Young and old come together at the former Gwaith Powdwr factory site in a celebration of times gone by, as well as looking to the future to ensure the 130 year old site’s important history is not forgotten.

Funded by our Young Roots programme, Parti Penrhyn is part of a two-year project helping youngsters remember the important role the former industrial site played to their local area – once an economic hotspot as the town’s largest employer, and now as a protected nature reserve for people to enjoy.

Project organisers Gwerin y Coed and the North Wales Wildlife Trust are helping young people get involved with the industrial, social and natural heritage of the site through a range of activities, including an oral history project to record the stories of former factory workers. Watch their first video on YouTube.

Young volunteers will also help physically maintain the 24 hectare nature reserve, which contains several Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designated buildings and a tunnel, as well as being home to many important species such as bats, polecats, nightjars, snakes and lizards. Preservation work will include fencing and charcoal making workshops to ensure these key outdoor skills are kept alive.

Parti Penrhyn is open to everybody – pop along this Saturday (12 September) and get involved. Or, if you like the sound of the Gwaith Powdwr project and think you could help young people connect with their pasts, why not apply to our Young Roots programme?