St Mark’s Church in Caia Park, Wrexham, is being transformed into a hub for sports, drama, lunch clubs, and more, thanks to £300,000 from the Welsh Government’s Community Facilities Programme.
The funding has supported major renovations, including a new roof, heating system, accessible toilets, ramped access, a kitchen refit, and reworked meeting spaces. These improvements will allow St Mark’s to expand its activities while continuing to host essential services such as the Trussell Trust Foodbank and a regular clothing exchange.
Reverend Canon Jonathan Smith, project lead at St Mark’s, said: “St Mark’s has always been at the heart of life in Caia Park. Alongside the foodbank and a social supermarket known as Caia Food Club, we run events for children and families, holiday clubs, and welcome visits from local schools. St Mark’s is also home to the Brownies and has supported a clothing exchange.
“This funding has allowed us to improve the building so much. Now we’ll be able to do even more to bring people together, offer support, and make everyone feel welcome here.”
With the renovation nearing completion, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Jane Hutt visited the church this week to see the transformation. She said: “St Mark’s is a fantastic example of how community-led projects can create spaces where people can come together, access services, and support one another.
“I want to thank the volunteers and organisations whose hard work has made this possible. I’m proud to support projects like these, which make such a difference to local communities.”
The Community Facilities Programme has funded over 450 community facilities across Wales since it opened in 2015. These projects have benefitted from grants worth around £63m.
