Borough Life Issue 36 Winter 2011

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TheLIGHT FANTASTIC!

� Leigh sparkles for Christmas

Borough Life 1 v2 2/12/11 10:25 Page 1

2 BOROUGH LIFE Winter 2011

Business booming as centre brings

BOROUGH TO LIFE

Everyone’s talking...Wigan Life Centre

WIGAN Borough’s brand newleisure and swimming poolcomplex is now open for

business.And business is good! More and more

people are taking the plunge andsigning up as Life members. BoroughLife went to meet some typicalcustomers to find out what they think:

Oliver Walkden, 16, of Wigan, said:“They’re great facilities. There’severything you could want to get fit. It’s

a great addition tothe town

centre.”

VanessaKing, 20,fromInce,said:

“It’s excellent. I love the fact I can watchCoronation Street while I’m on thetreadmill. The key allows you to monitoryour progress and how much weightyou’ve lifted, how long you’ve run. It’sjust great.”

Derek Pitcher, 18, of Wigan said: “It’s anice complex, it’s got a pool and saunaand steam room.The building stands out,the facilities are excellent and I’dcertainly encourage people to comehere.”

Keilley Blakely, 30, from Ince,said: “I prefer the poolbeing smaller, it’s notas long as

the International Pool was so it’s beingused to swim in rather than loads ofpeople just hanging round.”

Margaret Blakely added: “I’ve signed upto Facebook so I can use it at the gym.They’ll never get me out of here. It’sfantastic. I’m proud Wigan hassomething like this.”

To find out more about what’s on offer at

the Life Centre visit the ActiveLife pages at Wigan Leisureand Culture Trust’s website:

www.wlct.org Find outmore about the latest

Life Centre developmentson page seven of this

edition of Borough Life.

Oliver Walkden Vanessa King Derek Pitcher Keilly Blakely Margaret Blakely

Borough Life 2 2/12/11 10:27 Page 1

The

LeaderColumnBy Peter SmithLeader, Wigan Council

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This edition packed with news, plus...

COVER PICTURE:a scene from thisyear’s LeighChristmas lightsswitch on.

Winter 2011

www.wigan.gov.uk

Borough Life is published by WiganCouncil and distributed to all households inthe borough. This edition was published on9 December. Distribution should becomplete by 23 December 2011.

The magazine is printed on paper fromrenewable resources. It is written and editedby Wigan Council’s Media andCommunications team, designed bySmith Davis Press and printed by PCP.

If you have any comments or feedback –or if would like to write a letter forpublication – please contact:

The EditorBorough Life,FREEPOST NWW3502A,Wigan WN1 1XZ.Tel: 01942 827823 Email: [email protected]

If you are a resident of Wigan Boroughbut haven’t had a copy of Borough Lifedelivered through your letterbox, please letus know.

Copies of individual articles may beavailable in other languages on request.

Large print and audio versions can also beprovided. Please phone 01942 827823.

Solar panel investment 5

Beat the burglars this Christmas 20

Wrestler prepares for Games in Wigan 11

Bluebells and their blue bins 29

BOROUGH LIFE Winter 2011 3

THE 2012 Olympic Games will be a showcase for what can beachieved through hard work, determination and a desire to be thebest. The economic and social benefits of bringing such an eventto the UK cannot be understated and our borough has a big partto play.

We have long celebrated sporting excellence and we’redelighted that this has now been recognised by those behind theLondon Olympics. In May the eyes of the world will be on ourborough when the Olympic Flame passes through it.

We want this flame to act as a beacon to the next generationof the borough’s athletes... to spur them on to reach their fullpotential and we’ll be with them every step of the way.

In terms of the economic benefits it is expected the games willattract more than 350,000 foreign visitors to our country each dayof the competition. We’ll be doing our best to make sure they areaware of what Wigan and the North West has to offer and wehope many will venture outside the M25 to see it at first hand. Inother sporting news Wigan Borough has successfully bid tobecome a host venue for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.

This is a game that really is part of the cultural fabric of ourborough. Few places eat, sleep and breathe Rugby League in thesame way as people in our borough do. The good news that ourborough will play a part in this fantastic sporting spectacle is atestament to the great work that’s been going on behind thescenes. Again, we’ll be aiming to get the maximum benefit for ourborough of being part of this great sporting occasion.

WHEN Alan Tootell opened the doors of his Golborne butcher’sshop in 1961, John F Kennedy became the 35th President of theUnited States and a little-known Liverpool band gave their firstperformance at the city’s Cavern Club.

A lot’s changed since then but Alan is still going strong andamazingly he’s not had a single day off in all that time. A trulyfantastic achievement that speaks volumes about the benefits ofhard-work and job satisfaction.

You can read Alan’s inspirational story on page 4 and how weare helping new businesses such as Krista Bougourd’s IT businesson page 26.

2011 has been a difficult year both at home and abroad and 2012is predicted to be no easier. The Borough has coped remarkablywell, responding by working even closer in partnership.

May I take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merryChristmas and happy New Year.



HE’S not had a dayoff in over 50years and his

Heath Street premises arefull of the traditions of oldstyle shopkeeping – but hislocal nickname ofArkwright is hardly rightfor generous Golbornelegend Alan Tootell.

Ronnie Barker’s miserlycomic masterpiece may

have been the centre ofhis community – but

there the similarityends. Alan is readywith a cheeky smileand a naughty storyto entertain hisloyal customers.He’ll be launching

his seasonal campaignsoon: ‘Remember – a butcher

is for life, not just forChristmas’.

“Saturday mornings arehilarious,” says regular MauriceKennedy, “Tales of old Golborne,

anecdotes and banter – and alwaysthe very best service and superbmeats, cakes and salads.”

Alan says he’s just doing his job:“The secret is variety,” he says.“Plenty of things in stock to keepthe customers happy – and justproper good service to keep themcoming back. Quality meats, ofcourse, but lots more besides.”

It was this dedication, not tomention long service and charitywork, that led Golborne wardcouncillor Ged Bretherton to presentAlan with a ‘Buy Local’ certificatefor his achievements.

Cllr Bretherton said: “Pretty mucheveryone in the village knowsTootell’s butchers – but what’samazing is that people call in fromfar beyond Golborne – and even farbeyond the borough – for his piesand sandwiches. On race days atHaydock Park down the road,punters arriving from all over phonetheir order ahead.”

A lot has happened since Friday15 July 1961 when Alan leftGolborne Country Primary Schoolonly to start in his dad’s shop roundthe corner on the Saturday morning.

The face of many high streets haschanged as shopping habits havedeveloped. But things today aremuch as they were in the days of themighty Ambrose Tootell, who’d firstopened up in Golborne in 1948 andthat’s down to good customer careand the very best quality, Alan tellsus. Arkwright’s Emporium it may be,but this shopkeeper is no miser…

Alan said: “Thank you for thishonour – now are you going to buysomething?”

WIGAN Council has joined forces withWigan’s own Keep Britain Tidy on ‘LoveWhere You Live’ – a national campaign toencourage people to take pride in wherethey live, work and play.

To prove what a big difference peoplecan make the council called a halt to towncentre cleaning over one weekend.

The result… loads of extra litter strewnaround the streets, much of it within sightof a town centre litter bin.

But it wasn’t there for long because an armyof community volunteers, council workers andlocal primary school pupils quickly mucked into get it all cleaned up again.

Wigan Council is one of severalambassador authorities through which the‘Love Where You Live’ campaign will bepromoted at a local level. Together withKeep Britain Tidy, the council aims to

inspire individuals, local businesses, groupsand organisations to think about theircommunity and take an active interest inlooking after their local environment.

Wigan Council’s Cabinet Member for theEnvironment, Cllr Kevin Anderson, said:“When it comes to litter, weall have a part to playand every individualreally can make adifference. Wecan all helpto make ourneighbourhoodsbetter places.”

‘BUTCHER’S’‘BUTCHER’S’‘BUTCHER’S’‘BUTCHER’S’‘BUTCHER’S’‘BUTCHER’S’‘BUTCHER’S’‘BUTCHER’S’Take a

Big tidy... communities join forces to clean up

You can find outmore at the Love

Where You Live website:www.lovewhereyoulive.org or the KeepBritain Tidy website:www.keepbritain

tidy.org

‘BUTCHER’S’



WIGAN Council and partners arecelebrating the completion of 35 newhomes at the site of the formerOrchards Day Centre on ChathamStreet off Leigh Road.

It has strengthened the supply ofsocial housing in the borough withover a hundred new rented homes builtin the last year.

The development of two bedroomapartments and two, three and fourbedroom houses is the latest in thenew-build partnership programmebetween the council and Wigan andLeigh Housing.

Cllr Kevin Anderson, Cabinet memberfor Communities and the Environment,said: “Last year I was delighted towelcome a Leyther into the first newcouncil house built in our borough fora generation. I’m proud that it wasn’t aone-off, and that we have had asuccessful partnership to deliver, so far,105 new homes to such a highstandard.”

The £3.5M project has provided amuch needed boost to the housebuilding industry in Wigan Borough,creating local employment and trainingopportunities.

Residents moving into the homeswill benefit from top standards ofdesign and environmental performancesuch as high levels of insulation anddouble glazing, combined with efficientboilers and heat recovery systems thatmeans that the homes will beeconomical to run.

New homes onsite at Leigh

PANEL POWER

Gordon and Amanda Rutter andchildren (baby) Amelia andMorgan with Margaret Monaghanand ward councillors Mark Aldredand Susan Loudon.

MORE Wigan Borough councilhomes are to benefit from ‘bill-busting’ solar panel technology.

Wigan Council’s Cabinet has agreed amove that will see double the anticipatednumber of homes fitted with the ‘green’energy panels over the next year.

As part of a partnership with theborough’s council house managementcompany, Wigan and Leigh Housing(WALH), the council has upped itsinvestment in solar panels up to £3M,which will mean some 500 homes willreap the rewards.

A report to Wigan Council’s Cabinet hasrevealed that the decision could bringbenefits for council house tenants in theform of reduced energy bills, boost thelocal economy with new jobs and thescheme would not only pay for itself butactually make money in years to come.

The panels produce electricity in anenvironmentally-friendly way and it ispredicted that on average, tenants couldsee their bills being slashed by £100 ayear as a result. Any electricity that is notused by the tenant can be sold back tothe energy supplier.

The decision to increase the number ofhomes that will benefit from solar panelshas been taken to capitalise ongovernment-backed incentives, known as‘Feed-In Tariffs’ that will be available at ahigh rate until December 2011 beforebeing reduced by around 60%.

Welcoming the installation, WiganCouncil’s Cabinet member for theEnvironment, Cllr Kevin Anderson says:“This is very much a win-win propositionfrom the council’s perspective. We allneed to be moving away from fossil fuelsand making more use of low-carbontechnology. Solar panels have beenaround for four decades now so it is onlyright that we use this opportunity tomake them work for us.

“It is anticipated that the scheme willhelp generate more than £250,000 a yearfor the next 25 years and save over £100on bills for tenants. Any money that ismade will be ploughed back into moreenergy saving measures for the councilhomes.

“We are also confident that such a largescale installation project will help createnew jobs in the borough in terms of thefitting and ongoing maintenance of thepanels.”

Cllr Anderson adds: “This scheme ispart of the council’s ongoing commitmentto invest in social housing and to ensurethat the borough has some of the‘greenest’ homes possible. In the last fewyears, through our managing agentWALH, we have spent £15M from tenantsrents putting in modern gas boilers.

“We have put insulation on the high-riseblocks which has improved theirappearance. We are currently taking partin a ‘mop-up’ programme to upgrade anyhomes that so far have not been done.”

The money to fund the installation ofthe new panels and all these energyworks comes from the Housing RevenueAccount – so will come from tenants’rents with no contribution by council taxpayers.

And WALH tenant board member forAtherton and deputy chair of the board,Marjorie Marsden, says it’s a good dealfor tenants.

Marjorie says: “We had a very clearview that when our rents were increasedwhat we wanted in return was lower fuelbills. I am delighted that the council iscontinuing to listen to what we see as thetop priority. The great news with the solarPV project is 500 tenants will benefitfrom reduced bills and the housingaccount will make millions, which can bereinvested into more energy projectsbenefiting many more tenants.”

Council increases investment inrenewable energy for borough homes


COUNCIL leadershave thrown alifeline to two of the

borough’s public swimmingpools that faced anuncertain future because ofcuts.

Both Hindley andTyldesley Pools faced theprospect of possible closureas part of the ongoing needto make savings to councilbudgets.

Following extensivediscussions with pool users,residents and others earlierin the year, the council andWigan and Leisure andCulture Trust asked forexpressions of interest fromthe community and othergroups to put bids forrunning the pools.

A bid was made forTyldesley pool, but despite ahigh-profile local campaignto keep the pool open, nobids were forthcoming for Hindley Pool.

Given this, and the need for the council to cut£66M from its budgets over the next threeyears, the future for the pools were in doubtwith the prospect of them closing at the end ofthe year.

But following a recent meeting of thecouncil’s Cabinet, it has now been agreed thatboth pools will remain open for a minimum sixmonths. Hindley Pool will remain open whilst areview is undertaken and Tyldesley Pool willtransfer to a community group, with a reviewafter 12 months operation.

The plan means that the pools will operate

under reduced hours whilst council officers andothers try to find a way to secure the long-termfuture of Hindley Pool.

Leader of the Council Lord Peter Smith says:“Given the size of budget cuts we face we havevowed to protect vital front-line services. Inorder to do this, difficult decisions must betaken.

“We have listened carefully to what peoplehave said and we will continue to work withlocal groups, councillors and MPs to try to keepHindley Pool open. We now need to encouragelocal proposals for the future management ofthe pools.”


IF you’re looking for localcare and support services,check out Wigan Council’sinteractive web service:www.mylifemychoices.wigan.gov.uk

As well as providing up todate information on thedifferent choices which offersupport to people, there’snow a new area which willguide you step by stepthrough the journey togetting the help you need.

If you haven’t got acomputer, there is freeinternet access at theborough’s libraries.

IN 2012 transformation of the borough’s library servicewill see the introduction of the new “tiering” system.

