It has been a busy period in the University, with students starting or returning for the new academic year. Welcome Week began on 22nd September, with plenty of activities and events for those new to the University. A warm welcome to those beginning their academic journey at the University.
The university had a great week at the Wrexham National Eisteddfod from the 2nd – 9th August . Thousands visited the stand on the Maes over the eight-day event, and there was plenty to keep everyone entertained.
A fantastic schedule of events and sessions took place within the Bangor University stand, where panel discussions, launches and presentations showcasing the University’s research and innovation, took place throughout the week. As well as the annual Alumni Reunion, a session by colleagues from the School of Ocean Sciences on the unique landscapes and diversity of Anglesey, a discussion by Dr Gareth Evans-Jones (School of History, Law and Social Sciences) on ‘Marvel movies as modern tales of morality’, and a North Wales Medical School panel discussion on ‘How to create doctors from Wales, for Wales’ involving Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and chaired by Marian Wyn Jones, University Council Chair.
Another well-received event at the stand was the launch of the ARFer app by Dr Lowri Hughes from Canolfan Bedwyr, an app to encourage Welsh language use in the workplace. A new partnership was celebrated between Bangor and Khmelnytskyi Universities, accompanied with messages of support from the language commissioners of Wales and Ukraine. Dr Marged Tudur (School of Arts, Culture and Language) hosted a ‘I can’t stop talking about football’ panel discussion led by Morgan Jones with Bangor students Beth Jones and Lili Jones (Wrexham Women FC). The traditional Friday afternoon entertainment was provided by Alis Glyn and Band, and singing duo, Bangor students Elain Rhys Iorwerth and Cadi Fflur Jones.
University colleagues also participated in the Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd on 21-24 July and the Anglesey Agricultural Show on 12-13 August. Prof Prysor Williams (School of Environmental and Natural Sciences) took part in the ‘Profitable farming alongside conservation’ panel discussion in the former, whilst Dr Ed Jones (Bangor Business School) and Dr Debbie Jones (M-SParc, Low Carbon Innovation Manager) participated in the ‘Ynys Môn and the Global Economy’ panel discussion in the latter. A busy summer of events and engagement, and the University looks forward to the 2026 editions of the Urdd Eisteddfod on Ynys Môn/Anglesey, the Royal Welsh Show and National Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire, as well as local and regional events.
The University’s Community Fund continues to support a number of events, activities and projects, helping to bridge the university with local communities. Work continues on the research projects supported by the new Bangor Student Bursary Scheme, a partnership between the university, M-SParc, the Students Union and Bangor City Council.
The latest meeting of the University’s Community Board will take place on 6th October, and will include a discussion on the Porth Dre Youth Community Project (a beneficiary of the university’s Community Fund) and presentations on the university’s archives and special collections, and museum and arts collections.
The Hot Meals Project is recruiting volunteers for Saturday sessions (3–6 pm), starting on 27th September. Project Leaders are looking forward to working with students and members of our local community to provide free hot meals in Penrhyn Hall. This year, our Tea Party Project for the older community will also be run alongside the Hot Meals Project. Interested in volunteering? Please contact hotmealproject@undebbangor.com
Undeb Bangor Students’ Union Healing Gardens Project is enjoying partnering with ‘Dyma Ni’ Befriending to organise sessions for asylum seekers at the gardens, where volunteers have carried out incredible work growing vegetables, building compost beds, and clearing vegetation. The gardens have provided a great space to meet socially and enjoy the local area. We’d love to hear from any members of the community, groups or organisations who’d be interested in volunteering or running their own sessions at the garden. Please contact healinggarden@undebbangor.com to express interest.
As the University’s Waste Awareness Week approaches (13-19 October), the Students’ Union is engaging student groups and community partners to enhance our collective impact and make activities as student-led and collaborative as possible. Plans include a Big Beach Clean on the 13th with Residential Life, a Reusable Fair on the 15th (Clothes pan & pot Swap) and Community Waste Visits on the 17th with University Housing. A variety of partners are supporting events across the week, including Cyngor Gwynedd Council, Trash Free Trails, Surfers Against Sewage, Repair Café Wales, North Wales River Trust and Beics Antur. Undeb Bangor will host the Cultural Fair on 20th November. There’ll be a Wales Union stall showcasing the richness of Welsh culture, along with some Welsh performances.
Pontio continues to deliver a varied programme for the community, including the monthly Caffi Babis, weekly yoga sessions, and dance workshops for individuals living with Parkinson’s. The centre’s busy summer programme involved several local schools, with a number of shows and performances taking place e.g. performances by Ysgol David Hughes and MaesG Showzone in July, as well as ‘Y Rali’ show by BLAS, Pontio’s youth engagement programme. Pontio also supported the Bangor Summer Festival on 16th August, with Caffi Babis part of the programme.
Looking ahead, most of the Bangor History Festival will take place in Pontio on 17-18 October. The festival is funded by Bangor City Council as part of the 1500th anniversary celebrations. On 17th October, school pupils from Gwynedd and Anglesey primary and secondary schools will visit Pontio for a series of morning sessions before talks by author and public historian Greg Jenner. Greg Jenner will return to Pontio for his ‘Ask a Historian’ evening talk, with tickets on sale to the public.
On 18th October, the History Festival will be open to the public. The daytime event (10am-5pm) is free and includes workshops, presentations, panel discussions, exhibition stalls, interactive displays, walking tours, fun things for children and more on a wide range of historical themes and topics. The bulk of the activities will take place in Pontio, with the Main Arts Building, Storiel and Bangor Cathedral also part of the festival. The festival will close with an evening talk in Pontio by Professor Kate Williams (“Queens, Castles and Welsh Heroines: Secrets Behind The Castle Walls”), with tickets on sale to the public. Tickets are also available for the morning and afternoon workshops taking place in Storiel. Further information may be found here and a warm welcome to everyone!
