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You won’t want to miss this...🐾

We had a special delivery for Wigan Borough legend Phil Fletcher… the multi-talented performer of TV icon (and new Blue Peter presenter) Hacker T Dog! 🌟

Drumroll, please... We’re giving the duo their very own star on Believe Square! That’s right... Hacker and Phil are officially Wigan Borough royalty!👑

Check out the message from Hacker himself! 👇

More news...

🌈 Pride season in Wigan Borough officially gets underway tomorrow as the annual Pride in Leigh event takes place at Pennington Hall Park. From 12pm-9pm there'll be a mix of live music, artisan market stalls, family-friendly entertainment, and food and drink. Everyone is welcome and it's always a wonderful occasion - so do pop along if you get the chance.

With Wigan Pride also around the corner (16 August), Councillor Dane Anderton made an address at full council on Wednesday underlining our commitment to inclusion and building a borough where everybody feels welcome. The speech is available to read in full on our website.

Meanwhile, don't forget to check Facebook for more details about Pride in Leigh or Wigan Pride.

📣 There was a packed agenda at this week's meeting of the full council with topics such as homelessness, culture and the arts, and anti-knife crime initiatives all discussed. For a full round-up from the meeting, visit here.

🏆 Ella Toone and her fellow Lionesses take on Spain on Sunday as they attempt to retain their Euros crown. Kick-off is at 5pm and the game is live on BBC One.

🏥 Resident doctors are currently taking part in strike action until 7am on Wednesday (30 July). All Greater Manchester NHS services are working to keep urgent and critical care safe. Emergency and maternity services remain open. Not all clinics or consultant-led services are cancelled, so please attend unless told otherwise. GPs, dentists, and mental health services are also open. Use NHS 111 online for non-emergencies, and call 999 only in life-threatening situations.

💳 Did you know you can now get your Council Tax bill online? And it gets better... Sign up for E-Billing by September 30 and you’ll be entered into a cash prize draw where you could win up to £500! Learn more here.

What's on

Love Parks Week is here! 🌳

More of what's on...

🫶 Next Sunday (3 August, 11am) is our annual Be Well Memory Walk at Haigh Woodland Park when we’ll be coming together as a community to walk for a world without dementia and raise funds for the Alzheimer's Society. It’s free to take part and there’ll be plenty to do on the day – including a special orienteering challenge for little ones, as well as all the usual attractions at Haigh. Simply turn up on the day (registration from 10.15am near the visitor centre) or sign-up online in advance to guarantee your certificate of participation. You can find out more or download a sponsorship form from the Be Well website.

🚲 We’re gearing up for the return of Cycle Three Sisters at Ashton-in-Makerfield’s Three Sisters Circuit on Thursday 7 August! As usual, there’ll be lots to do on and off the track – including balance bikes for under 5s, cycle skills for ages 6-12, Wheels For All adapted cycles, e-bikes, a climbing wall, giant bubbles, stalls and more. Most activities run from 3pm-8pm (plus a dedicated slot 1.30pm-2.45pm for balance bikes, bikes with stabilisers and adapted bikes ONLY on the main circuit). Check the Be Well website or follow our Facebook event page for more information.

🩺 You can get a free ‘health MOT’ at Leigh Leisure Centre on Wednesday (30 July) as Be Well hosts its latest Health and Wellbeing Open Day. Free NHS blood pressure checks will be available without appointment while there’ll be more than 50 stalls offering advice and support on a wide range of topics. Simply pop in anytime between 10am-2pm. Find out more.

Our communities

Say hello to Emily... 👋

The impact her grandma’s dementia had on her family, and the gratitude they felt for the carers who looked after her, inspired Emily to become a support worker. 

She said: "You meet new people and face new challenges and there are lots of opportunities to progress. Every day you are helping someone who just needs some help to remain independent, making their lives a little bit better, and you are building relationships with the people you support and their families.

“I recommend working in care as not every day is the same, it’s always different. It can be challenging but is also the most rewarding job, knowing you have made a difference to somebody’s day.

Even though these roles don’t require experience, your past circumstances can bring a lot to the table. Take your next steps today.