Based on the supermarket approach of matchingdemand with location, Wigan and Leigh will becomeLibrary Central locations. They will offer the greatestrange of stock and activities and the longest openinghours (over 50 hours per week).

Library Local services, located at Ashton, Golborne,Hindley, Lamberhead Green, Standish and Tyldesley,will provide a strong community library offer, withopening hours of approximately 35-40 hours per week.

Convenience libraries, offering essential stock andservices will be provided by the Library Express format.This will be offered at Aspull, Atherton, Ince, MarshGreen, Platt Bridge and Shevington.

The final tier, Library Direct, will mark those servicesthat can be accessed on-line and at home. This willinclude ongoing improvements to the library service’swebsite, and the Home Delivery Service.

For library opening hours over the holidays ask atyour nearest library or visit: www.wlct.org

FINDINGS from the latestOFSTED report show thatWigan Council is servingthe borough’s childrenand young people well.

The council has onceagain achieved a grade 3in its annual OFSTEDassessment for Children’sServices. The resultmeans that these servicescontinue to perform well,exceeding many nationaltargets.

The report sent to NickHudson, Director ofPeople’s Services for thecouncil, found that:■ The vast majority of

primary schools werejudged good or better.

■ One school previouslyjudged inadequate isnow satisfactory withanother inadequateschool now receivinggood support from thecouncil.

■ There is less persistentabsence in theborough’s high schoolsthan anywhere else inthe country.

■ Early figures indicatethat 11 year olds in theborough’s schools arecontinuing to performabove the nationalaverage.The number of GCSE

pupils in the boroughachieving five or moreA*-C grades (includingEnglish and Mathematics)has improved over thelast five years and is inline with the nationalaverage.

Four of the borough’s 20children’s centres wereinspected since last year.Three were awarded‘outstanding’ and one wasawarded a ‘good’ grade. Of the borough’s sevenchildren’s homes, four are‘good’ and one is‘outstanding’. Two are‘satisfactory’.

OFSTEDbackchildren’sservices

My Life,My Choices

Libraries: the next chapter

Council and communities‘POOL’ TOGETHER



FIRST we had theHealthy Living Zone.The first part of Wigan

Town Centre’s new LifeCentre complex, with twoswimming pools, gym andfitness facilities opened overthe summer and is alreadyproving to be a big success.

In the first month ofopening; the pool saw nearly7,000 casual swim visits; 500children are on the swimminglesson programme; and 2,000people have joined theProfiles fitness facility.

And on the other side ofthe town hall, work on thesecond instalment of the LifeCentre is reaching a climax.

The new centre, which willopen in the New Year willcontain an Information andLearning Zone and aNeighbourhood Zone.

There’s a state-of-the-artnew library (more detailsalongside) and a new andinnovative approach toconnecting people withcouncil and other publicservices.

In the same vein as thelocal Life Centres, the councilsees the new complex as aone-stop shop for all publicservices. Specially trainedstaff will be on hand toprovide information, help andadvice on a whole host ofsubjects.

Wigan Council’s CabinetMember for CustomerService, Cllr Chris Ready,said: “We want people to getthe most out of publicservices in Wigan Borough.Residents have told us theywant us to make it easier andquicker for them to contactus and get the answers theyneed.

“The new Life Centre willhelp to provide this. In fact

we have set the ambitioustarget of being able to answer85 per cent of our customers’queries at the first meeting.So, whether you come to theLife Centre with a queryabout health, housing,education or waste andrecycling or anything else ourstaff will be able to help.

“They will also be able tocross-reference people toother services and support

such as information aboutbenefits.”

The centre will also becomehome to some of theborough’s voluntary sectororganisations such as Citizens’Advice and will includecommunity space for events.

On top of this there is anew open air ‘plaza’ that isalready being lined up to hostevents and entertainmentthroughout the year.

VISITORS to the new library in the Wigan LifeCentre certainly won’t be short of choice!More than 70,000 books will be housed in thebuilding when it opens on the Wiend.

For the first time, the adult library andchildren’s library will be based in the samebuilding, whilst there will also be a dedicatedlibrary for teenagers and young adults.

Those pondering whether to check out thelatest John Grisham thriller or EncyclopediaBritannia can relax on comfortable seating orstudy on the mezzanine level.

“This new library will be a light, modern, openspace where people can relax and read, studyand learn.” said Pete Gascoigne, WiganLeisure and Culture Trust’s ExecutiveDirector for Culture. “The librarywill offer full self-service and thelatest technology to make itreally easy to borrow andreturn books. There will also bean increased number of

computers, to help ensure that it’s easier thanever to access emails, research and search fornew jobs.”

A dedicated reference section will includespecialist resources on areas such as Laws ofEngland, a large collection of foreign languagedictionaries, a complete set of phone books andYellow Pages, encyclopaedias and a complete setof Landranger Ordnance Survey maps as well assignposting to other resources and services.

Regular children’s events, including storytimesfor the Under Fives, as well as events for olderchildren and teenagers, will be held. There’ll alsobe a range of special one-off activities to help

celebrate the opening.Adults will also be able to accesslearning opportunities, including

computer courses for a range ofabilities (even the most basic) andthe popular WorkClub format,helping and supporting peoplewho are currently seeking work.

For moreinformation on

the Wigan Life Centrevisit Wigan Council’s

website: www.wigan.gov.uk and search

for ‘Life Centre’.

Fully booked with 70,000 titles



WIGAN really is a green andpleasant land. In fact twothirds of the borough is

countryside and a landscape like oursis a photographer’s dream.

Which is why, when the call went outthrough Borough Life for talented localsnappers to send in their best shots of theborough’s Greenheart, we weren’tdisappointed with the response.

The Greenheart team were looking for theright shots for its prestigious 2012 calendarwhich promotes the stunning network of openspaces and countryside running through thecentre of the borough.

Chair of the Greenheart Board, JohnO’Neill, says: “We invited Borough Lifereaders, naturalists, walkers, keenphotographers, flickr group members andothers, to send in high quality photos ofnature, wildlife, birds and countryside scenesfrom areas like Wigan Flashes, Haigh Halland Pennington Flash at various seasons ofthe year.

■ Haigh Hall and Country ParkExplore and enjoy the stunningparkland, woodland and plantations.

■ Three Sisters Recreation AreaThree Sisters Recreation Area offers aboating lake and nature trails forwalkers, cyclists and horse riders. Furtherfacilities include an Information Centre,Woodland feeding station for close upviews of birds. The Three SistersRecreation Area also offers a first classmotor sports arena.

■ Pennington FlashTeeming with bird life, this is a naturereserve centred on a huge lake. Thiswatery wonderland has play areas inwhich to let off steam.

■ Borsdane WoodBorsdane Wood was Wigan’s first LocalNature Reserve. It’s the perfect place toget away from it all, to let your heartrate drop and your stride shorten.

■ Wigan FlashesThe Wigan Flashes cover 260 hectares ofland situated just a short walk from thecentre of Wigan. Much of the area isnow designated as a Local NatureReserve and contains 2 sites of SpecialScientific interest and 7 sites ofBiological Importance Grade A.

The reserve is part of a larger networkof wetland habitats including HeyBrook, Abram Flashes, Lightshaw andPennington Flash Country Park.As well as attracting birds like theelusive Bittern the Flashes are known forwaterfowl such as Grey Heron, TuftedDuck, Coot, Pochard, Goldeneye,Gadwall and Great Crested Grebe. Thereare six hide screens across the site.

■ Winter Walks in Greenheart – Aspull & Top Lock

This walk – which is not too difficult –begins on the canal towpath at KirklessHall in Aspull and takes you on a 3 milejourney of discovery along some ofWigan’s public rights of way.

The Greenheart of the Borough hasbeen shaped by Wigan’s industriallegacy and remains of this are presentalong the route in the form of a collieryspoil heap known locally as ‘The Wutchy’.

Pick up a detailed walk leaflet fromAspull Library or the Kirkless Hall Pub.

Car parking is available at Kirkless Hallon Albion Drive off Cale Lane and the

614 bus from Wigan stops right outsidethe pub.

■ Walks in Greenheart –Haigh Windmill

The refurbished Haigh Windmill is theonly windmill in Greater Manchesterand was constructed around 1840 topump water from nearby ponds up tothe site of the former Haigh Brewery.

A new scenic health walk starts atHaigh Hall and covers just over threemiles, taking in some of the mostinteresting heritage features around theHaigh Estate along with some of Wiganand Greenheart’s finest countryside.

From Haigh Hall the walk headstowards Haigh Village passing thewindmill and new mosaic outside StDavid’s Primary School whichcommemorates the restoration works.From here the route heads back towardsHaigh Plantations via a bridleway thenonwards to the Leeds Liverpool Canaltowpath, crossing the listed canal basinbridge.

The route turns northward andcrosses the canal at Sennicar Lanewinding through the golf course beforereturning back to Haigh Hall, whererefreshments can be taken at the Stablesor time spent exploring the grounds.

Pick up a detailed leaflet from AspullLibrary or Haigh Stables InformationCentre.

■ Greenheart Walks –Borsdane Wood

Borsdane Wood Local Nature Reservelies to the north of Hindley in an area ofSemi Natural Ancient Woodland and aSite of Biological Importance.

The wood consists of mixed broadleaftrees such as oak, ash, and birch and isbelieved to have had woodland coversince around 1600AD.

The woodland has been relativelyunchanged for hundreds of years and ishome to a wide variety of wildlifeincluding deer and Great SpottedWoodpeckers.

This circular 2.2 mile walk starts at theend of Mill Lane, crosses Borsdane Brookand takes you uphill towards BorsdaneFarm before re crossing Borsdane Brook(shortly after Borsdane Wood Bungalow)to follow the public footpath that runsthrough the middle of the wood.

The route forks right leaving thewood on its western edge, following afootpath across a field to meet HallLane. Continue left along Hall Lane for100m turning left at the signpostedpublic footpath. The footpath descendsback into the wood down a series ofsteps to rejoin the main path at a metalstile. Turning right here leads back tothe start point on Mill Lane.

Pick up a leaflet from Hindley Library.You can download the full series ofGreenheart walk leaflets fromwww.visitgreenheart.com

Calendar competition sGreenheart stretches from Leigh up to Haigh Hall andincludes plenty of beautiful parks, woodlands, wetlands,canals and green spaces to explore. Visions

If you entered this year's competition, thank youvery much. Greenheart will be running thecompetition again next year and would like toencourage as many people to enter. Look out fordetails in future editions of Borough Life.

If you entered this year's competition, thank youvery much. Greenheart will be running thecompetition again next year and would like toencourage as many people to enter. Look out fordetails in future editions of Borough Life.

Borough Life 8-9 2/12/11 14:43 Page 1

“The standard ofphotography was very high andthe best images have now beenshortlisted to appear in thecalendar to encourage morepeople to visit Wigan’s uniquecountryside.”

The overall winner of the competitionwas Paul Myers Bennett’s shot SunsetSplash. The picture graces the front coverof the calendar and this edition ofBorough Life.

Paul was on hand recently to pick uphis award from JohnO’Neill andWigan

Council CabinetMembers KevinAnderson andDavid Molyneux.

He said about hisprize-winning photo:

“This photographwas taken on an unseasonably warmSaturday evening following the FA CupSemi Final between Manchester Unitedand Manchester City. Given that resultwasn't the one we were hoping for in ourhouse we decided to head down toPennington Flash for some ice cream and abit of a wander.

“I was doing the old ‘let Dad show youhow to skim stones’ routine which soonturned into 'who can make the biggestsplash'!

“With the sun setting just at theperfect angle at the opposite end of thewater and giving off the most amazingorange glow to the surroundings Icouldn't resist taking the photographwithout Alexandra and Lukeknowing.

“My youngest daughter,Isabella had seen me get the

camera out and ran offinstead! I take lots of

photographs andPennington Flash as partof Greenheart is myfavourite place to dothis.’’

On this page is aselection of shots fromthe 2012 GreenheartCalendar and the fulllist of winning entries: ● January: BrianHibbert, Haigh Hall

● February: Kieran Dandy, PenningtonFlash● March: Alison Brown, ‘Nuthatch’, WiganFlashes (Third place)● April: Paul Myers Bennett, ‘SunsetSplash’, Pennington Flash (First/Overall)● May: Alison Brown, ‘An awfully bigadventure’, Haigh Hall Plantations● June: Stuart Evans, ‘Hare Stopping’,Wigan Flashes● July: Paul Myers Bennett, ‘FlashFences’, Pennington Flash

● Aug: Adele Rowlandson, ‘Femalecommon blue damselfly’,

Pennington Flash● Sept: Vic Greenwood,

‘Hello hello what’s thisthen’, Three Sisters

● October: DanielFairclough,Borsdane Woods● November:Stuart Evans,‘Kestrel’, WiganFlashes (Second

place)● December: Vic

Greenwood, ‘Robin’,Three Sisters.

The GreenheartCalendar is sponsored by

Moss Bank Nurseries, Go Outdoors,and Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust. Itwould make a fantastic Christmas

Present and is available from: WiganTown Hall, Civic Centre,Wigan Life

Centre, Leigh Life Centre (Leigh TownHall), Museum of Wigan Life, and Haigh

Information Centre. Price £3. Pleasecheck the Greenheart website:

www.visitgreenheart.comfor how to enter next year’s

competition.


n shows Wigan Borough countryside at its best

Winner PaulMyers Bennett.

Greenheart calendarcompetition winner

‘Sunset Splash’.

s of our Greenheart


WE’VE had a couple ofmemorable winters across theUK in recent years and

whatever the conditions, the public lookto council officers to keep the localinfrastructure going.

Last year, we worked to clear towncentres of snow and the team has beenpraised nationally for managing theborough’s stock of rock salt so the mainroad network could be kept grittedthroughout the extended cold period.

Even if we don’t get the thick snowagain this year, council officers areprepared.

The gritters were first out during acold snap in early November. But thereis plenty for individuals to do to helpthemselves

If you will be out and about in the car,prepare for the journey with a full tankof petrol and fully charged mobile. Takea bit of time now to check your oil, waterand tyres.

Inform people when you expect toarrive at your destination and have inthe car a torch, shovel and perhaps a hotdrink in a flask.

