Humphrey Ker becomes patron of Wrexham Miners Project

Comedian, writer and executive director of Wrexham AFC, Humphrey Ker, has become the first Patron of the Wrexham Miners Project.

The organisation, just a stones throw away from the famous Stok Cae Ras on Maesgwyn Road, provides a wide-range of arts and crafts activities to young children, youths, and adults with learning difficulties, physical disabilities and dementia. 

It operates from the Listed Miners Rescue Station (MRS) which, due to the ravages of time and damage, needs a great deal of time, money and effort to restore and develop into a community centre worthy of the 21st Century. 

The charity also runs the RescueCafé which offers hot, affordable meals to the local community, and has become a popular pre-match meeting point for supporters.

This week saw Humphrey Ker’s become patron of the charity on the 110th Anniversary of MRS becoming operational. 

Over its many years, the MRS staff had trained numerous miners for the region’s Mines Rescue Teams, who were involved in rescue activities during the 1966 Aberfan Disaster and, more locally, the 1934 Gresford Colliery Disaster. 

Then, 266 mine-workers lost their lives because of a large, underground explosion that ripped through the Dennis District, which is located 700m below the local Pant-yr-Ochain pub.

Alan Jones from the North Wales Miners Association Trust (NWMAT) presented Humphrey with a miner’s safety lamp as a gift from all the miners and the volunteers who run the Miners Rescue Station to mark his patronage of this highly respected charity. 

Humphrey also met Keith Hett (the last miner to officially ascend the Bersham Colliery shaft when it closed in 1986), his dog, Milo, and his son, Michael Hett.  Michael was also an ex-miner, but he is now more famous as the lead singer of the Declan Swans.

A spokesperson said: “Humphrey has been a valued benefactor and strong supporter of the charity’s aims and vision to help improve the lives of those who a recent prime minister might allegedly have cast adrift to take their chances. 

“He firmly aligns himself with the organisation’s belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to develop their self-confidence through learning new skills in a social group.

“From Welcome to Wrexham to welcome to the MRS, Humphrey will be a great ambassador for this small, volunteer-run charity who selflessly help the local community.”