in the summer of 2024, BULAC provides free legal advice to members of the public. All advice is given by final year law students, supervised by qualified solicitors. A well attended launch event and BULAC will be based in Tŷ Cyfle, Bangor High Street in the New Year.
The University continues to work closely with Bangor City Council. Preparations are underway for the city’s 1500th anniversary celebrations in 2025. The University also supported the Christmas Cracker event in Pontio on 24th November and the Hot Meals project in Penrhyn Hall (further details below).
Undeb Bangor, Bangor Students’ Union, continues to work with the Council on the Hot Meals Volunteering Project. The student-led project, held every Saturday afternoon in Penrhyn Hall (Bangor City Council), provides hot nutritious food for anyone who needs it in the Bangor area. The project is organising a Christmas meal and celebration on Saturday 21st December (3-6pm) at Penrhyn Hall, supported by University staff who are volunteering on the day. The project recognises that Christmas is a challenging and isolating time for many and is looking forward to providing some tasty food, music, and an opportunity for everyone to get together and enjoy.
Student Leaders organised the annual Tea Party on 7th December, held at the Activities Hub on Ffriddoedd site (12-4pm). The project continues to provide older people in Bangor with an opportunity to get out, socialise and help reduce isolation and loneliness. The event was a lovely opportunity for students and service users to get into the Christmas spirit and enjoy food and entertainment together, helping to develop a more integrated community in Bangor.
Since November, 23 clubs and societies are fundraising for Movember charity, which supports men with mental health and cancer. So far, students have fundraised an incredible £11,883.
Undeb Bangor is working with retired ecologist, John Ratcliffe, to develop Pen Y Bonc, a small patch of land in Upper Bangor. The land is owned by Bangor City Council, who welcome support from the community in maintaining it. Student volunteers visited the site on 11th December to litter pick, cut gorse, pull weeds, and clear paths. The vision is to create an area that is accessible and welcoming for local people, which gives views out to Ynys Môn and encourages local wildlife, which looks cared for and valued, but is low-maintenance and simple in design to reflect limited resources and available labour.
Volunteers for the Go Fairtrade Project visited two primary schools, Ysgol Llanrug and Ysgol Ein Harglwyddes, to deliver educational and creative sessions on Fairtrade during Fairtrade Fortnight (9th – 22nd September). Pupils created art pieces to enter the Fairtrade Wales Youth Art Competition and a Year 6 pupil at Ysgol Llanrug came runner up for her category. The project continues, with new volunteers delivering sessions in Ysgol Y Faenol, Ysgol Corn Hir, Ysgol Henblas and Ysgol Glancegin more recently.
Autumn has been a busy season for corporate events across various departments:
“The College on the Hill: 140 years of Bangor University History”: The event in Pontio on 19th October included speeches and presentations including the University’s development since 1884.
Also on 19th October, JMJ Residential Hall celebrated a milestone 50th anniversary, a significant event for the alumni, former residents and staff of the hall. The event, which included a panel discussion with past JMJ Presidents, was an opportunity for former residents of JMJ to come together and reconnect over memories of their time at the hall. The event concluded with a performance by Angylion Stanli, adding a memorable and engaging touch to the event.
The 140th Anniversary of Legends event held on 23rd October provided a culturally rich celebration, blending Arthurian studies with local storytelling and artistic performances. The event was organised in collaboration with several key university departments and societies: the Learned Society, Bangor University’s Archives and Special Collections, displaying historical manuscripts or artifacts relevant to the themes of the event, and the Centre for Arthurian Studies. Professor Raluca Radulescu, a leading figure in the Arthurian studies, took the lead in this event. The combination of academic discussions and the artistic performances by Gillian Brownson, Dr. Maria Hayes, and a local primary school provided a multi-faceted experience that highlighted the continued relevance and importance of legends in both cultural and educational contexts.
Sir Bryn Terfel, the renowned Welsh bass-baritone, performed in a special concert in Pontio on 1st November to mark the 140th anniversary celebrations. Joining Sir Bryn on stage were the soprano Meinir Wyn Roberts, the singer-songwriter Eve Goodman, Bangor University student Mali Elwy, and the pianist and senior member of the University’s Department of Music Dr Iwan Llywelyn Jones. The concert not only marked a significant achievement in the university’s history but also showcased the rich cultural heritage of Wales, particularly in the field of music and the arts.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) event in Pontio on 8th November offered an engaging and insightful evening, dedicated to football development in north Wales, providing an opportunity for local clubs and community members to interact directly with key figures in Welsh football. The event featured Noel Mooney, FAW Chief Executive, who shared his vision for the future of football in Wales. Also featured was Cheryl Foster, a former Cymru player and international referee, who brought a wealth of experience to the conversation. This event served as an important opportunity for the local football community to directly engage with the leaders shaping the future of the sport in Wales.
