North Wales Leaders React to Colomendy Education Center Closure

Colomendy, near Mold, shut down last month after seventy years of offering youth education. Kingswood Colomendy Ltd stopped trading, and its parent firm, Inspiring Learning Ltd, also closed. Administrators are now involved in the process.

Liverpool kids often visited Colomendy, making it a tradition between the areas. The site previously housed Liverpool evacuees during World War Two. Liverpool Council then acquired the site, stipulating it had to benefit the city’s children.

In 2007, Liverpool Council issued a 30-year lease. Administrators say the lease returns to the council through a process called disclaiming. The council will then consider future options for the site, which is located in North Wales but subject to Liverpool’s decisions.

Carolyn Thomas, a Welsh Parliament member, wants a future for the site that benefits everyone. Colomendy sits in a beautiful natural area, potentially becoming part of a national park soon, near the popular tourist spot Loggerheads.

Families regularly visit Loggerheads and share Colomendy memories. Colomendy significantly boosted the local economy, benefiting farms as well. Thomas hopes it remains an outdoor education place and urges discussion with Liverpool Council.

Mark Isherwood, another Welsh Parliament member, also wants talks to find a way forward, as the closure worries people across the border. Colomendy offered opportunities to many people, and he notes its value to North Wales.

Isherwood emphasizes the need for support for young people. He suggests discussions with Liverpool to find a solution for young people.

PGL bought three Kingswood centers and plans to keep them operating.

Huw Williams, a local councilor, calls the closure tragic but hopes it can continue somehow. He acknowledges that economic problems might make it hard, but the location links areas and should not disappear.

Loggerheads is a well-known area with strong connections to Liverpool. Williams welcomes talks with Liverpool, recognizing that both councils face budget cuts now.

Chris Bithell, a councilor for decades, witnessed kids enjoying Colomendy. It meant a lot to Liverpool residents, with some kids experiencing something like it for the first time. Many people mentioned holidays there, and Bithell hopes others give youth such chances.