Why not have some spare warmclothes in the car and invest in somejump leads too?

Should the weather deterioratefurther, remember that fog or fallingsnow cuts visibility: use dippedheadlights.

If visibility is below 100 metres (328feet), use fog lights front and back anddrive at a speed that’ll allow you to stop

within the distance you can see clearly.Last year, as well as online updates on

wigan.gov.uk, residents using socialnetworking were kept up to date aboutschool closures and other snow-relatedconcerns on the council’s Twitter andFacebook sites.

If the gritters are out, we’ll Tweet thelatest!

And in the home, there are plenty ofeconomic ways to prepare for the coldseason:● If you can’t heat all your rooms makesure you keep your living room warmthroughout the day and heat yourbedroom before going tobed.● Wear several layersof clothes rather thanone thick layer, andchoose wool, cottonor fleecy materials ● When theweather is verycold, set the heatingto come on earlier so

you won’t be cold waiting for your hometo heat up.● In the coldest weather wear bed socksand a hat, as well as thermal nightwear.● Identify a friend, relative orneighbour who you could ask to pick upshopping or medication for you ifgetting out in ice and snow is a worry.

Wigan Council is working with theEnergy Saving Trust to promote homeinsulation. A well-insulated home willhelp keep the temperatures high and theenergy bills low.

Many could benefit from the ‘Get MeToasty’ scheme, which is currentlyoffering loft and cavity wall insulation.

Householders could benefit fromcavity wall and loft insulation worth£350 for just £85 on averaged sizedproperties in the borough.

There is also help available for peopleaged 60 and over with winter heating bills.

People aged 60 to 79 who are entitledto receive a Winter Fuel payment willget an allowance of either £125 or £250.

Residents aged 80 or over are entitledto an allowance of either £200 or £400.

Wigan Council’s Deputy LeaderCllr David Molyneux said:

“Wigan Council is ready forwinter and is offering help toensure borough residentsare ready too. Residentseligible for the ‘Get MeToasty’ and ‘Winter Fuelallowance’ schemes cansave money on their bills

and enjoy a warmer winter.”

Advice on the best ways to prepare for a cold snap

For furtherinformation on the WinterFuel Payment, please call

08459 151515 or visitwww.wigan.gov.uk and

search ‘keep warm’. To findout more about the ‘GetMe Toasty’ scheme visitwww.getmetoasty.com

Winter Warmers


NO BUSINESSLIKE 'SNOW'

BUSINESS: WiganCouncil workers

running hot duringa cold spell.

NO BUSINESSLIKE 'SNOW'

BUSINESS: WiganCouncil workers

running hot duringa cold spell.

Advice on the best ways to prepare for a cold snap



AFEMALE wrestler from a smallisland in the Pacific Ocean ishoping a form of wrestling

practiced by the coal miners ofLancashire will help unlock her Olympicdream.

Maria Dunn, 25, arrived in Wigan inSeptember from the island of Guamintent on “honing her skills and gettingin shape for her qualifiers in early 2012”.

What she hadn’t expected was to betrained in Freestyle Wrestling by a coachwith direct roots to the forerunner of herOlympic discipline – Catch-as-Catch-CanWrestling.

Maria said: “I wasn’t looking for it, Ididn’t know what I was looking for. Icame here looking to train and qualify

and get into the best shape of my life.“It’s just by pure chance that I have

found the best wrestling coach who hasa whole different world of information.

“There are moves I have never everseen before – I’m learning all the time.”

Wigan Leisure and Culture Trustinvited Maria to stay in Wigan for herpre-Olympic training, opening up theborough’s public gyms for her use andteaming her up with world renownedcoach Roy Wood from Aspull OlympicWrestling Club, the club also knownaround the world as The Snake Pit.

Roy, now 68, trained under legendarywrestler Billy Riley who mastered theart of “Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling” or“submission wrestling”.

Lancashire Catch-as-Catch-CanWrestling first came to prominence asan amateur sport practiced by coalminers, gaining popularity in the late19th century.

Freestyle Wrestling which Maria hopesto win a medal at in London 2012 is adescendent of “Catch-as-Catch-Can” andMaria is hoping an insight from thoseearly days could be a major factor in herOlympic ambitions.

Maria said: “Roy is coaching meFreestyle Wrestling but because hisunderstanding of the sport is muchdeeper I am learning all the time.

“There are little bits here and therethat I have never seen before, thatnobody would ever expect, and usually a

move that is something out ofthe ordinary allows you towin.”

Roy added: “We aredelighted to have Maria

training with us.“She is a pleasure

to coach and isrefreshing in heropen-minded attitudetowards Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling

thus improving herfreestyle performance.

“I look forward towatching Maria’s progressand feel that she willultimately have theadvantage.”

GUAM is part of the Mariana Islands thatextend 1,565 miles from Guam to nearbyJapan.

Guam is 7,000 miles from Wigan.Maria started wrestling when she was

11-years-old in PE class. She watched fortwo weeks because she was too young tojoin in, pretending to her mum that she wasactually at football class. The coach soongave in and Maria started her training.

As the only female wrestler at high schoolshe had to wrestle with the “guys” to practice.

She went on to study atMissouri Valley College, Americaand admits that “wrestling boysin Guam certainly helped to putme on the same level”.

Following college she went onto become an Art Major afterstudying at the University ofGuam.

Maria competed in the Beijing Olympicsin 2008. She is the first female wrestlingOlympian her country has produced.

From Guam to Wigan... Maria’s journey

Traditional grapple skills boostOLYMPIAN’S DREAM

Anyone wishingto find out more about

Roy Wood, catch wrestlingor The Snake Pit should visitwww.snakepitwigan.comFor more information on

Wigan Leisure and CultureTrust visit www.wlct.org



CHRISTMAS is a time of year whenour normal routine goes out of thewindow and we give in to temptation.

It could be eating generous portionsof our favourite foods, having one toomany mince pies or spending hourssitting in front of the TV.

However, by making some simplechanges you can keep active and havea great Christmas.

Wigan Council’s Cabinet Member forLeisure and Culture, Cllr Chris Readysays: “Christmas is a time to relax andenjoy some family time, look back onthe year that’s been and think aboutthe year ahead.

“When the New Year comes many ofus will be making resolutions to getfit. Well, why not start now? Just alittle bit more effort and activity eachday can make a real difference. It willalso make it easier for you to get intothe swing of your New Year’sresolutions.

“If you’re in the mood, give thefollowing tips, hints, recipes and our

great exercise routine a go. Who knowswhere it might lead but whatever youdo, have a great Christmas!”

Ten Top Tips:● Hit the shops: walking around theshops is a great workout – even betteronce you start buying and carrying thebags of presents around with you!● Leave the car at home: walk and usepublic transport to get to the shops,avoiding all the traffic jams and givingyou an invigorating walk to start yourday.● Stick to your routine: Leisurecentres are still open over theChristmas period and are quieter thanusual. If you are new to the gym, thisis the perfect time to start – speak toyour instructor about discounted ratesfor Lose Weight Feel Great members.● Christmas party: dance the nightaway! Make up for all the indulgentfood (and drink!) and strut your stuffon the dance floor.● Have some fun: play games withyour family which get you up and

about (like charades) rather thanstaying glued to the TV watching theusual repeats.● Get virtually fit: if anyone in yourfamily has a Wii (or gets one forChristmas) challenge your friends andfamily with a games night.● Cook Christmas dinner: walkingaround the kitchen, preparing thevegetables, lifting the turkey in andout of the oven, stirring the gravy – it’sall good exercise and with deliciousresults!● Stretch your legs: go for apostdinner walk with your friends andfamily and walk off some of thatChristmas pud!● Search for a bargain: hit the sales,but you’ll need to walk fast to stayahead of the crowds!● Build a snowman: if it’s a whiteChristmas, build a snowman with thekids (or grand kids) and have asnowball fight!

To sign up to Lose Weight Feel Greatcall 01942 496496.

Healthy Christmas

1) Stand up straight with feet hip widthapart. Elbows should be tucked in andarms extended down. Keep yourshoulders back and your stomach pulledin towards your spine.2) Place your left leg forwards. Keep your

knees soft. Keep your arms extendeddown and your elbows tucked in.3) Lunge forward so that your right kneeis nearly touching the floor. Curl yourarms to your shoulders – keeping yourelbows tucked in. Keep your back straight

and hold for a second.4) Straighten both legs then uncurl.5) Return to the starting position withfeet hip width apart.Beginners: 15 lunges on left leg, 15 onright. Then repeat.

THE answer for anyone trying to exerciseaway the Christmas excess is a hasty tripto the nearest Profiles Health and FitnessCentre where you can sign up for a varietyof memberships and access any of the 145exercise classes run each month. Visit:www.wlct.org/beyourself for more

information.But to help you on your way to a new

you in the New Year here’s a quick exercisethat works the lower and upper body andshould help fight the festive flab.

Lunge with bicep curl Use 1 or 2 kg weights for this routine. if

you haven’t any in the house dig out twotins from Wigan’s finest bean makerinstead!

Please consult your GP beforeembarking on any physical exerciseprogramme Areas trained: Great for lowerand upper body especially the waistline.

TRYA LUNGETake theplunge...

1 2 3 4 5



School drama highlights the dangers of carrying knives.

““HHooww hhaadd tthhiiss hhaappppeenneedd?? IInn oonnee nniigghhtt,, II hhaadd ggoonnee ffrroomm ggooiinnggoouutt ttoo tthhee ppaarrkk wwiitthh ssoommee mmaatteess aanndd nnooww II wwaass hhoollddiinngg aabbllooooddyy kknniiffee.. IItt wwaassnn’’tt mmee.. IItt ccoouullddnn’’tt hhaavvee bbeeeenn mmee…… CCoouulldd iitt??””

THE character’s anguishresonated around theschool sports hall as two

hundred young peoplewatched the performance inenthralled silence. The starkmessage behind the playwasn’t lost on them: carryinga knife wrecks lives.

The performance at RoseBridge High School in Incewas one of several repeatedin high schools across theborough earlier this autumn.Altogether the play reachedan audience of nearly twothousand year 8s and itscentral theme didn’t pull anypunches.

Graham Doubleday ofWigan Council’s YouthOffending Team helpeddevelop the storyline. Heexplains: “The play is basedaround an everyday scenariofamiliar to many youngpeople. Three mates – Tom,Michelle and Dillinger –hanging around the parkafter school. The innocentbravado. The shared banter.The silly rites of passage. Thebottle of cider. In fact,unremarkable in many ways –until things get out ofcontrol.”

Events unfold when Tom,the most level-headed of thegroup, discovers his friendDillinger is carrying a knifefor protection after beingchallenged to a fight onFacebook by a rival who,rumour has it, is ‘tooled up’…

TToomm:: What you got thatfor?DDiilllliinnggeerr:: Protection! MMiicchheellllee:: Yeah, if Darrensees you with that that’llreally help matters. DDiilllliinnggeerr:: But what if hedoes have a knife? TToomm:: Look mate, this isstupid. You’ll get done bythe police just carryingone of them. And I’ll getdone too just ‘cause I’mwith you. [Grabs the knifeoff him] Just give it heremate. If he finds that onyou, he’ll use his, won’the! Just leg it... quick. Gohome! DDiilllliinnggeerr:: Alright, I’ll go.But give it back. TToomm:: No D. I’ll give it backtomorrow. I’ll just put itin my pocket and no-onewill know any different.

Sadly, Tom’s decision tohelp his mate has tragicconsequences. During achance encounter withDarren, tempers flare. And inthe heat of the moment,fuelled by alcohol and fear,Tom reaches for the knife…

TToomm:: It was an accident. Adreadful accident. I wasdrunk. I was scared. I wasdefending Michelle. I was...out of control. I don’tremember getting theknife out of my pocket. Ijust remember beingscared. I thought he had aknife. But he didn’t…

Tragically, it’s Michelle, thefriend Tom desperately triesto protect, who ends upstabbed and scarred for life.

Graham continues: “In thefinal scene, Tom breaks downas he reveals the far-reachingimpact that single momenthas had on his life – and onthe lives of Michelle andDillinger, too.

“And the irony is thatDarren wasn’t even carrying aknife, a fact which powerfullyunderlines the sheerpointlessness of it all.

“The play was written andperformed in a way that ayoung audience would relateto, and from the reaction ofthe audience, the keymessages clearly hit home,”says Lee Fazackerley, DeputyHead Teacher from RoseBridge High School in Ince.

“Hopefully, the shockending and the emotionalimpact of those finalmoments will make youngpeople think twice beforecarrying a knife.”

The theatrical tour wasfunded by a Home Officegrant from the Tackling KnivesAction Programme (TKAP),which was launched in 2008 inresponse to a number of highprofile knife-related murdersand serious stabbings amongyoung people.

“We want to encourageyoung people to

consider the

consequences of theiractions,” adds SiobhanHeaton, who is responsible forcommissioning drugs andalcohol services for youngpeople on behalf of thecouncil and Ashton, Wiganand Leigh Primary Care Trust.

“Tom’s character is not atrouble-maker, in fact he’sreally quite mature andknows right from wrong. Butin the spur of the moment,affected by alcohol, he makesan ultimately tragic decision.It’s this message we’re keento get across to the audience.”

Cllr Susan Loudon, WiganCouncil’s cabinet champion foryoung people, adds: “Alcoholplays a critical part in thistragedy. It lowers inhibitions,impairs judgement and fuelsaggressive behaviour.

“Not only does it leadpeople to act out of character,it also leaves them vulnerableto danger.

“Parents should ensureover the festive period thatthey do all they can tominimise the risks theirchildren are exposed tothrough alcohol misuse.

“Thankfully we do not havebig problems with knifecrime and young people inour borough probably thanks

in no small partto initiativessuch as this.We want it tostay that

way.”

On a Knife Edge

For furtherconfidential advice

and support contactWigan Council’s Young

People’s Drug andAlcohol Team on01942 777720

On a Knife Edge



WIGAN Council isencouraging boroughbusinesses to sign up tothe EnvironmentalBusiness Pledge whichcould help cut costs andboost performance.

The Pledge is a freeadvice and award schemeto support businesses inbecoming greener.Not only will thosebusinesses who sign up tothe pledge help theenvironment but beingpart of the scheme willalso give a boost to theirprofile.