The University Christmas Carol Service, held on 12th December, was a beautiful and festive event, bringing together the university community for a celebration of the holiday season through music and performance. The event served as a meaningful cultural tradition, giving everyone an opportunity to pause and reflect on the season of giving, community, and togetherness.
Pontio continues to be a busy hub for the community this Autumn/Winter. fabLAB workshops continue, introducing people to the spaces and equipment available to members. ‘BLAS’, the Pontio Arts community programme, continues with monthly Caffi Babis sessions and weekly dance sessions for individuals living with Parkinson’s.
As part of Black History Month, Pontio also hosted the launch of Black History Wales, which included activities and performances. The event took place on 19th October and was led by Race Council Cymru with support from the University. On 22nd – 23rd November, Dathliad Cymru Affrica took place in Bethesda. The festival included musical performances and a dance workshop for University staff and students with the artists.
On 24th November, Pontio took part in the Bangor Christmas Cracker celebrations. Pontio hosted a Santa’s Workshop Puppet Show, a funzone for children and an opportunity for children to meet the reindeer!
In the run up to Christmas, a variety of events bring Christmas joy as well as performances from the local community. Live performances include ‘Culhwch ac Olwen’ for children (11th-14th December), Ysgol Glanaethwy performing ‘Ar Drothwy’r Wŷl’ on 15th December, ‘Nadolig Ysgol Llanllechid a’r band roc’ on 16th December, ‘The Nutcracker’ by the The Royal Ballet on 17th December, and ‘Welsh of the West End’ on 18th-19th December. In addition, the Bangor University Symphony Orchestra participated in two concerts in Prichard-Jones Hall, Main Arts Building on 10th November and 14th December.
Treborth Botanic Garden continues to be a hive of activity and exciting developments. The garden held a variety of workshops and talks throughout October and November including herbarium flower pressing, botanical soap making, alpine gardening talks, woodland wellness walks and nature connection workshops. On 11th November, the Botanic Garden held a ‘Swap Don’t Shop’ event, encouraging the local community to refresh their wardrobes without contributing to the impacts of fast fashion. On 15th November, the Botanic Garden took place in a ‘Garden Escapers’ workshop, led by the North Wales Wildlife Trust. The workshop focused on invasive plant species and prevention measures and Treborth will be developing invasive species interpretation for garden visitors to learn about how to stop the spread of these plants.
On 26th November, the Botanic Garden also hosted an Ancient Tree Inventory (ATI) training session run by Coed Cadw and attended by members of Cyngor Gwynedd Council, Natural Resources Wales, Bangor University and independent consultancies to learn how to record and map our oldest and most important trees in Wales. Leading up to the festive period, Treborth held a Christmas Wreath Making workshop on 7th December and Christmas Flower Bauble workshop on 8th December for the local community.
M-SParc also continues to be a hive of exciting developments, activities and events. On 23rd October, Digidol 24, M-SParc’s first ever digital innovation conference, took place. The event included representatives from industry, academia, government, finance and the community and brought a fresh, Welsh perspective to the Digital landscape. M-SParc has also launched ‘Gofod Cymraeg’, an online space to use your Welsh, utilising Discord. The aim of the project is to refresh the language of individuals by immersing them in the Welsh language in different ways, with learners able to ask questions to Welsh speakers. Each Friday, a different Welsh celebrity joins for a live chat!
On 18th November, M-SParc launched the Bangor Library of Things with the Mayor of Bangor, Cllr Gareth Parry, Cyngor Gwynedd Council and Benthyg Cymru. The scheme allows people to borrow a wide variety of items, similar to a traditional library but with practical items such as kitchen tools, gardening, electronics etc. The scheme helps promote a circular economy, reduces waste and encourages sustainability.
Clwb Sparci events and activities for school pupils continue. ‘The Water Cycle’ workshop took place on 21st November, and a ‘Stars and Constellations’ workshop took place on 5th December. Look out for the last event of the year on 19th December, which involves a Planetarium at M-SParc’s main site! M-SParc’s ‘On Tour’ sites in Bangor, Pwllheli and Bala have been very busy. A Creative Café took place in Bangor on 26th November, with a ‘Canva for Business Marketing’ workshop in Pwllheli on 27th November and Bala on 4th December. An ’Innovation and the Economy’ event was also held in Bala on 28th November. All events can be found here, and are free to attend.
The School of Ocean Sciences took part in the Wild Oysters Autumn Fest. The event took place at Morfa Beach, Conwy, on 12th October. Colleagues joined local community members and partners to celebrate, learn and protect our coastal ecosystem and heritage. The event included a sand art installation, ocean literacy activities and a beach clean-up in partnership with Keep Wales Tidy.
A busy and exciting period between everything, and we will continue to update you regularly on relevant University developments for the community. On behalf of the University, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!
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