Also taking place in Pontio in October are Frân Wen and Theatr y Sherman’s ‘Dynolwaith’, and Theatr Cymru’s ‘Romeo a Juliet’. Ysgol y Garnedd’s 50th anniversary show will take place on 22nd October. For children and young people, OPRA Cymru’s ‘Bwci Be?!’ will take place on 23rd October.
There are some very exciting music concerts coming up, such as the standout Ukrainian super group DakhaBrakha and the star of the Welsh version of The Voice, Bronwen Lewis (October); and the incredible Scottish folk singer Julie Fowlis – who sung the soundtrack on the Disney film Brave (November). These alongside Lindisfarne, Vri and Welsh of the West End (December) promises to be one the best seasons yet at Pontio!
It’s a busy and exciting time for M-SParc. The summer programme has involved a number of workshops and activities in M-SParc and the ‘On Tour’ sites in Bangor and Pwllheli e.g. Photography workshops; Finance advice for businesses; and 3D Storyboarding. Clwb SParci, M-SParc’s Welsh language STEM club for children of all ages, continues and recently held workshops on civil and mechanical engineering and biodiversity.
M-SParc led on activities in the Science and Technology Village at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham. The first ever M-SParc Science Show on the Eisteddfod Maes focused on waves (sea or sound). A new partnership will see M-SParc work with the Eisteddfod to develop a comprehensive Net Zero strategy, establishing a baseline of current carbon emissions, training for its staff and supply chain and creating a roadmap to reduce the environmental impact of the event. M-SParc also took part in the Royal Welsh Show and Anglesey Agricultural Show and worked with its AgriTech cluster, an opportunity to show how innovation in agriculture can boost the rural economy and foodtech sector. The Egni Food Festival took place in M-SParc on 13th September, whilst a Carbon Literate Leaders Course took place in Bangor on 15-16 September.
M-SParc have also launched Sgil Sparc, an exciting venture that offers curriculum-based educational programmes for schools, resources and training for teachers, and workshops like Clwb Sparci and Gofod for primary and secondary aged pupils. Sgil Sparc is also up for two awards at this year’s Wales STEM Awards! Find out more here.
A community engagement event took place in Pontio on 12th August to discuss the exciting plans for the new Albert Gubay Business School. The event provided opportunities for people to ask about the plans and what it means for staff, students and the local community. As part of the celebrations marking the city of Bangor’s 1500th anniversary this year, the university’s Department of Welsh held an event in Bangor Cathedral on 13th September to discuss the life of Saint Deiniol, the Cathedral’s first Bishop.
Autumn is another busy period for the university, with a series of Open Days and webinars on sport psychology (22nd October), ‘What is racism?’ (18th November), and the ‘AI revolution’ (19th November), The UNA public lecture with Augusto Lopez-Claros takes place on 8th October, the ‘Challenging time(s): Exploring how we shape the past and future of Eryri through the exchange of material culture’ event takes place on 12th November, and Andrew Green’s lecture on Kyffin Williams is on 19th November.
Treborth Botanic Garden has been buzzing with activity, welcoming exciting new initiatives and events throughout the summer.
In July, the Garden proudly unveiled its new Welsh Herbal Garden during the National Garden Scheme’s open event. The Garden also partnered with Herbariwm to host a creative, hands-on workshop;
In August, Treborth offered a Shinrin-Yoku Forest Bathing session, a guided walk designed to help participants slow down, relax, and connect deeply with the surrounding woodland and wildlife. The Garden’s artist-in-residence, Doreen Weaver, hosted an exciting botanical art exhibition.
The summer also brought opportunities for young people to connect with nature. ‘Tribe Treborth: Evening in the Woods’ invited those aged 12+ to take part in immersive activities focused on wellbeing, environmental education, and nature connection. Funded by Cyngor Gwynedd Council and delivered in collaboration with Henbant Forest School and Wild Gog Gwyllt, the event provided a fun and educational outdoor experience.
In September, the Garden welcomed trainee GPs from Imperial College London for a team-building day. Their visit included a tour of the grounds and a special session in the Welsh Herbal Garden, where they learned about the historical roots of traditional Welsh medicine.
Nature Keen’s popular Wednesday wellness walks have continued throughout the season and Treborth also hosted a foraging workshop, led by founder Charlotte Keen. Participants learned how to safely identify and harvest native plants while exploring Treborth’s lawns and woodlands.
The Garden also celebrated the success of its Forest School Level 3 trainees, who completed their six-day initial training. The course combined theory and practice, covering topics such as child development, safe practices, sustainable woodland management, and session planning, while giving participants plenty of hands-on experience in the woods.
Behind the scenes, work continued on the National Lottery Heritage Fund Woodland Investment Grant (TWIG) project, which has now reached its halfway point. A highlight of the project is the construction of a custom-designed raised boardwalk that winds through the wet birch woodland and bog garden. Once complete, this elevated pathway will allow visitors to experience the area’s unique ecosystem up close, spotting delicate bryophytes and lichens — Treborth’s very own “miniature forests.” By keeping foot traffic above ground, the boardwalk will also help protect fragile plant life and preserve vital wetland micro-habitats for the future. Treborth’s ‘Fungus Foray’, a wild mushroom hunt, is on 18th October.
A busy and exciting period between everything, and we will continue to update you regularly on relevant university developments for the community. Best wishes to staff and students for the new academic year!
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