The council will rewardbusinesses that rise to thechallenge with bronze,sliver and gold awardsrecognising theircommitment toenvironmentalimprovement. Businesseswill be free to display theawards on their websitesand literature.

The benefits arenumerous and memberswill be entitled to freeadvice and support on: ■ Reducing energy usage■ Making savings on

energy bills■ Monitoring and reducing

your carbon footprint■ Minimising water usage■ Recycling■ Waste management and

producing less waste■ Advice on environmental

legislation to take awaythe worry about fines

■ Free environmentalresource efficiency auditsWigan Council’s Deputy

Leader and regenerationchampion Cllr DavidMolyneux said: “Withmany of the world’sleading organisations nowadopting green practices,signing up to theEnvironmental Businesspledge could be the bestbusiness decision acompany ever makes.“

To sign up or find outmore please contactMatthew Stockwell byemail [email protected] or by telephone:01942 489 177.

Businessessign up togreen plan

FLYING THE THE FLAG. Cabinet lead for communities CllrKevin Anderson, deputy leader Cllr David Molyneux and

Martin Eden, executive director at the Leisure and CultureTrust put Jenny and the borough under starters orders.

TO have a part of theOlympics come to myown borough is a dream

come true! So says Europeanand World Medallist andcurrent British Indoor 800mrecord holder JennyMeadows.

The Olympic Flame,kindled by the rays ofthe sun at theTemple of Hera inGreece, is comingto the boroughas part of the 70day UK TorchRelay. Andeveryone isinvited to getinvolved.

“The Olympic Games reallyis the biggest event in theworld and for the symbol ofthe games to be coming toWigan truly is remarkable,”said Jenny.

The London organisingcommittee pledged that theFlame would pass within 10miles of 95 per cent ofpeople in the UK – and itcomes to our borough fromWarrington into Lowton,Abram, Wigan and Hindleyon its way to Bolton on 31May 2012.

“We’re proud that WiganBorough has been selectedto be part of this historicevent,” said deputy

council leader Cllr DavidMolyneux. “It is a tremendousprivilege for us. I’m sure thatlocal people will want to showtheir support as we putourselves firmly on the mapwith the world watching.”

The council will be workingwith schools and communitygroups to make sure they get

the most from the once-in-a-lifetime event.

There’s to be a specialemphasis on youthand Jenny Meadowshas been quick offthe mark: “I’ve been

doing alot of

work in the borough’s schoolslately,” she said, “and it’sclear that the spirit of theGames has captured theimagination of the children.I’m sure lots of them will turnout to see the Torch passthrough our borough.”

For the last three years theborough’s CulturalPartnership has been leadinga programme of Olympicthemed events focusedaround sport, arts and culture.They’ve providedopportunities for many localyoung people to be inspiredby London 2012.

Events so far haveincluded coaching

sessions tonationally

recognisedstandards,volunteerprogrammes,fun runsandvolleyball.

Contactolympics@

wigan.gov.uk ifyou want to get

involved.


COUNCIL Office will be closed onChristmas Day, Boxing Day and thefollowing week. Offices will re-open onTuesday January 3.

REGISTER OFFICESThe offices in Wigan Town Hall will beopen for business as normal (9am till4.30pm) on Wednesday 28, Thursday 29and Friday 30 December.

The offices in Leigh Town Hall willopen on Wednesday 28 and Friday 30December for the usual hours but will beclosed, as usual, on Thursday.

All offices will re-open again onTuesday January 3.

CEMETERIESAll cemeteries will be open (for visitorsonly) as Normal from 9am to 4.30pmevery day during the Christmas and NewYear period. No burials will take place onChristmas Day, Boxing Day, Tuesday 27thDecember, New Year’s Day, 2nd Januaryand before noon on the 28th Decemberand 3rd January 2012.

ADULT SOCIAL CARE SERVICESIf you need help over the holiday periodplease contact: Central Duty Team:01942 828777.

The team will be available as follows:■ 23 December – open from 8.45am to 5pm.■ 24, 25, 26, 27 December – closed.■ 28, 29, 30 December – open from

8.45am to 5pm.■ 31 December – closed.■ 1, 2 January – closed.■ 3 January – open as normal from

8.45am to 8pm.In an emergency outside of the hours

above (and when the office is closed),phone 0161 834 2436.

Community Meals Service: will continueas normal over the holiday, includingChristmas Day, Boxing Day and NewYear’s Day.

Home Care Service: service as normalthroughout the holiday period. Forenquiries, contact your individual serviceprovider.

Day Centres: Day services are open onthe following days over the holidayperiod, and open as normal on otherdays:■ 25 December – Etherstone, Sunshine House■ 26 December – Etherstone, Sunshine House■ 27 December – Etherstone, Sunshine House

■ 28 December – Amberswood,Etherstone, Sunshine House



■ 31 December – Etherstone, SunshineHouse

■ 1 January – Etherstone, Sunshine House■ 2 January – Etherstone, Sunshine House

BIN COLLECTIONSThere are changes to the days ofcollections over the Christmas period.Please refer to your collection calendarfor more information.

GREEN WASTE RECYCLING The last green bin recycling collection of2010 was on Friday 25 November andcollections will re-start during the twoweeks from Monday 13 February.

CHRISTMAS TREE COLLECTIONSUnfortunately, there will be no ChristmasTree collections this year.

Please put your Christmas tree in yourgreen bin for the first collection inFebruary or take to one of the borough’sHousehold Waste Recycling Centres.

HOUSEHOLD WASTE RECYCLINGCENTRES (HWRCS)All HWRCs will be closed on ChristmasDay, Boxing Day and New Years Day.Normal opening times will be in place onall other days.

Kirkless will open from 9am on 2 January,closing at 6pm. Orrell will open at 10am on2 January and close at 4pm. Orrell will beclosed permanently as of 31 January.

The council’s telephone helpline will run alimited service over the Christmas and NewYear period. See below for the number.

BAD WEATHERFurther information about Christmasarrangements and recycling, including anychanges due to bad weather will beavailable on the websitewww.wigan.gov.uk or by calling ourtelephone helpline 01942 404364.


ChristmasPUBLIC SERVICE GUIDECouncil services

over festive period

Medicines■ Make sure you have asupply of your regular

medicines to last youthrough the holidayperiod. If in doubt,contact your doctor.

■ Have a supply ofremedies in your housefor common conditionslike coughs and colds.


16 BOROUGH LIFE Winter 2011 BOROUGH LIFE Winter 2011 17

Your Local Hospitals – Ready for Winter

All Trust clinics will be open 8.30am to 5pm,but will be closed on Christmas Day, BoxingDay, New Years Day and the Christmas BankHolidays (27 December 2011 and 2 January 2012). Outpatient Opening TimesAll outpatient departments will be closed onChristmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day,New Years Eve and New Years day and theChristmas Bank Holidays (27 December 2011and 2 January 2012). Thomas Linacre Centre, WiganOpen Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday7.30am to 5.00pm and Monday andThursday 7.30am to 8.30pm.

Leigh InfirmaryOpen Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm.Wrightington HospitalOpen Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6.30pm. Hospital visiting timesIt is advisable to check hospital visiting timeswith the individual wards concerned via themain switchboard number 01942 244000. Accident and Emergency DepartmentOpen 24 hrs per day 365 days per year.Remember A&E and 999 are for lifethreatening and emergency conditions only.Further information can be found on theTrust’s web site at: www.wwl.nhs.uk

Hospital Clinic Opening TimesMajor Investments for the futureA total of £80 million is beinginvested in service and site projectsover the next 10 years.

Schemes currently underwayinclude improved car parking, apurpose built education centre atWigan, neuro-rehabilitationrelocation on the Leigh SiteRefurbishment of Hanover Block atLeigh Infirmary, expansion toelectrical infrastructure atWrightington Hospital. Majorbuilding works are scheduled tocommence in 2014

From January, patients and visitorswill now find it much easier to parkon the Royal Albert Edward Infirmarywhen improvements to car parking

on site come into effect. This will vastly improve patient

flow around the site and significantlyincrease car parking to for patientsand visitors with 359 spaces available.

This will allow us to put patientsand visitors first by reallocatingFreckleton Street car park for patientand visitor use. This will significantlyincrease patient and visitor spaces by159 spaces which is an 80 per centincrease.

The number of Blue Badge Holderparking spaces is being increased onsite to 58, which represents a 26 percent increase demonstrating acommitment to improvements fordisabled patients and visitors.

EVERY winter there is the usual seasonalincrease in the number of patients thatattend Accident and Emergency (A&E)Departments right across the UK.

A combination of weather conditions andwinter bugs mean that more people need ourservices. As ever Wrightington, Wigan andLeigh NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) ispreparing itself for this busy time.

WWL, which manages your local hospitals,including Royal Albert Edward and LeighInfirmaries, Wrightington Hospital and theThomas Linacre Outpatient Centre, is workinghard to ensure that all our key services andfacilities are maintained no matter whatwinter may have in store.

The A&E Department at the Royal AlbertEdward Infirmary is open 24 hours a day,seven days a week, every day of the year.

Staffing levels during the festive period are

arranged to make sure the NHS can cope withexpected patient demand and with flexibilityto expand if required.

However, the public are being urged tothink carefully before they come to A&E.Research has shown that one in four peoplewho go to A&E could have been treatedelsewhere in the community or self-treated.

The implications of this are enormous interms of patient care and cost to the NHS.Last year A&E services across the North Westcost £317 million; the equivalent of over£900,000 a day.

The number of people going to A&E hasgone up by five per cent in the past year andis continuing to rise, putting a real strain onNHS teams.

Remember A&E and 999 services are forlife threatening and emergency conditionsonly.

Public urged to do their bitto ease the pressure

Busy A&E departments areput under additional pressureduring the winter months.

PHARMACY OPENING TIMESCHRISTMAS DAY – SUNDAY 25TH DECEMBER

Manor Pharmacy90-92 Manchester Road, Leigh, WN7 2LD

Tel: 01942 67429310.00am – 1.00pm

1.00pm – 4.00pm

4.00pm – 7.00pm

7.00pm – 10.00pm

4.00pm – 7.00pm

7.00pm – 10.00pm

10.00am – 1.00pm

1.00pm – 4.00pm

4.00pm – 7.00pm

7.00pm – 10.00pm

4.00pm – 7.00pm

7.00pm – 10.00pm

Manor Pharmacy4 Gathurst Lane, Shevington,Wigan, WN6 8HA

Tel: 01257 254142

Davina Pharmacy Ltd T/A Lee Pharamacy155 Elliott Street, Tyldesley, M29 8FL

Tel: 01942 883029

Lambs PharmacyLower Ince Health Centre, Phoenix Way, Lower Ince,

WN3 4NW • Tel: 01942 825961

Boots the Chemist254 Wigan Road, Bryn, WN4 0AR

Tel: 01942 727176


Tel: 01942 674283

J G Palin6 High Street, Standish, WN6 0HL

Tel: 01257 422574

Abram Pharmacy358 Warrington Road, Abram, WN2 5XA

Tel: 01942 866681

Manor PharmacyWorsley Mesnes Health Centre, Poolstock Lane,

Wigan, WN3 5HL • Tel: 01942 492703


Tel: 01942 883029

W A Salters Chemists760 Atherton Road, Hindley Green, WN2 4SB

Tel: 01942 255700

Manor PharmacyWigan Health Centre, Frog Lane, Wigan, WN6 7LB

Tel: 01942 244566

There may be other pharmacies open in addition to these,please check locally for details of opening times.

ChristmasPUBLIC SERVICE GUIDE

BANK HOLIDAY – MONDAY 2ND JANUARY

NEW YEARS DAY – SUNDAY 1ST JANUARY

BOXING DAY – MONDAY 26TH DECEMBER

Leigh NHS Walk-in CentreThe centre offers fast and convenient access tohealthcare advice, information and treatment. Noappointment is necessary and the centre is open from7am – 9pm seven days a week, including during theholiday period.

An experienced NHS nurse is available to providetreatment for minor injuries and illnesses, issueemergency contraception and give advice andinformation on local pharmacy services as well as outof hours GP and dental services.

Leigh NHS Walk-In Centre is situated at LeighHealth Centre, The Avenue, Leigh, WN7 1HR and canbe contacted on 01942 483 453.

Call NHSDirectanytimeYou can contact NHSDirect on 0845 46 47for confidential healthinformation andadvice 24 hours a day,seven days a week.

NHS Direct can help if you are feeling unwell andare unsure what to do, if you need information aboutan existing health condition, want details of localhealth services or need details of self-help or supportorganisations.

You can also visit NHS Direct online atwww.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

GP practices will be open during normal hours andclosed for bank holidays, Monday 26 December,Tuesday 27 December and Monday 2 January.

Out of hours GPand Dental services● GP Out of Hours Service: 01942 829911 ● Dental Out of Hours Service: 01942 614376

If you are NOT registered with an NHS dentist butrequire emergency treatment please call the In-HoursEmergency Dental Service on 01942 614390. Theservice is available weekdays between 9am and 5pm.

If you are registered check with your dentist.

District NursingDistrict Nurses will be available throughout theChristmas and New Year period, including bankholidays for essential services. Contact your local clinicor health centre for more information. Contactdetails can be found at www.alwch.nhs.uk

Community HealthCentres and ClinicsWith the exception of bank holidays, health centresand clinics in the borough will be open as usualduring the festive period. You can find contacttelephone numbers for your local health centre orclinic at www.alwch.nhs.uk


16 BOROUGH LIFE Winter 2011 BOROUGH LIFE Winter 2011 17

Your Local Hospitals – Ready for Winter

All Trust clinics will be open 8.30am to 5pm,but will be closed on Christmas Day, BoxingDay, New Years Day and the Christmas BankHolidays (27 December 2011 and 2 January 2012). Outpatient Opening TimesAll outpatient departments will be closed onChristmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day,New Years Eve and New Years day and theChristmas Bank Holidays (27 December 2011and 2 January 2012). Thomas Linacre Centre, WiganOpen Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday7.30am to 5.00pm and Monday andThursday 7.30am to 8.30pm.

