Local and Congolese musicians united at Rydal Penrhos to perform a powerful commemorative concert, celebrating education, friendship and cultural exchange—past, present and future.
At Rydal Penrhos, we believe education flourishes when young people encounter living heritage and diverse perspectives. Our culture blends tradition with modern ambition: scholarship rooted in character; creativity shaped by service; a global outlook informed by local history.
This ethos was powerfully affirmed during a special Black History Month celebration that highlighted the enduring bonds between Wales and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On Friday 24 October 2025, a concert in the Memorial Hall brought Congolese and local performers together to pay respect to the rich history shared by the two nations.
Distinguished guests from the DRC were in attendance, including His Excellency Mr Ndolamb Ngokwey, Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Queen Bakembisa Mafuta and Chief Thomas Bikebi. From the local area, our esteemed guests included Mark Isherwood MS and Colwyn Bay Mayor, Cllr Jo Nuttall.
The evening’s Master of Ceremonies was Mr Clive Wolfendale—Vice-Chairman of Adferiad and Vice President of the Network for World Awareness of Multicultural Integration (NWAMI)—who also performed with the Rydal Penrhos Community Wind Band and with The Quaynotes, a swing jazz ensemble.
The event was generously supported by Adferiad, Bay of Colwyn Town Council and NWAMI, underscoring the civic and charitable commitment that continues to nourish international understanding in our region.
In the run-up to the concert, the visiting delegation marked the historical roots of the partnership. On Thursday 23 October, they visited ancestral graves in Old Colwyn and the Library Exhibition in Colwyn Bay—sites connected to the former Congo (African Training) Institute—paying respect to those who first forged this relationship.
This bond reaches back to 1882, when the Revd William Hughes preached in Congo before ill health brought him home to Wales. He returned with two students whose lectures and cultural encounters across Welsh chapels helped kindle a movement of educational exchange. Three years later, the African Training Institute was established in Colwyn Bay, sending promising African students to Britain to gain new skills and medical knowledge while living within local communities. By 1903 more than twenty students from nations including Cameroon, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the United States were studying; by the time the Institute closed, over a hundred had passed through its halls. Many went on to shape their homelands with distinction—an enduring legacy that continues to inspire today.
As a school defined by breadth of opportunity and depth of care, Rydal Penrhos is proud to celebrate this history, as we continue to prepare our own future leaders to contribute with wisdom and empathy.
