Coleg Cambria to host exhibition in aid of war veterans charity

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 exhibition is to be held in the new £21m Yale college extension in Wrexham on the weekend of 2-3 October.

Organiser Gareth Butler says the location is “perfect” for the event given the new facilities and close ties with the North West and neighbouring Welsh counties.

He will be working with students and staff from across the college, 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 experiencing 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 as well as a trade exhibition to include local businesses and showcase aspects of the college extension.

Gareth said: “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.

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

“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, visit the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/thebritishinternationaltattoo where information can be found on upcoming fundraising events and details of the JustGiving page.

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