Richard Hebblewhite

We have great pleasure in recognising Richard, a local lecturer at Glyndwr University, who has
enabled Wrexham to become a bastion for games technology, which has been adapted, enabling it
to be used in real-life situations.

In 2006, Richard was responsible for launching the first ever games course at Glyndwr University.
The University now runs five courses which help students forge careers in the games industry and
have inspired Richard to set up many outreach programmes, helping students create companies,
designing prototypes for the Navy, hospitals and schools.
In hospitals the technology has been used to adapt exercise machines, helping people with
disabilities, stroke rehabilitation and have all been designed by students at Glyndwr University.
It really is hands-on-science, proving that games technology is not just for pleasure and wasting
time, they have real life uses.
Richard has also overseen a design to help military servicemen with PTSD, using an igloo, with a
360degree screen, which reflects images from the electric activity in the brain, from an EPOC head
device. This process enables breathing techniques to be established.
Another outreach programme has been set up at the YAB hub and provides free coding sessions,
helping students create companies, teaching them about funding and how to pitch an idea.
Richard has helped to create around 30 companies, some award winners, forging careers for
themselves, breaking down barriers.
In 2021 Richard founded the level up Wales Initiative, which runs a series of conferences and tech
shows, with guest speakers from all over the world and local and regional ex-students.

He also oversees a TECH Expo, where companies can exhibit their gadgets. Many of the prototypes designed are being used in real world situations, supporting better lives and business activities.
As Richard says “technology has a broad subject area and is a really powerful adaptable tool. It is inclusive, using different skills and when you get the right people together, at the right time, magical things can happen”.
They are happening here in Wrexham, thanks to Richard!