Offa is a community

Community (Wales)

A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....

 (the lowest tier of local government) in Wrexham County Borough, Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

.

History

Unlike many such community areas in Wales, Offa was not based on the boundaries of an earlier civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

 or township

Township (England)

In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...

, although it corresponds roughly to some of the areas included in the old township of Wrexham Abbott. It was first established only in April 1985, after a boundary review bought four new 'urban' communities into being within the town of Wrexham

Wrexham

Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...

. The community has four wards, Erddig, Brynyffynnon, Hermitage and Offa. The Community Council states that it was noted in a Welsh Assembly report as one of the most "active and innovative" in Wales.

At the 2001 census, the community had a total population of 9,852 in 4,294 households. Following the Hermitage ward's inclusion in the top 10% of the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation, Offa Community has been involved in the Welsh Assembly's Communities First

Communities First

Communities First is a programme designed to increase participation and develop the capacity of Welsh communities to make decisions and run projects. The programme was established by the Welsh Government’s Department for Social Justice and Regeneration in 2002...

 regeneration programme.

Areas

The community of Offa covers much of the older, western part of the centre of Wrexham, including St. Giles' Church

St Giles' Church, Wrexham

St Giles' Church is the parish church of Wrexham, Wales. Its tower is traditionally one of the Seven Wonders of Wales, which are commemorated in an anonymously written rhyme:...

. It also covers large residential areas, including the areas known as Hightown, Brynyffynnon and Felin Puleston, as well as the part of the grounds of Erddig

Erddig

Erddig Hall is a National Trust property on the outskirts of Wrexham, Wales. Located south of Wrexham town centre, it was built in 1684–1687 for Joshua Edisbury, the high sheriff of Denbighshire and was designed by Thomas Webb....

 not within the neighbouring communities of Esclusham

Esclusham

Esclusham is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales.The community includes the villages of Bersham, Rhostyllen, Aber-oer, Llwyneinion and Pentre Bychan, as well as a number of smaller settlements, the park at Erddig, and an area...

 and Marchwiel

Marchwiel

Marchwiel is a village and a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales.It is about 2 miles south-east of Wrexham town on the A525 road towards Bangor-on-Dee...

.