Leigh InfirmaryOpen Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm.Wrightington HospitalOpen Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6.30pm. Hospital visiting timesIt is advisable to check hospital visiting timeswith the individual wards concerned via themain switchboard number 01942 244000. Accident and Emergency DepartmentOpen 24 hrs per day 365 days per year.Remember A&E and 999 are for lifethreatening and emergency conditions only.Further information can be found on theTrust’s web site at: www.wwl.nhs.uk

Hospital Clinic Opening TimesMajor Investments for the futureA total of £80 million is beinginvested in service and site projectsover the next 10 years.

Schemes currently underwayinclude improved car parking, apurpose built education centre atWigan, neuro-rehabilitationrelocation on the Leigh SiteRefurbishment of Hanover Block atLeigh Infirmary, expansion toelectrical infrastructure atWrightington Hospital. Majorbuilding works are scheduled tocommence in 2014

From January, patients and visitorswill now find it much easier to parkon the Royal Albert Edward Infirmarywhen improvements to car parking

on site come into effect. This will vastly improve patient

flow around the site and significantlyincrease car parking to for patientsand visitors with 359 spaces available.

This will allow us to put patientsand visitors first by reallocatingFreckleton Street car park for patientand visitor use. This will significantlyincrease patient and visitor spaces by159 spaces which is an 80 per centincrease.

The number of Blue Badge Holderparking spaces is being increased onsite to 58, which represents a 26 percent increase demonstrating acommitment to improvements fordisabled patients and visitors.

EVERY winter there is the usual seasonalincrease in the number of patients thatattend Accident and Emergency (A&E)Departments right across the UK.

A combination of weather conditions andwinter bugs mean that more people need ourservices. As ever Wrightington, Wigan andLeigh NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) ispreparing itself for this busy time.

WWL, which manages your local hospitals,including Royal Albert Edward and LeighInfirmaries, Wrightington Hospital and theThomas Linacre Outpatient Centre, is workinghard to ensure that all our key services andfacilities are maintained no matter whatwinter may have in store.

The A&E Department at the Royal AlbertEdward Infirmary is open 24 hours a day,seven days a week, every day of the year.

Staffing levels during the festive period are

arranged to make sure the NHS can cope withexpected patient demand and with flexibilityto expand if required.

However, the public are being urged tothink carefully before they come to A&E.Research has shown that one in four peoplewho go to A&E could have been treatedelsewhere in the community or self-treated.

The implications of this are enormous interms of patient care and cost to the NHS.Last year A&E services across the North Westcost £317 million; the equivalent of over£900,000 a day.

The number of people going to A&E hasgone up by five per cent in the past year andis continuing to rise, putting a real strain onNHS teams.

Remember A&E and 999 services are forlife threatening and emergency conditionsonly.

Public urged to do their bitto ease the pressure

Busy A&E departments areput under additional pressureduring the winter months.

PHARMACY OPENING TIMESCHRISTMAS DAY – SUNDAY 25TH DECEMBER


Tel: 01942 67429310.00am – 1.00pm

1.00pm – 4.00pm

4.00pm – 7.00pm

7.00pm – 10.00pm

4.00pm – 7.00pm

7.00pm – 10.00pm

10.00am – 1.00pm

1.00pm – 4.00pm

4.00pm – 7.00pm

7.00pm – 10.00pm

4.00pm – 7.00pm

7.00pm – 10.00pm

Manor Pharmacy4 Gathurst Lane, Shevington,Wigan, WN6 8HA

Tel: 01257 254142


Tel: 01942 883029

Lambs PharmacyLower Ince Health Centre, Phoenix Way, Lower Ince,

WN3 4NW • Tel: 01942 825961

Boots the Chemist254 Wigan Road, Bryn, WN4 0AR

Tel: 01942 727176


Tel: 01942 674283

J G Palin6 High Street, Standish, WN6 0HL

Tel: 01257 422574

Abram Pharmacy358 Warrington Road, Abram, WN2 5XA

Tel: 01942 866681

Manor PharmacyWorsley Mesnes Health Centre, Poolstock Lane,

Wigan, WN3 5HL • Tel: 01942 492703


Tel: 01942 883029

W A Salters Chemists760 Atherton Road, Hindley Green, WN2 4SB

Tel: 01942 255700

Manor PharmacyWigan Health Centre, Frog Lane, Wigan, WN6 7LB

Tel: 01942 244566

There may be other pharmacies open in addition to these,please check locally for details of opening times.

ChristmasPUBLIC SERVICE GUIDE

BANK HOLIDAY – MONDAY 2ND JANUARY

NEW YEARS DAY – SUNDAY 1ST JANUARY

BOXING DAY – MONDAY 26TH DECEMBER

Leigh NHS Walk-in CentreThe centre offers fast and convenient access tohealthcare advice, information and treatment. Noappointment is necessary and the centre is open from7am – 9pm seven days a week, including during theholiday period.

An experienced NHS nurse is available to providetreatment for minor injuries and illnesses, issueemergency contraception and give advice andinformation on local pharmacy services as well as outof hours GP and dental services.

Leigh NHS Walk-In Centre is situated at LeighHealth Centre, The Avenue, Leigh, WN7 1HR and canbe contacted on 01942 483 453.

Call NHSDirectanytimeYou can contact NHSDirect on 0845 46 47for confidential healthinformation andadvice 24 hours a day,seven days a week.

NHS Direct can help if you are feeling unwell andare unsure what to do, if you need information aboutan existing health condition, want details of localhealth services or need details of self-help or supportorganisations.

You can also visit NHS Direct online atwww.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

GP practices will be open during normal hours andclosed for bank holidays, Monday 26 December,Tuesday 27 December and Monday 2 January.

Out of hours GPand Dental services● GP Out of Hours Service: 01942 829911 ● Dental Out of Hours Service: 01942 614376

If you are NOT registered with an NHS dentist butrequire emergency treatment please call the In-HoursEmergency Dental Service on 01942 614390. Theservice is available weekdays between 9am and 5pm.

If you are registered check with your dentist.

District NursingDistrict Nurses will be available throughout theChristmas and New Year period, including bankholidays for essential services. Contact your local clinicor health centre for more information. Contactdetails can be found at www.alwch.nhs.uk

Community HealthCentres and ClinicsWith the exception of bank holidays, health centresand clinics in the borough will be open as usualduring the festive period. You can find contacttelephone numbers for your local health centre orclinic at www.alwch.nhs.uk



LILY and Beccy are really eager for nextspring. They’ve been busy planting bulbsin Leigh and know that come next Marchor April there will be a stunning display ofcolour on the grass verges at the end ofChapel Street.

As members of 12th Leigh St Josephs(where their mums look after the Guidesand Brownies), the girls have been busydoing their bit to brighten up their localenvironment.

“It’s going to be pretty!” said Beccy.Lily added: “I had to explain to my dadthat we’re not planting light bulbs.”

Beccy’s mum, guide leader KerryHaron, said: “The girls are reallyinto their eco projects.

“We have been doing hangingbaskets in the summer, and wecollected five bags of rubbish inone session for the Big Tidy Upin September. And we’re carryingon doing more and more.”

Working with the council’s

neighbourhood teams and communityleaders, St Joseph’s Brownies and Guideshave been planting crocuses around thedistinctive Georgian Court near ButtsBridge.

After eco work along the Chapel Street‘gateway’ into Leigh, Kerry had identifiedthe Georgian Court corner as somewherethat could benefit from a spring splash ofcolour and she and her guides set to workthis week on digging and planting.

Cllr Kevin Anderson said: “It’s great tosee members of our community –

especially the younger ones –coming together to show

their respect for their localarea. I hope it inspires allof us to do our bit andmaybe even get involvedwith Borough in Bloom.”

The bulbs in Leigh arejust some of the six and a

half million planted inrecent years.

BULB-POWER: Ryan Haron, Beccy Haron, Ryan Haron and Lily Jones at Georgian Court, Leigh, withSteve Evans (Wigan Council), Kerry Haron, Jayne Jones (St Joseph’s leaders), Cllr Kevin Anderson

(environment champion), PCSO Stephen Kirby and Damian Jenkinson (Wigan Council).

Brownies’ plantingturns borough green

To getinvolved in bulb

planting, Eco Schoolsor looking after a planter

of flowers, contactDamian Jenkinson at

the council on01942 489325.

WIGAN Council and Age UK Wigan Borough wantolder people to be well informed so that they canmake the right choices about housing and theirfuture.

From January 2012, a series of free workshopswill be coming to local communities across theborough, to explain some of the options available,and answer your individual questions. You will beable to get impartial advice about any aspect ofhousing for older people, and if we can’t answeryour queries there and then, we will put you in

touch with someone who can. Everyone is invited toattend – after all, we’re all gettingolder and we’re all going toneed to live somewhere!

It doesn’t matter ifyou don’t know yetwhat you’reinterested in, justcome along andget someinformation.

Advice on housing for older people

If you would liketo be kept informed

of when and where thenearest workshop is to you,please contact Age UK via

[email protected] 01942 241972 and

we’ll be in touchsoon!

WIGAN Council and partners fromacross the borough are celebratingtheir best ever year at the North Westin Bloom Awards.

Seventeen awards – including, forthe second year in a row, the Gold topprize of Large Metropolitan Borough–were presented to community groupsand officers at the ceremony inSouthport.

Deputy council leader Cllr DavidMolyneux says: “After last year’s record11 awards, we didn’t dare hope formore. Tenants, residents andorganisations have done themselvesproud, and their communities havebenefited from their excellent projects,planting and tidy ups. I congratulatethem all.”

This year a huge variety of greenprojects, gained awards for localcommunities and groups working inCrooke Village, Stubshaw Cross, TownGreen, Shevington, Howe Bridge,Standish, Sussex Close, at HindleyStation, the Wigan Flashes, Golborneallotments and Rose Bridge HighSchool.

The council’s environment championCllr Kevin Anderson said: “This winputs us on the national scene for ourenvironmental quality and everyone inthe borough should salute those whohave helped it to happen.”

During July, judges from the RHSspent a day touring projects andvisited schemes at Ashton wherevacant or derelict land has beentransformed into community gardenspace with benches and landscapingfeatures.

The judging panel also visited WiganFlashes, where rare and unexpectedspecies of deer, ospreys and bitternshave been sighted.

The overall category win for WiganCouncil means that next year theborough will be represented at thenational Britain inBloom awards.

Bloomingmarvellous



WE did it! Wigan Borough‘Backed the Bid’ and RugbyLeague really is coming home.

Following a campaign supported byWigan council, the Rugby FootballLeague (RFL) has confirmed that theborough will host matches during the2013 Rugby League World Cup.

After submitting a strong bid, WiganBorough beat off stiff competition fromrival applications across the country tostage matches in the 14-nationtournament in two year’s time.

Leader of Wigan Council Lord PeterSmith said: “This is fantastic news forour borough. We have a proud traditionof excellence when it comes to RugbyLeague and it is wonderful news that theborough will be one of the hosts for thisprestigious event.

“Our Back the Bid campaign to be ahost venue really caught the imaginationof a great many people in our borough.We have been supported by both ourprofessional clubs, the amateur network,the business community and by rugby

fans. Not only do we see this as ahomecoming for rugby but we will alsobe making sure that hosting the matchesprovides us with a legacy to helpdevelop the game and encourage moreyoung people to take part.

“We are also keen to capitalise on theeconomic benefits that being a hostvenue will surely bring.”

2013 Rugby League World CupTournament Director Nigel Wood said:“I would like to congratulate the WiganBorough team who have been successfulin its bid to host matches in what I amconfident will be a World Cup thatenhances the UK’s golden decade ofsport.”

The announcement outlines 18different venues which will stagematches and reveals six other venueswhich will host teams during thetournament.

Details of host fixtures and venues forthe opening ceremony, the semi-finalsand the final will be confirmed early inthe New Year.

Cup win puts borough on top of the world

Wigan Boroughhas a proudtradition ofexcellence whenit comes to RugbyLeague and it iswonderful newsthat the boroughwill be one of thehosts for thisprestigious event.

UP FOR THE CUP: Celebrating Wigan Borough’s success in becoming a host venue for the RugbyLeague World Cup are (from left): Leigh Sports Village Chief Executive Simon Toon, Leader of Wigan

Council Lord Peter Smith, Wigan Council Chief Executive Joyce Redfearn, Leigh Centurion’s player Stuart Littler, MartinMcLoughlin from the Rugby Football League, Leigh Miners’ head coach Winston Sarsfield, Chris Camberlain from

Wigan Warriors and young players from Bedford High School William Waterworth, Brian Kamihiri and Adam Smith.

Cup win puts borough on top of the world



IT’S Christmas party season… anexcuse for those who want to lettheir hair down to indulge in a fewfestive tipples.

But while hangover remedies mayhelp to ease the short-term affects,it’s a sobering thought that drinkingto excess over a sustained period canseriously affect our long-term health.

People who regularly exceed therecommended daily limit of alcoholunits are exposing themselves to

conditions such as liver disease, heartdisease, raised blood pressure and anincreased risk of certain cancers.

You can find out more and readtips on how to cut down atwww.nhs.uk/livewell – follow thelinks to the section on alcohol.

The daily recommended amount ofalcohol is 3-4 units per day for men,and 2-3 units per day for women

Drinking to excess over the festiveseason can also leave people

exposed to immediatedanger.

Too many drinks on anight out can act as atrigger for anti-socialbehaviour, violenceand domestic abuse.Whilst people whoover-indulge are atrisk of randomaccidents or of becominga victim of crime.

Tips to keep tabs on effects of festive boozing

If in doubt...

KEEP THEM OUT!EVELYN Balmer wasn’t born

yesterday. In fact the 79-year oldgreat grandmother from Bickershaw

prides herself on being on the ball.So it's with some bemusement that she

recalls the day she took a bogus officialat face value – and in so doing,unwittingly welcomed a burglar into herhome.

The man standing on Evelyn’s doorstepclaimed to be from the water board.When he explained that there had beenan overnight ‘explosion’ up the road andwanted to check her water supply, Evelynlet him in without hesitation.

She barely noticed the accomplicehovering in the background…

As soon as her back was turned, thetwo men combed her home looking forcash before making off. Fortunately, theydidn’t get far and were arrested shortlyafterwards.

