Latest news

Community champion is the star attraction 🤩

This week we presented a coveted Believe Star to a real community champion Mike Sharkey, recognising his incredible contribution to our borough and our community.

Through Greenmount Projects and Team Wigan and Leigh, Mike has been a driving force behind efforts to raise nearly £1 million in just six years and improve the lives of so many people.

He was joined for the well-deserved presentation by family, friends, councillors, and representatives of Wigan & Leigh Hospice, The Brick and Daffodil Dreams.

Mike said: "It's one of those moments where you think 'is this really me?' But I'd like to dedicate it to Team Wigan and Leigh, to Greenmount Projects and to the charities that we support."

With big plans to hit the £1 million mark next year, Mike was clear that he isn't done yet! Watch our video of his reaction...

New-look Civic Square set to re-open! 😮

The new and improved Civic Square is set to be officially unveiled following a major programme of improvements in Leigh.

A central part of Leigh’s Regeneration Project, the new-look square has been designed to create a welcoming and vibrant destination in the heart of the town centre, complete with high-quality paving, new seating, improved landscaping, enhanced lighting, and attractive public realm features.

While the finishing touches are still being completed, the project aims to build on a programme of successful events hosted in recent years, ensuring that the square continues to serve as an attractive space for people to meet, relax, and enjoy a range of community events.

With a schedule of community events set to take place at Civic Square over the coming months, the refreshed public space will officially open to the public on Saturday 12 September.

Be Well hits 20k members 💪

A record 20,000 people now have a Be Well membership, it’s been revealed this week.

It follows a strong summer of sign-ups and comes on the back of major council investment in the borough’s seven local leisure centres.

Fitness memberships are up nearly 2,000 this year alone and have close to doubled since being brought back under direct council control in 2021.

Total visitor numbers also continue to rise and are course to top the 1.73 million visits made between April 2025 and March 2026.

Hindley Leisure Centre is the latest to get an upgrade with a new-look gym featuring brand new Technogym cardio equipment.

To celebrate, new members can currently get two months half price on a Be Well Fitness membership (excluding Be Well Fitness Flex) when they join using code BEWELLAUTUMN.

In other news...

📢 You can have your say on shop front improvements in Leigh this week. Following the project to revamp shop fronts and breathe new life into the town centre, the council is hosting a feedback session on the regeneration scheme next week. This is an important step to evaluate the progress of the building grant scheme, and you're welcome to come along to Leigh Tearoom & Community Hub, Bradshawgate on Thursday 10 September (10am-1pm) to share your views and help shape future investment. 

🏆Leigh's Spinning Gate Shopping Centre has achieved its nine consecutive International Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice. The prestigious awards ceremony is usually held at the Houses of Parliament in November, and the accomplishment adds to the shopping centre's third consecutive CSR Excellence Award for its charitable achievements. Well done to the team!

📣 Wigan Warriors have released details for the funeral of Sir Billy Boston. It will take place on Thursday, 10 September from 12.30pm at the Brick Community Stadium. For full details, please click here.

What's on

Memorial concert for the Battle of Britain 🎺 

Everyone is invited to mark this year’s anniversary of the Battle of Britain with a special free concert in Mesnes Park, Wigan, on Sunday 13 September.

The Higham Brothers’ Memorial Concert will feature the combined bands of the Lancashire Artillery Volunteers Band and The Band of The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. The concert will be on the bandstand between 2pm to 4pm.

Two days later, on Battle of Britain Day (Tuesday 15 September), there'll also be a small ceremony at Believe Square that will start at 10.45am, with the minute’s silence taking place at 11am.

Both events will be an opportunity to remember everyone who fought in the Battle of Britain, when RAF Fighter Command claimed what proved to be a decisive victory over the German Luftwaffe.

Meanwhile, the popular Proms in the Park returns to the borough for two evenings of live music, community spirit and celebration - starting this Saturday (5 September) at Mesnes Park, and then at Leigh's Pennington Hall Park on Saturday 12 September.

Enjoy performances from Tyldesley Brass Band, bring a picnic, and round off the night with a spectacular firework display from Smart Pyro. 

Grand Final set for Wigan! 🏉

The Betfred Women’s Super League Grand Final is coming to Wigan later this month!

With Wigan Warriors Women now confirmed as League Leaders’ Shield winners, it means they’ll get home advantage for the big title decider at the Brick Community Stadium on Sunday 27 September (kick off 5.30pm).

Having already won the Women’s Challenge Cup too, Denis Betts’s side be chasing a tremendous treble when they face the winners of a play-off between the second and third-placed teams – and you can be there to cheer them on!

Tickets are priced at just £15 for adults and £5 for juniors, and they’re amazing value… especially with the promotion play-off final also taking place ahead of the main event as part of an exciting double header.

More what's on...

🦋 Discover the Moths of Haigh for a fascinating morning uncovering the secret world of night-flying pollinators. Get up close to incredible species including the stunning Elephant Hawk-Moth, as we safely inspect and release moths from our humane overnight traps. Perfect for nature lovers of all ages, the experience also includes a round of crazy golf with thanks to Friends of Haigh Woodland Park. Taking place on Saturday 12 September, 9am-10.30am. Book your tickets on eventbrite.

⛪ If you’re interested in local history, or if you’re looking for something different to do this autumn, the borough’s new programme of free heritage open days could be for you. Running from 11-20 September, some of the borough’s most historic buildings - including churches, chapels, halls and houses - will open their doors to offer behind-the-scenes educational experiences. These events are part of the nationwide Heritage Open Days programme. Find out more here.

