| | ...And it all comes down to a public vote on the night of the ceremony, so we need all Wigan Borough residents to get behind her. Make sure you're watching (and voting) on BBC One or the BBC iPlayer from 7pm on Tuesday 17 December.
From Atherton, to Leigh Harriers, Olympic and World silver medallist, to the incredible race in Paris this summer where she brought home the gold, we are all so proud of what she has achieved and can't wait to see where she goes next.
And if you're ready to look back on other incredible highlights from 2024, keep an eye out for the latest edition of Borough Life which is being delivered to households across the borough and available in all of our public buildings including libraries and leisure centres. |  | | New Borough Life podcast episode out now! | To celebrate the winter edition of Borough Life, James and Rosie catch up with two guests who talk about two of the latest magazine's features.
They chat to Lucy from Wigan Council's community team who shines a light on kind-hearted businesses who are thinking with their hearts as well as their head as they get involved in Wigan Borough's very own version of DIY SOS.
And Digital Wigan's Alex shares how we can all be 'TechMates' to our friends and relatives who aren't so confident accessing technology, and why it should matter to us all. | | Listen to the episode here |  | | In other news... | 🚘A consultation is underway on proposals to clampdown on nuisance car-cruising across the borough. Wigan Council is looking at options to bring in a Public Space Protection Order. Take part in the survey, here.
📅 Don’t forget, bin collections are subject to change over Christmas and New Year. Check your printed calendar or on our website.
🚅 Network Rail will be energising the upgraded Wigan to Bolton line at midnight on 1 January 2025, as part of the ongoing electrification project. This means all the overhead line equipment will be live and energised, so take extra care. There will be no trains running between 10.30pm on 31 December, until 1.30pm on 1 January and stations along the line including Ince and Hindley will be closed on New Year’s Day. For more information.
🌳 Maintenance on the beech trees along Pennington Ave in Leigh will take place on Tuesday 17 December, and the road will be closed between 9am and 3pm. No trees are being removed; the works are set to include pruning and clearing overhanging branches.
♻ Having a Christmas clear-out? Separate your items and take bits out of boxes before you head to the Recycling Centre, and remember they are open from 9am-5.45pm every day, apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day |
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| Events | 🎄 Did you attend our Frost Festival events? We'd love to hear what you thought. | The Frost Festival events are huge part of our events calendar and we love helping you to get into the festive spirit.
If you attended either Frost Festival Leigh or Frost Festival Wigan, we'd love to hear your feedback, to help us shape the events going forward.
As a thank you for sharing your views, you will be entered into a draw to win a £50 Love2Shop e-gift card! Please note the competition ends at noon on Monday 16 December. The winner will be chosen at random and contacted by email. Over 18s only. | | Have your say on Frost Festival |  |
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| | #FillAPlate for a local family this Christmas | Next Wednesday (18 December, 10.45am-11.45am) our Be Well team will be walking, running and cycling from Robin Park Leisure Centre to The Brick Food Community at St George’s in Wigan town centre – delivering items for their Christmas Food Appeal.
We’re looking for some kind-hearted elves to sign up for our delivery squad and walk, run or cycle with us (the choice is yours!)
Help us transport our items, be active and have fun... we'll even throw in a brew and a mince pie at the end as a thank you! Sound good? Get involved via the Be Well app or website.
If you can't make it, don't worry... you can still help by dropping items at our donation station at Robin Park Leisure Centre, anytime from now until the day of the walk.
Either way, you'll be making a real difference for local people this Christmas! | | Check out our list of suggested items |  | | HAF is back for Christmas! 🧒 | If your child get benefits-related free school meals, don’t forget to book their place at our HAF Christmas school holiday clubs!
Most activities this year are on January 2 & 3 and spots are already being filled up fast – so use your e-voucher now at holidayactivities.com and choose from a wide range of activities. If you’ve not received your voucher yet but think you’re eligible, please contact your school directly before the end of term.
In addition to all the activities on offer, this year we’ve teamed with local author Gemma Whittle to share copies of her book ‘The Boy With the Magic Smile’, which she wrote after sadly losing her two-year-old son Reggie during a routine operation in November 2023.
As well as telling a beautiful tale of a boy who meets a variety of animals, it’s also a book of support for those who may themselves be dealing with grief. The book hit #12 on Amazon’s Best Sellers list and has had recommendations from famous parents including Fearne Cotton and Billie Shepherd.
We’ll be sending the book out to a number of children and young people this holiday period as part of HAF, so if you know an eligible child who may benefit from the book then please email HAF@wigan.gov.uk. | | Find out more about HAF |  | | More from the community... | 🎄 Do you have a real Christmas tree in your home this year? Wigan & Leigh Hospice can help you recycle it! You can register to have your Christmas tree collected and recycled by the team this January. Simply register your collection, select a date and they'll do the rest. The deadline to register is midnight Sunday 5 January.
❤ Arranging a funeral can be really hard, not just emotionally but financially too. To help, Wigan Council works with two local funeral directors to provide a fixed price service for residents of the borough. You receive the same level of quality service, while saving around £2,000 on average. Find out more on our website.
👪 Are you a working parent with a child aged 9 months to 35 months? Have you applied for funding for 15 hours of free childcare? Don’t forget, you must have received and confirmed your code by 31 December 2024 to get your place for January 2025. Once you have a code, Make sure you reconfirm every 12 weeks to ensure it remains valid. To find out more about childcare funding and how to apply, please click here.
🎅 Do you tend to over-indulge at Christmas and end up feeling guilty come January? This year, why not try to do things a little differently? Check out Be Well’s ‘10 top tips to enjoy a balanced Christmas’ for some simple advice on celebrating in style while avoiding the usual cycle of shame. | |
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| Pension credit deadline approaching... ⏰ | Time is ticking as the deadline to apply for Pension Credit in time to be eligible for this year's Winter Fuel payment quickly approaches. You, or your family members, need to apply by 21 December to make sure you receive it.
Our Help to Claim events aren't slowing down in the run up for Christmas, so please tell a friend or loved one about the events we have coming up around our borough.
Our friendly advisers can help you to apply for Pension Credit and any other financial support you may be eligible for. Next week, we'll be at the following locations to help you get your application in on time:
💛 Golborne Library - 16 December 2024, 9am to 2pm 💛 Tyldesley Library - 17 December 2024, 9am to 2pm 💛 Leigh Life Centre - 18 December 2024, 10am to 4pm 💛 Marsh Green Library - 18 December 2024, 9am to 2pm 💛 Platt Bridge Library - 19 December 2024, 12pm to 5pm 💛 Wigan Life Centre North - 19 December 2024, 10am to 4pm 💛 Atherton Library - 20 December 2024, 12pm to 5pm | | Find a Help to Claim event near you |  |
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