“I feel like such a fool,” Evelyn admits.“Family and friends can’t believe I fellfor it and say it just goes to show that ifthey can take me in, they can takeanybody in.

“The man looked like an inspector andappeared to know what he was talkingabout. He was chatty and friendly, but heended up robbing me.”

Evelyn wasreimbursed anamount of money– but sadly thisis no rareoccurrence. Infact, to JulieMiddlehurst,chief TradingStandardsOfficer atWiganCouncil, it’s alltoo familiar.

“It was puretextbook. Thesecriminals target theelderly and vulnerable, comearound un-announced to catch people offguard and appear extremely plausible.

“To you and I the alarm bells wouldhave been ringing when he said ‘waterboard’ because for years now it’s been

United Utilities, but that’s how the oldergeneration remember it. It just goes toshow how credible they can be.”

Asked how she feels, Evelyn is straightto the point. “Sick. How could they

prey on elderly people? I wasshaken at the time, but I won’t let

them win.“By telling my story, I want

to let others know how thesepeople operate because itmight help preventsomebody else falling victimto them.”

John Barker from UnitedUtilities adds: “We very

rarely call without anappointment so please be extra

vigilant if someone calls at yourhome without one.

“Our message is simple. Check thatcallers are who they say they are, and ifin doubt, keep them out. It doesn't matterwhether they are wearing a uniform or ifthere is one of our vans in the street.Always ask for identification. We’ll behappy to come back if we have to.”

All United Utilities staff,contractors and partnerscarry an ID card bearing

their name, photograph and acontact telephone number.You

can confirm their identity bycalling 0845 746 2200.

You can also seek reassuranceby calling Consumer Direct on08454 04 05 06 (calls charged

at local rate) andCrimestoppers on

0800 555 111.

For a free,confidential service

(24 hr advice informationand support). For anyone

concerned about their ownor someone else’s drinking

call Drinkline on0800 917 8282 or go

to www.nhs.ukalcohol

DON’T DISPLAY:Car thieves like towindow shop too.



IT’S a prestigious international awardsscheme that combines adventurousexpeditions and practical skills with

cultural pursuits.The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is

as popular with young people today as it hasever been.

But when the borough’s local awardscentres in Wigan, Leigh and Ashton wereforced to close their doors over the summerin a bid to save cash the scheme faced anuncertain future.

That was until the borough’s very ownrescue heroes stepped in to offer the D of Ea new home. Now thanks to a partnershipbetween Greater Manchester Fire andRescue Service and the council, the gold-plated award scheme continues to operatefrom fire stations in Wigan, Hindley andAtherton.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Schemeco-ordinator Refat Mahmood said:“To ensure that the servicecontinued we had to look at anew plan to make it more costeffective. The fire service kindlyoffered us a base and it hasbeen the perfect solution. Thiswill also allow us to run more fire

and safety awareness sessions for youngpeople as part of the D of E award.”

And as for Greater Manchester Fire andRescue, this new set up cements decades ofpositive work with the young people ofWigan Borough.

Watch commander Jim Bridge said: “Wehave always run courses as part of the D of Eprogramme so our partnership with thescheme has been running for more than 30years.

“The fire service are now delighted towelcome the groups in to use our facilitiesand we look forward to delivering anexciting fire safety and awareness coursethat will count as part of the award.”

The D of E sessions will now take placeevery Tuesday at Hindley Fire Station on

Borsdane Avenue.In addition, a session will runevery first Tuesday of the

month at Wigan FireStation on Robin ParkRoad, and every lastTuesday of the month atAtherton Fire Station onGloucester Street. Allsessions will run from

7-9pm.

For moreinformation on the

D of E Award Scheme foreither yourself, your child oreven your grandchild call01942 769813 or 705395,

or email [email protected] or

[email protected]

FIRST we had five-a-day andnow we’ve got five ways to ahealthier you.

That’s the subject of amajor new report into thestate of our borough’s health.

This year, Dr Kate Ardern,who is Executive Director ofPublic Health for theBorough of Wigan, has usedher annual report to explorethe five ways to wellbeing.

Dr Ardern’s report looks athow we can make WiganBorough a place to live well.

The report givesinformation on the currentsituation relating to the fivekey areas of Public Health:Connecting with OneAnother, Being active, Takingnotice, Keep learning andGiving to Others.

On top of this the reportlooks at some of the biggestachievements over the year,as well the current challengeswe face locally.

It providesrecommendations for action,which should beimplemented to ensure wecontinue to make realimprovements in the healthand wellbeing of theborough’s residents.

Dr Adern said: “Whilstindividuals need to take moreresponsibility for their ownhealth, people also requiresupport from a number ofagencies to help them makepositive lifestyle changes.

“The health service canonly do so much incontributing to theprevention and treatment ofconditions.

“We must therefore worktogether to reduce theburden of illness anddisability in the Borough.

“Health and wellbeing iseveryone’s business.

“It is only throughcombined efforts thatimprovements in the healthof the Borough's populationcan be brought about andmaintained.”● This year’s Annual Reportcan be accessed via aninteractive website, herewww.phwigan.com

TO THE RESCUEFire Brigade

GOLD STANDARD: Duke ofEdinburgh participantThomas Chang, 17, andfirefighter Kieran Reid atWigan Fire Station, one ofthe new bases for the Dukeof Edinburgh’s AwardScheme.

Borough’s Duke of Edinburgh Scheme has a new home

Health report isjust what thedoctor ordered

Five Alive!



KAREN Ken, Billy andRuss are busy people.They’re part of a new

team that is helping hundredsof older people in WiganBorough to keep their homessafe, warm and in good repair.

And at this time of yearburst pipes and boiler repairsare the order of the day.

The handy quartet all workfor the new Wigan BoroughCare and Repair Service whichhas been set up by the councilto provide older residents witha top notch advice, homerepairs and improvements andhandyperson service.

Part of the largerManchester Care and Repairand working in partnershipwith Age UK Wigan Borough,the service is based atPennyhurst Mill in Wigan andsends a team of seven skilledworkers to homes all over theborough.

Service manager KarenSpencer explains: “We tendto work mainly with peopleover 60 and we offer quite awide range of services. Ouraim is to help people tomaintain their independenceand a big part of that ismaking sure homes are warm,safe, secure and adapted to aperson’s needs.

“Our help and advice isfree, completely confidentialand geared up to improvingthe quality of life for thepeople we work for.”

Wigan Borough Care andRepair currently has more100 older people on its booksbut Karen says theirimmediate aim is to get morethan 800 signed up to theservice.

So what’s on offer fromCare and Repair?

Well there’s a free expertadvice service that can help

with everything from what todo to stop those small repairjobs from getting worse, rightthrough to choosing a builderand how to avoid thecowboys. The team can evendraw up a schedule that willtell your builder exactly whatto do.

They can also help directlywith many repair jobs fromdripping taps to broken gatesat a small cost of £15 pervisit, plus the cost of anymaterials.

But it’s not onlythe hands-on stuffthat Care andRepair canhelp with, asKarenexplains: “Wedo regularvisits andchecks with ourclients to makesure they are

aware of what they areentitled to in terms of grants,benefits and other optionsthat may help to improve theirquality of life.”

Wigan Council’s CabinetMember for Adults andHealth, Cllr Keith Cunliffe,says: “Older residents havetold us that what they wantmost is to continue to live intheir own homes and enjoya independent life.

“We have listened and theCare and Repair service is

our answer. “It’s a freeand friendly service

that can help youwith all sorts ofhouseholdproblems youmay be having.So, if you thinkCare and Repair

can help you, getin touch, it could

be just the job!”

CAN WE FIX IT?Pictured (from left) are:

Russ Johnstone, BillyConway, Ken Griffiths

and Karen Spencerfrom Wigan Borough

Care and Repair.

Hygiene ratings boost choiceHYGIENE ratings for thousands of foodoutlets have been published afterinspections by local authority teams.

Businesses are displaying their ratings,which gives customers the opportunity toconsider hygiene when choosing wherethey eat.

The council has inspected food outletsin Wigan and their findings are on a fullysearchable database:http://ratings.food.gov.uk

Julie Searing, the council’s businesscompliance service manager, said: “It’sabout putting the customer in charge.

“If you’re planning where to eat out,

you can check first. “And if you’re onlineon your phone, you can even type in thestreet you’re on as you’re out and about.”

If a business doesn’t display theirscore, it is up to the customer to decide ifthey want to eat or buy food there.

But it’s not just the takeaways andcafes that have been assessed.

Kirsty O’Connell, manager of Jack andJill’s Nursery in Astley, said: “We takefood standards really seriously.

“To get a top score of five for hygieneis something we’re proud of but we oweit to the children to give them the beststart in life that we can.”

For moreinformation please

contact Care & Repairby telephone on01942 239360 or

by e-mailingmail@careandrepair-

wigan.org.uk

Handy teamHandy teamCare and Repair

Borough Life 22–23 2/12/11 15:19 Page 1

AGED to perfection, maturedfor 25 years and a world classbody… of organisers. It couldonly mean one thing! Wigan’shugely popular Beer Festivalis back and in March 2012 itwill serve up and celebrate 25mouth-watering years.

Once again the CAMRAevent will also launch Wigan’sFood and Drink Festival – atasty treat that sets out toprove that, although we maylove our meat and potato,there is more to Wigan thanpastry filled snacks.

Over the years more thanthree million pints have beenpulled for 1m visitors to themuch loved beer festival.

Back when the doors firstopened the beer was just£1.10 a pint and the venuewas Trencherfield Mill.

These days it’s hosted atRobin Park Indoor SportsCentre, in association withWigan Leisure and CultureTrust, but one thing is still

the same… every year it’spacked to the rafters.

Looking back at those earlyyears Ken Worthington, jointorganiser and formerchairman of the WiganBranch of CAMRA, said: “Wehad 29 beers listed in the firstprogramme with some of thebeers delivered in woodencasks. Like the current beerfestival there were alsoforeign beers and cidersavailable

“So much beer was sold onthat first night we had toorder more and by 9.20pm onthe Saturday we’d run dry. Itwas pretty obvious from thatmoment it would be the firstof many great festivals.”

The following year, 1989,the “Pie-man” logo was born.The Pie-man became thesymbol of Wigan CAMRAbranch and from 1989 to thepresent day each beer festivalhad a Pie-man theme.

In 2012, in the spirit of the

Olympics, he will be a runner– Wigan Beer Festival 25years running!

Between 1988 and 2005 thefestival continued to be heldat the Mill at The Pier beforeswitching to Robin ParkIndoor Sports Centre.

In the last few years thefestival has joined forces withthe Wigan Food and DrinkFestival.

2012 marks its fifth year. Inthis short space of time, theevent – which in 2012 takesplace from March 1 to March11 – has risen to be one of thelargest and well respected‘foodie’ events on the regionalcalendar.

The festival was introducedas an opportunity to enjoysome great meals out and tosupport the local food anddrink economy.

Last year’s event reachedrecord highs. All in all, morethan 40,000 peopleexperienced the Wigan Foodand Drink Festival in 2011,spending an estimated£250,000 within the local foodand drink sector.

“We’re delighted to onceagain get this year’s Food andDrink Festival underway,”said Ken “It’s broughtanother dimension to thefestival and we’re thrilled tobe part of it.”

Wigan Food and DrinkFestival organiser KeithBergman said: “Wigan’s foodand drink industry is vibrantand thriving. This festival is acelebration of that fact.

“For 2012, we will continueto celebrate local produce,local producers and theshowcase local restaurantsand the culinary and creativetalent that exists within thekitchens of our eatingestablishments.”


The Wigan Food and DrinkEvents Programme: 10 packeddays and nights taking placein local restaurants, pubs andother venues.

2012 includes wine tastingevenings, special dinnernights, menu launches, tasterevents, tours and cookeryschools.CelebrityChefs willinclude JeanChristopheNovelli andstar of BBC'sSomethingfor theWeekend -SimonRimmer,(pictured). The WiganLife Piazza Outdoor KitchenTheatre (5th – 10th March).Six days of demonstrations atthe Wiend in Wigan TownCentre. There will be ‘SkoolDinners’ - the brilliant WiganSchools Young Chef of theYear Competition. There willbe daily sessions hosted bylocal chefs, with local sportingstars involved across the week.Food and Drink in theCommunity A programme oftalks, demonstrations andexhibitions within locallibraries, community centres,museums and schools.A Continental Marketplace(8 – 10 March) a street full ofcolourful and cultural foodand drink traders fromaround the world. And returning on Saturday 10March are the wonderful -Lancashire Hotpots,performing live from thestage in the Piazza . The Wigan Food and DrinkFestival could not take placewithout the support andenthusiasm of its sponsorswho in 2012 are: HitchenFoods, Hazeldene, Metrofresh,Ellseys & Co, Rigalettos ItalianRestaurant, Wigan Observer,The Grand Arcade Wigan,Wigan Council, Wigan Leisureand Culture Trust withfunding from the GreaterManchester food industrysupport initiative – FoodConnect.

● The Wigan Fine Food Trail: Featuring 15 of the Borough’s finestrestaurants, each offering very special festival menus.● The 25th Wigan CAMRA Beer Festival: Robin Park IndoorSports Centre Thursday 1st – Saturday 3rd March 2012

Entertainment & Admission Prices:Thursday 1st March. 17:30 to 23:00. Admission £2.Live Music by Billy and The Tempramentals: Friday 2nd March.Afternoon Session. 12:00 to 18:00. Admission £1.Friday 2nd March. Evening Session. 18:00 to 23:00. Admission £3.The music of Old Hall Brass Band: Saturday 3rd March. 11:30 to 23:00.Admission £2. Live music from (13.00) Lazy River Jazz Band (17.00)Rip Roaring Success (20.00) The Witnesses.

CAMRA members FREE all sessions. The Wigan CAMRA Beer Festival hasonce again held its prices for admission and glass hire!

There is a free courtesy bus that runs to and from The Anvil Pub(Dorning Street) in Wigan Town Centre to Robin Park Sports Centre.Timetable details will be published on www.wigancamra.org.uknearer the start of the Festival.