🦇 Enjoy a Twilight Nature & Bat Walk at Haigh for an evening of discovery! Learn about the bats, explore the woodland's trees, wildlife, insects and fungi and, as darkness falls, use a bat detector to listen to bats hunting overhead. Taking place on Thursday 10 September from 7pm. Book your tickets on eventbrite

🏃‍♂️ Be Well’s popular Couch to 5k running programme is back! Starting from Monday 7 September at venues across the borough, this 10-week schedule of friendly, welcoming group runs will take you from the couch to running 5k with confidence. It's FREE to Be Well Fitness members, or just £2.50 per session for non-members, so book your spot using the Be Well app or website.

Our communities

Running for hope at the Wigan 10k 🏃

It’s the Wigan 10k this Sunday, and we want to say good luck to all those taking part!

We also want to give a special shout-out to a group of 40 runners from the council, local health services and other community partners who – inspired by this year’s Month of Hope – are raising funds and awareness for two suicide support charities.

Bridging World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September) and World Mental Health Day (10 October), the Month of Hope is all about having open conversations about mental health, sharing hopeful messages across our communities, and showing those who may be struggling that they are not alone.

By taking part in the Wigan 10k, the runners hope to raise more than £1,000 for Survivors Of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) and Samaritans.

If you’d like to make a donation to support these two terrific causes, you can do so via the group’s Just Giving page.

Mannequins to tell serious stories 👨‍🎨

A new creative arts and storytelling project with a serious message at its core is looking for local women and girls to get involved.

The Mannequin Project 2026 is inviting women and girls to share their experiences, hopes, fears, and visions for the future through life sized mannequins that will be displayed as part of a public exhibition later in the year.

The project is led by ReMade Women (part of ReMade Wigan) and Kintsugi Therapy Community and aims to raise awareness of gender-based violence and inequality as well as celebrating the dreams, rights and futures of local women.

With the project funded by Northern Heart and Soul, if you’d like to get involved in some of the creative workshops, email Janine at ReMade Wigan to find out more janine@remadewigan.co.uk

Traders become Neighbourhood Champions 🏆

17 Good Trader Scheme members have recently signed up to become Wigan Council Neighbourhood Champions, volunteering their time to make our communities stronger, safer, and more connected by checking in on vulnerable people and elderly residents across the borough.

Passionate about supporting people across our borough, the traders will help ensure that those who may need a friendly face, a listening ear, or a little extra help will know that someone is looking out for them. 

The Neighbourhood Champions will also deliver valuable advice to vulnerable residents to be aware of rogue traders offering cheap work and repairs, and help to prevent doorstep crime in our communities.

Celebrating our creative gardeners 🧑‍🌾

Last week, the annual Tenant Voice Gardening Awards were held at Sunshine House in Scholes, celebrating the passion, creativity and dedication of Wigan Council Tenants and residents.

The annual competition recognises the individuals, families, community groups and schools that take pride in their outdoor spaces, from beautifully maintained front gardens and vibrant floral displays, to community growing projects that bring people together.

More than just a gardening competition, the awards aim to encourage community pride, support biodiversity, improve local environments and promote the positive impact that green spaces can have on health and wellbeing. 

With the competition growing bigger by the year, this year's entries demonstrated an outstanding commitment to enhancing neighbourhoods and creating welcoming spaces that can be enjoyed by residents, visitors and wildlife alike.

More in our communities...

🍴 Did you know recent changes to eligibility mean that more children qualify for free school meals? Even if you have not been eligible before, it's worth checking to see if your child can benefit from school meals that are packed with healthy ingredients, designed to fuel learning, and helping families save up to £500 per child a year money on food costs. Find out more here.

❤️ If you're looking for a career where you can make a real difference, come along to the next Care To Join Us Recruitment Day at Mayfield House where you can chat to the team and find out more about a career in care. It’s on Monday 21 September at Mayfield House, Mayfield Road, Orrell, WN5 0HZ. Just register your place on Eventbrite and the team will be in contact to book a time slot between 10am-4pm.

📢 Do you gamble? Have you gambled in the past? Does someone close to you gamble? If you answered yes to any of these, Wigan Council would really like to hear from you. Gambling doesn’t just mean betting. It includes the National Lottery, scratch cards, bingo, sports betting, gaming machines and online gambling. By sharing your experience through a completely anonymous and confidential survey, you can make a difference. Complete the short online survey before the end of September.

😷 Measles can be a serious infection that can lead to complications, especially in young children and those with weakened immune systems. Ahead of the new school year, it’s good to know what signs and symptoms to look out for and what to do if you think their child has measles. Measles spreads easily but it is preventable. Make sure you and your loved ones are up to date with your MMR jabs or catch up on any missed jabs. Visit the NHS website for more information on what to look for and how to protect your family.

👑 The King’s Trust Team programme in Wigan and Leigh is recruiting now. If you’re aged 16-25 and you’re not happy with where your life seems to be going at the moment, it could be time you tried something new. The King's Trust Team Programme helps young people to meet new people and make new friends, make a positive difference in their local community and gain valuable work experience. To find out more text the word TEAM to 80 800 (this is free of charge) or contact the team in your area: Leigh: 07810 123 854 or 07518 844 904 or Wigan: 01942 821 444, 07713 565 442 or 07426 866 61. Find more information on the King's Trust website.

Here For You

Help to claim events in your community 🤝

Our Here For You teams are out and about in our communities throughout the week, offering free support and advice on all things cost-of-living. 

Whatever your situation, our officers are there to chat through your circumstances and see if there's anything you're eligible for that you might not have realised. 

The impact of calling in to one of these drop-in sessions can be life changing - and we should know, because we've seen it happen many times!

The full list of these regular sessions is available via the button below, but if you can't make one of the events and would like to discuss how we can help you, please contact the Here For You team on 01942 489015.