Best of British celebration to be held at revamped North Wales college

A CELEBRATION of Great Britain in aid of a national charity for war veterans will be hosted by Coleg Cambria.

The inaugural British International Tattoo and trade exhibition for businesses is to be held in the new £21m extension to Yale college in Wrexham over two days from Saturday October 2.

Organiser Gareth Butler says the Grove Park Road location is perfect for the event given its cutting-edge facilities and location offering close ties with the North West and neighbouring Welsh counties.

He will be working with students and staff from across the college to bring A Slice of Great Britain to life, and is set to welcome marching bands, dancers, choirs, and musicians from across the North West.

Donations will be made to The Not Forgotten Association, an organisation working to support veterans and combat isolation and loneliness amongst the Armed Forces community for the last 100 years.

“As soon as I saw the brilliant facilities at Coleg Cambria Yale I knew they would be perfect for this production,” said Gareth.

“We’ve had a great response already so there is an appetite for it and hopefully by the autumn we will be in the position to celebrate and enjoy this event safely together – it should give everyone something to look forward to.

“There is a military theme with all the pomp and ceremony you would expect, highlighting the very best of British and overseas culture and putting a smile on people’s faces after a very difficult time for everyone.”

He added: “As well as being a celebration of Great Britain, it’s also a terrific opportunity for the students who will be helping us with marketing, lighting, sound, design and more – it will give them real-time experience and be a great help to us.”

There will be three shows taking place over the weekend, with recognised guests, and a trade exhibition to include local businesses and showcase the new restaurant and other aspects of the college extension, notably the sports hall serving as the main performance area.

“I’m looking forward to bringing the festival to Cambria as it’s something totally unique, but ultimately our main focus is on raising as much money as we possibly can for the veterans,” said Gareth.

“After the challenges of the past year we are sure it will be welcomed, by those in attendance and of course the many people who will be performing given so many bookings and events were cancelled due to the Coronavirus.”

Alex Thomas, Assistant Principal for Technical Studies at Yale, believes the college will be a fitting venue.

“By then we will hopefully be in a position to hold the Tattoo safely and with the appropriate measures in place,” he added.

“As we prepare to unveil the new-look extension to Yale in the coming weeks, it is fantastic to know it is already so well-regarded and can be utilised as a facility for the community and events as well as a first-class complex for our commercial and academic provision.”

For more on The British International Tattoo and to sponsor the event, visit the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/thebritishinternationaltattoo. You will also find information on upcoming fundraising events and details of the JustGiving page.

Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for the latest news and information from Coleg Cambria.