The Wigan Food and Drink Festival promotes the responsible use ofalcohol. Visit www.drinkaware.co.uk

Festival at a glance

PUMP PRIMED:Scenes from last

year's Wigan BeerFestival.

ALEAll hailto the

Tasty menuof top classfood events

Borough Life 22–23 2/12/11 15:19 Page 2


IT could be any street in theborough…It could be your street. Thehustle and bustle as children cross

the road on their way to school. Therumble of the bin lorry as it makes itsweekly rounds.

The familiar sight of the street cleaner,brush-in-hand, ready for business. All lit,in these dark winter mornings, by thereassuring glow of the street lights.

There’s a lot going on in our street butone thing connects all this activity –Wigan Council.

But when it comes to the priorities suchas education, community safety, litter,leisure and the environment, just howdoes the council do its job?

Wigan Council’s Cabinet Member ofEfficiency, Cllr Ged Bretheron, explained:“The council like other authorities acrossthe country monitorshow well it is serving

the community through regularperformance indicators that are agreedlocally and also set by nationally bygovernment.

“These indicators are your guaranteethat not only is the council providing goodquality of services but also, in thesedifficult economic times, we are providinggood value for money.

“We produced this street scene toillustrate just how well we are doing inthe key service areas that matter to you.

“Much of the information is positivenews but there are areas where wecontinue to face challenges and we arecommitted to strive to do better.”

When it comes to how the council dealswith residents when they make contact,it’s positive news. According to the latestfigures 82 per cent of those asked aresatisfied with front line customer services.

EDUCAEDUCATIONTIONWigan Borough’s GCSEresults just keep gettingbetter. This year 56 per centof pupils achieved the all-important A* to C gradesincluding English and Maths,better than the nationalaverage.

WWASTE AND RECYCLINGASTE AND RECYCLINGMore residents are refusing to sendtheir waste to a hole in the ground andare recycling. Latest figures from theWaste and Recycling Team show thatthe average borough householdproduces 663 kilograms of residualwaste a year. This is less thanprevious years and with theintroduction of newinitiatives such as new bluebins and managed weeklycollections it is anticipatedthis figure will continue tofall.

GENERAL SAGENERAL SATISFTISFACTIONACTION83 per cent of residents are ‘fairly’ or‘very’ satisfied with their local areaaccording to the latest information fromthe borough’s Citizens Panel.

BUSINESSBUSINESSOver the last 2.5 years thecouncil and its partners havesupported more than 500 newbusinesses through the intensivestart-up programme. The trend isthat 46 per cent of newbusinesses survive for at least 5years.

COMMUNITY SAFETYCOMMUNITY SAFETYWigan Borough remains the safest placeto live in Greater Manchester and youhave less chance of having your housebroken into and your belongings stolen.The number of burglaries in our boroughfell by 64 last year. Whilst the number ofthefts from motor vehicles fell by morethan 1000.

Typical street shows borough’s‘value for money’ prioritiesTypical street shows borough’s‘value for money’ prioritiesTypical street shows borough’s‘value for money’ prioritiesTypical street shows borough’s‘value for money’ prioritiesTypical street shows borough’s‘value for money’ prioritiesTypical street shows borough’s‘value for money’ prioritiesTypical street shows borough’s‘value for money’ prioritiesTypical street shows borough’s‘value for money’ prioritiesTypical street shows borough’s‘value for money’ priorities


THE above measures may seem to beheading in the right direction but there isstill plenty of work to do and the counciland its partners are not complacent.

Our borough still faces some bigchallenges and many of them revolvearound the health and wellbeing of ourresidents.● The life expectancy for men in WiganBorough is 75.9 – that’s two years lessthan the national average. ● The life expectancy for women is 80.3years – two years less than the nationalaverage – but again the figures areimproving.● It may be related but just 20 per centof the residents take part in regularexercise (half an hour, three times aweek) in our borough.● Domestic violence – there have beenmore than 1,390 incidents in each of thelast two years and when you considerthat the not all incidents are reported tothe police this figure may only be the tip

of the iceberg. The council and its

partners are doing allthey can to raiseawareness about thisissue and signpostpeople to services.

The number ofteenage pregnanciesin Wigan Boroughhas reduced,although not as fastas the regional andnational average. Arange of services areprovided to tacklethe issue.

Under the currenteconomic climate it isfeared that the levelsof child poverty in our borough willincrease.

Currently 20 per cent of children in ourborough live in families where the

household income is 60 per cent less thanaverage. The council is hoping itsdedcated Child Poverty Strategy willcreate better prospects for generations tocome.


CLEANCLEAN STREETSSTREETS89 per cent of relevant land andhighways in the borough has

been classed as having lowlevels of litter or no litteraccording to Keep BritainTidy standards.

ROAD REPROAD REPAIR & SAFETYAIR & SAFETYWigan Borough’s roads are in a goodcondition. In fact 96 per cent of theborough’s principal road networkis deemed as being in a good oracceptable condition.

The number of people who arekilled or seriously injured on theborough’s roads is low and thecouncil has been working hard tobring this figure down even

further. Last year 62 peoplewere seriously injured or killed

in road traffic accidents on theBorough’s road network. Whilst

one is too many, the figuresare showing we are heading

in the right direction.

STREET LIGHTINGSTREET LIGHTINGAt any one time more than 99 per cent ofthe borough’s 36,500 street lights are ingood working order. The street lightingteam attends to any that are notoperational within three working days.

SOCIAL CARESOCIAL CAREMore and more peoplein Wigan Borough who

are in need of careservices and support aretaking control of their own lives. A total of 42per cent of those people who receive AdultSocial Care support have now opted to takecontrol of their own budget and designtheir own package of support through thecouncil’s Personalisation Agenda.

COUNCILCOUNCIL HOMESHOMESThe vast majority (99 per cent) of homesowned by the council and managed byWigan and Leigh Housing are classed asbeing of a decent standard.

The Challenges


26 BOROUGH LIFE WInter 2011

WEB GURUKristaBougourdknows herinternetbusiness well.

CLOUDNINE

IF you want to start your own business,pick something you know... These werethe words of wisdom from BBC

business ‘dragon’ James Caan thatinspired Krista Bougourd to ‘go it alone’with her own business venture.

And whilst the world of Internetmarketing, Google Analytics and SearchEngine Optimisation may still be a bitnew to a lot of us, this is Krista’s businessand just like Mr Caan advises she knowsit well… very well.

So much so that in less than threemonths she’s gone from a new businessstart-up to rapidly growing enterprise.She’s got a long list of clients and couldsoon actually be looking to create morenew jobs in the borough by taking onpeople to help her.

Krista is one of a growing number ofpeople in our borough who are decidingto use the years of skill and expertisethey’ve built up through their workinglives to the best possible use – bybecoming their own boss.

And whilst business is certainly briskfor Krista, the move is as much aboutimproving her quality of life as it is aboutfinancial rewards.

“I’ve not got the Learjet just yet but Iam working on it,” she joked. “Mydaughter Katie is eight now, so it is areally important time for both of us.

“Up until now the nearestplace to find jobs in myparticular industry would havebeen in Manchester City Centreand the travel and being able to pickmy daughter up from school wasbecoming increasingly difficult.

“Now, whilst I am working from home,it’s made life a lot easier in terms of beingthere for Katie but it’s also meant I canspend more time actually working on thebusiness than travelling.”

Krista’s company, Nimbus WebSolutions, is a consultancy that works withbusinesses to offer them hi-tech advice onhow to get the most from the wonders ofthe World Wide Web.

But it’s also Krista own brand on nononsense, straight-talking support that’swinning her new clients.

“It’s been a bit of a roller coaster ridereally,” she said.

“At first I was unsure of what to do andwhere to go for help, so it was quite astressful time but thankfully I found thatthere really is lots of great help andadvice available once you ask for it.”

Krista benefited from help from thesmall business start-up scheme which is apartnership between Wigan Council andexpert business advice company BlueOrchid.

Since 2009 the council and Blue Orchid

have used acombination of

an intensivesupport service and

start up grants tosupport more than 500

new borough businesses.Wigan Council’s Deputy Leader Cllr

David Molyneux says: “With the problemscaused by the credit crunch and theeconomic downturn we’re trying to do all we can to give the borough a much-needed boost.

“We believe that one great way of doingthis is to encourage our home-growntalent to set up their own businesses.

“Of course there are risks involved withthis so we believe it is the council’s role tocreate the right conditions for anybudding entrepreneur to flourish.

“To arm them with the information andskills they need to minimise the risk andto continue to support them every step ofthe way.

“Krista’s story is great example of thisand we wish her every success for thefuture.”

As for Krista, just like James Caan, shehas her own bit of business advice… “Ifit’s something that you’ve always wantedto do and have the right skills, go for it.Don’t be afraid to ask for help but aboveall believe in yourself.”

For more informationon Wigan Council’s Business

Start-up Support Schemecall Blue Orchid directly on01942 862832. For more

information about NimbusWeb Solutions you can call

Krista Bougourd on01942 700236.

New businessputs Krista on


IT’S a brand new conceptthat mixes excellence inlearning, top-class training

and sure-fire sporting success.Its aim is to provide future

generations of young peoplefrom our borough with theskills and qualifications theyneed to get ahead.

Above all the borough’sbrand new world class WorkAcademy will instil theborough’s young people withthe winning mentality and thecompetitive edge.

Situated on the site of theformer PEMBEC High Schoolon Montrose Avenue, the £2Mproject is well under way andnearly 150 learners arealready signed up.

The campus will feature astate-of-the-art educationcentre which will be runjointly by the Wigan Warriorsand Central Training. It willoffer vocational training andfurther education programmesthat will give young peopleaged between 14 and 19 workexperience and qualifications.Many of the young people whowill take advantage of the newfacilities will be currently notin education, employment ortraining – commonly referredto as NEETs.

The facilities at CentralPark, such as a new gym andrestaurant, will also be open tomembers of the localcommunity and there will be a

strong emphasis on adulteducation.

On top of this the site willbecome the new headquartersfor the Wigan Warriors RugbyLeague Team and many of thestaff from the club will beinvolved in the educationprogrammes.

Wigan Warriors owner andchairman Ian Lenagan hasbeen heavily involved increating the new centre. Hesaid: “This is a fantastic newdevelopment. Central Training,Wigan Council and the Clubhave all come together toprovide this world classfacility. We are providing astate-of-the-art educationcentre, which will offer top

class trainingand furthereducationprogrammes.”

Central Park will giveyoung people the chance tolearn valuable skills in a wide-range of in-demand areasincluding construction, hairand beauty, catering andhospitality, sports and leisure,business administration andinformation technology.

It will also become thebreeding ground for the nextgeneration of top-flight RugbyLeague talent both on and offthe pitch with excitingopportunities for youngplayers, physiotherapists andcoaches and grounds staff.

Leader of Wigan CouncilLord Peter Smith said: “We’redelighted to be involved inthis new and innovativeproject.

“Wigan Borough has awinning mentality and a proudhistory of sporting excellenceand we want to build on thisand use it to empower ouryoung people to make the bestof the opportunities availableto them.

“Central Park is one ofseveral exciting newdevelopments in our boroughwhich include a newUniversity Technical College, afurther 14-19 centre inAtherton and the Wigan YouthZone that will provide ouryoung people from across theborough with theopportunities they need tosucceed.”

Come Christmas morning, squeals of joy willecho from homes across the land as kids tearopen their presents to reveal the magicaltreasures within.

But how far would you go to make yourchild’s Christmas wish come true?

Wigan Borough has two well-establishedCredit Unions, Welcome and Unify, and thisChristmas both are urging residents to maketheir spending manageable.

“Some parents will go to extreme lengths togive their kids a dream Christmas, but sadly thiscan turn into a living nightmare come the NewYear when the credit card bills start to land onthe doormat” says Diane Schanzl, Manager ofWelcome Credit Union.

“Whilst we all want our kids to have the bestChristmas possible, our advice is simple: resistthe urge to splurge.”

Angela Fishwick, who is General Manager of

Unify says: “Money is tight and it’s not alwayseasy to get credit from the high street. Sadly,some people are so desperate that they turn toloan sharks to get the money they need to payfor Christmas – debts which they then struggleto pay off come the New Year.”■ Welcome Credit Union can offer Wise Loans ofup to £500 to new members who are required toopen a savings account with them. To apply for aWise Loan, call 01942 828702 or visitwww.welcomecreditunion.co.uk■ Unify Loans are assessed on an individualbasis and take into consideration a variety offactors, including affordability, previous savingshistory and credit history. SMART Loans areavailable for those who have not yet establisheda savings history with Unify. The maximum loanavailable is £500.00 repayable over 1 year. Visitwww.unifycy.org to find out more or call 01942701706 (Wigan) or 01942 607002 (Leigh).


Wigan’s got Talent

Resist the urge to splurge this Christmas

Central Parkoffers a wide

range of learningopportunities.

Central Park partnershippioneers new approach to learning



RECYCLING? Without people like Paul it’sall rubbish! Like thousands ofhouseholders across the borough, Paul

Gleave has been an advocate for reducing,re-using and recycling for many years.

An active member of St Thomas’s parish inGolborne, Paul drew his inspiration from theBishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend JamesJones, who promoted environmental awarenessamong parishioners through the notion of‘earthing the community’.

These days the Gleave family’s black bin goesout only every three weeks – and even then it’sfar from full! Keen gardener Paul has a compostcorner for his food waste, his bottles and cansare collected by the council every fortnight, andhe’s eagerly awaiting the arrival of a blue bin forpaper and cardboard to replace the paper sack.

Thanks to people like Paul, the amount ofrubbish collected from residents’ black bins hasfallen by a third since 2002, while the amount

recycled has increased from just 2% to over36%.

“Just because we can’t do enough” says Paul,“it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do anything. Wecan all do something to make a difference – andwe can’t afford not to.

“And Christmas is a great time to go green. Allour uncooked peelings from spuds and sprouts,and carrots and turnips will end up as compost –they are a tremendous source of nitrogen for thegarden come spring time.”

This Christmas we’ll be sending 10 per cent more rubbish to a greatbig hole in the ground than we would do at other times of the year.And every tonne of waste that goes to landfill costs the council atleast £56 in tax. With costs escalating and landfill space running outwe all need to watch our waste this Christmas. We can’t afford notto! Here are a few ideas to help you save money, slim your bin andhelp all of us win the battle of the bulge.

