The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan will visit Wrexham this weekend to formally dedicate an education centre that will be used to help raise teaching standards in Religious Education across Wales.
A special service will be held at the St Giles Centre for RE and Faith Development at St Giles’ Church, Wrexham on Saturday 14 January. The Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Reverend Dr Gregory K Cameron will also be in attendance along with local dignitaries.
The £500,000 centre is inside the historic church itself and has been designed with three aims. Firstly to promote good quality RE in Schools, secondly to help the Church to be effective in its work with young people and thirdly to help the historic building at St Giles educate young people about Christianity.
Schools are already visiting the centre and the education team have developed 21 workshops to educate young people through school visits.
Executive Director of the St Giles’ Centre for RE and Faith Development is Gavin Craigen.
He said:
“This project has come together in collaboration with the St Mary’s Centre in Abergwyngregyn, the Wrexham Parochial Education Foundation and St Giles’ Church.
“Our aim is to see Religious Education taught more effectively to children and young people – not just in Wrexham but across Wales; and for young people to become excited and positive about their faith.”
Commenting on the new facility, Archbishop Dr Barry Morgan who will be dedicating it said:
“Learning about different religions and what it might mean to take religion seriously as well as seeing life from other perspectives is more important than ever for young people today.
“It teaches them values such as respect, tolerance and responsibility and raises awareness of our common humanity.
“The challenge for this new centre will be to equip teachers with high quality materials that will engage and inspire children, whether they are in Sunday school or teenagers. I am delighted to be dedicating it and I wish it every success.”