Big changes plannedto start next Autumn MAJOR changes to refuse collection and recyclingservices are on the way.

Under the new arrangements black bins will beemptied fortnightly, with improved recyclingopportunities and wider choice for householders – andsavings of £14M between 2012 and 2020.

The council is being forced to make cuts of £66million over the next four years and the collectionchanges will help us avoid extra waste managementcosts between 2012 and 2020. This figure is incomparison to the £700 000 on offer from thegovernment (£250M between 348 councils) to maintain

weekly collections.You can find out

more at wigan.gov.uk/recycling, includinginformation andadvice about ourplans for foodwaste collections.

CHRISTMAS: EXCESS ALL AREAS

Festive season a great time to

GO GREEN

Paul Gleavepitches in to

recycle.

Paul Gleavepitches in to

recycle.



BLUE bins continue to be rolled out acrossthe borough, enabling soup and drinkscartons as well as cardboard to be easilyrecycled. They are being offered as analternative to the (paper only) white sack ifpeople prefer.

The blue bin service will allow the councilto recycle approximately 5,000 tonnes moreand at the same time save £373,000 per yearby 2012/13.

If you haven’t seen them yet, check out theHindley Bluebells on YouTube.

The local trio (Edna, Margaret andMaureen) are making a real song and danceabout recycling, and if you’re not alreadydoing your bit take a look at how easy it is –and how much fun can it can be too!

Blue bins...Bluebells

GREEN TIPS FORCHRISTMAS

LANDFILL COSTS £S, RECYCLING SAVES £S

Christmasand New YearcollectionsFull details of yourholiday period wasteand recycling collections

are on page 15.

BATTERIES: Buy rechargeable batteriesfor new toys and recycle any used ones.BOTTLES AND CANS: Glass bottles andtin cans belong in the brown bin, or canbe taken to one of the Household WasteRecycling Centres or a local recycling site.CARDBOARD: Remove any plastic fromadvent calendars and chocolate boxes,

then recycle the cardboard.CHRISTMAS CARDS: Please rememberto recycle Christmas cards or keepthem to reuse as gift tags anddecorations.

CHRISTMAS TREES: Broadly speaking,real trees are carbon neutral, artificialones are harmful. Real trees with roots orin a pot can be planted in your gardenafter Christmas, and even used again nextyear. Or real trees can be recycled.DECORATIONS AND WRAPPING: Chooserecycled wrapping paper and naturalmaterials – and recycle or reuse themagain and again.

Buy gift boxes or bags that can bereused next year. Or bring back theChristmas stocking! FOOD AND DRINK: Families throw out anaverage of £50 worth of food a month –even more at Christmas.And most of it could have been eaten!

At lovefoodhatewaste.com there arehandy tips and loads of tasty recipes thatwill turn yesterday's leftovers intosomething really delicious.

Leigh and Wigan markets have greatdeals on fresh produce.

And party organisers should avoidavoid using expensive and wasteful paperplates, cups and napkins. Egg shells,banana skins and tea bags can becomposted.HOLLY AND THE IVY: Natural decorationscan be made from cinnamon sticks, holly,seasonal berries, ivy and evergreenbranches and then be composted.MOBILE PHONES: Recycle old handsetsby donating them to charity.NEW YEAR, NEW START: Make aresolution to recycle more waste, moreoften.OLD CLOTHES: Recycle them at thenearest textile recycling bank orHousehold Waste recycling Centre.PRESENTS AND UNWANTED GIFTS: Buylocal and avoid goods with unnecessaryor non-recyclable packaging. And if you’renot sure what to buy, why not givemoney or gift vouchers instead of riskingan unwanted item? SHOPPING BAGS: Don’t forget to takesturdy, long life shopping bags out withyou on your Christmas shopping trips.


Winter 2011

Arts and Festivals

Sat 21st Jan to Sat 3rd MarFACE-THE CHANGING FACEOF A WORKING COMMUNITYTurnpike Gallery, Turnpike Centre,Civic Square, Leigh.Specially commissioneddocumentary and archive audiovisual exhibition by Paula Keenanand Lesley Sutton, featuringpersonal stories, the impact of theMiners Strike of 1984, and anexploration of the working lives oflocal women and men. For furtherinformation call 01942 484420.

Sat 21st Jan, 10am – 3pmOPENING OF FACE EXHIBITIONTurnpike Gallery, Turnpike Centre,Civic Square, Leigh.FACE - The changing face of aworking community. Join us for theopening of this exhibition and avariety of other events as part ofthe Super Saturday. No need tobook. For further information call01942 484420. FREE.

Heritage Events

Thu 26th Jan, 6:30pm – 7:45pmAN EVENING WITH SIDCALDERBANKMuseum 0f Wigan Life.Lancashire dialect performer. ‘TheLancashire Cotton Famine’ – Howwe survived the American Civil War.For further information call 01942828128. £2.50.

Each Monday1:30pm – 3:30pmLEIGH FAMILY HISTORYSOCIETY HELP DESKLeigh Local Studies, Leigh Library,Turnpike Centre, Leigh.Leigh Family History Society areavailable to assist with anyenquiries and requests concerningancestry. This includes how togo about tracing your family lineback through the ages. For furtherinformation telephone 01942828128. FREE.

1:30pm – 3:30pmLEIGH FAMILY HISTORYSOCIETY HELPDESKWigan and Leigh Local Studies,Leigh Library.Leigh Family History Society areavailable to assist with anyenquires and requests concerningyour ancestry. This includes how togo about tracing your family lineback through the ages. For furtherinformation telephone 01942404559. FREE.

Each Tuesday1pm – 1:15pmOBJECT OF THE MONTHMuseum of Wigan Life, LibraryStreet, Wigan.Discover the stories behind some ofour favourite museum objects. Talkslast for about 15 minutes – why notpop in as part of your lunch break?See the heritage events guide orcontacts the Museum of Wigan Lifefor more details on 01942 828128.FREE.

6pm – 7:30pmCOMBINED CEMETERY WALKInce UDC Cemetery,Warrington Road.Every second Tuesday evening Juneto August 2011.Discover your localarea on foot with one of ourhistorians and delve into buildings,landscapes, people and stories thatthe towns in our borough werefounded on. We stronglyrecommend you book and leaveyour contact details with us so wecan get in touch if anythingchanges (like the great Britishweather). Meet at cemetery gates.Outdoor wear advisable. For furtherinformation telephone 01942828128. £3.00.

Each Wednesday11am – NoonWE LOVE TO BOOGIEMuseum of Wigan Life.Under 5's Dance Class – Mums,dads and carers of all ages – bopalong to your favourite tunes andhelp the little ones have funin this friendly dance session. For

further information telephone01942 828128. £2.00.

1pm – 3pmLEIGH HISTORY CHATLeigh Local Studies/Archives, LeighLibrary, Turnpike Centre, CivicSquare, Leigh.Last Wednesday of the month. Chatand make friends… Our HistoryChat sessions give people theopportunity to informally gettogether and talk about past timesin a friendly environment. Comealong if you have got something toshare or say, or just listen if youprefer! This is a drop-in session. Forfurther information telephone01942 404559. FREE.

1pm – 3pmFAMILY HISTORYWORKSHOPS – WHO DO YOUTHINK YOU ARE?Museum of Wigan Life.Run by experienced volunteers,Family History Workshops help youto get started on researching yourfamily tree. Sessions are aimed atbeginners with family connectionsto the local area. £3.00 (resourcepack £2.00) Booking essential. Forfurther information and to booktelephone 01942 828128. £3.00.

From 3pmWHO DO YOU THINK YOUARE-FAMILY HISTORYWORKSHOPSMuseum of Wigan Life.Want to research your Family Tree?Don't know where to get started?

Why not visit the Family History &Local studies area. Our new studyarea provides free access toAncestry.com, computer and micro-form readers and a range oflocal resources and records. Run byexperienced volunteers FamilyHistory workshops are available.The sessions are aimed atbeginners, with family connectionsto the Wigan area. Bookingessential. For further informationand to book telephone 01942828128. £3 Resource Pace £2.

Each Thursday3.30pm – 5.30pmHOMEWORK HELPStandish Library.We recommend phoning ahead sothat we can prepare the resourcesfor your homework help. For furtherinformation and to book telephone01257 400496. FREE.

6:30pm – 7:30pmWIGAN HISTORY CHATMuseum of Wigan Life.Chat and make friends… OurHistory Chat sessions give peoplethe opportunity to informally gettogether and talk about pasttimes in a friendly environment. Forfurther information telephone01942 828128. FREE.

Each Friday11am – 12:30pmINTRODUCTION TO OLDHANDWRITINGThe Archives, Leigh Town Hall.Starts 11th March 2011. £15 per 6


What’s

For full details of all special and regular eventsand festivals, pick up a What’s On brochure atyour local library or visit www.wlct.org/whatson

ONFollow the signs to

the Turnpike Gallery.


week course. Medieval to ModernPalaeography. 6 week course. Learnhow to decode handwriting andbring the past alive. Get handy tipson how to read archive documentsand develop your confidence inusing these sources.

Each SaturdayFrom 3pmHOMEWORK HELPMuseum of Wigan Life.Thursday evenings, Saturdays andschool holidays (check openingtimes). We recommend phoningahead so that we can prepare theresources for your Homework Helpvisit. For further informationtelephone 01942 828128. FREE

11am – 2.30pmSUPER SATURDAYSMuseum of Wigan Life, LibraryStreet, Wigan.Once per month. Discover all the funof the Museum! Join us for Saturdayout at the museum where you willfind art and craft activities, quizzes,trails, objects to see and touch andalways something special thrown in.For further information on dates andtimes telephone 01942 828128. FREE.

11:30am – 1pmNEW YOUTH THEATREMuseum of Wigan Life, LibraryStreet, WN1 1NU.Foe ages 12-15. For furtherinformation telephone Martin01942 828226.

Each Sunday11am & 1pmTRENCHERFIELD MILL TEAM ENGINETrencherfield Mill, Wigan Pier.Built in 1907 and recently restoredto its former glory, discover thefascinating history of the engine.Hear talks from the engineers andenjoy an exciting audio-visualshow. Just drop by, no need tobook. For further informationtelephone 01942 828128. FREE.

Libraries – Events

Fri 23rd Dec, 2pm – 3pmCHRISTMAS PARTYLeigh Library.For further information call 01942404404 or [email protected].£1 (under 12’s).

Wed 18th JanMATT HILTON VISITS WIGANLIBRARYWigan Library.High-octane thriller writer MattHilton visits the new Wigan Library.For further information of theevents programme visitwww.wlct.org/wiganlibrary

Wed 18th JanIN LEAGUE WITH LITERATUREWigan Library.Tony Hannan, Phil Caplan, TonyCollins, Dave Hadfield and RayFrench host a relaxed andhumorous discussion on rugby. Forfurther information of the eventsprogramme visitwww.wlct.org/wiganlibrary

Community Events

Sat 24th DecLEIGH PHOENIX N.C.D.S.WFormby Hall, Alder Street, Atherton.Christmas Eve Buffet Dance.Admission by ticket. N.C.D.S.Wmembers only. For furtherinformation call 01942 222537 orvisit www.leighphoenix.co.uk £8.

Sat 24th Dec, 7pm – 12amCHRISTMAS EVE DANCEMonaco Ballroom.Tickets on sale from August.Includes welcome drink on arrival.Hot Supper. Dancing 7pm tomidnight. Spot prizes and muchmore. For further informationtelephone Phil 01942 375931hurstdance.co.uk. £10.

Sat 31st Dec, 7pm – 1amNEW YEARS EVE DANCEMonaco Ballroom.Tickets on sale from September.Includes welcome drink on arrival.Hot Supper. Canapés. Glass ofchampagne at mid-night. Dancing7pm to 1am. Spot prizes and muchmore. For further information callPhil 01942 375931hurstdance.co.uk

Fri 6th Jan to Sat 21st JanDICK WHITTINGTONWigan Little Theatre, CromptonStreet, Wigan.Pantomime. Tickets go on sale inSeptember so book early to avoiddisappointment. Matinees on 7thand 14th January at 2.15pm (noevening performances on thesedates). Booking essential. Forfurther information and to booktelephone the Box Office on 01942242561 or visit in person the weekbefore or during a show.£10,Concessionary £7.50.

Fri 6th Jan, 7:30pmLEIGH ORNITHOLOGICALSOCIETYDerby Room, Turnpike Centre,Leigh, WN1 1AR.Birdlife Through 40 Pennine Years.Excellent speaker and stunningphotography by Gordon Yates. Forfurther information call Teresa Fayleon 01942 606531 or visitwww.leighos.org.uk

Fri 27th Jan, 7pmBURNS NIGHT SUPPERLowton Civic Hall. Everyonewelcome. For further informationcontact 01942 861539.

Fri 27th Jan, 7:30pmLEIGH ORNITHOLOGICALSOCIETYDerby Room, Turnpike Centre,Leigh, WN1 1AR.Land of Geysers and Gyrs. Excellentspeaker and stunning photographyby Keith Offerd. For furtherinformation telephone Teresa Fayleon 01942 606531 or visitwww.leighos.org.uk

Tue 31st Jan to Sat 4th FebCARAMBA’S REVENGETyldesley Little Theatre, LemonStreet, Tyldesley, GreaterManchester, M29 8HT.A Comedy. Four elderly ladies havebeen sharing their lives in Violet’srented house, pooling their pensionbooks and sharing chores. After amugging Violet dies, but Marge,Lottie and Doris omit to tell theauthorities and leave Violet’s bodypeacefully in the cemetery.However, Violet’s granddaughter,Ronnie, arrives from Australia insearch of her relative. Ticket line01204 655619. For furtherinformation on prices and timescall 01942 886908.

For a definitive guide toforthcoming events in WiganBorough visit Wigan Leisureand Culture Trust’s website:www.wlct.org and click on‘events.’


Haigh Country Park.

Festive celebrationsat the Leigh Lightsswitch on.



Documents

Borough Life Issue 36 Winter 2011