Leisure Information Bulletin — Issue 23, April 2005

ACTIVE LIFE SERVICES

Free swimming scheme launched

On April 1st ‘Freestyle’ was successfully launched. At the latest count, 9,000 children in the borough have signed up for a Lifestyle card, enabling them to swim in any of the borough’s five swimming pools for free.

Wigan Borough is the first authority in the North West and only the third nationally (following Birmingham and Glasgow) to launch such a fully inclusive initiative that will run indefinitely. Freestyle is a key part of the wider vision for Getting Wigan Active.

The Freestyle swimming scheme is designed to run year-on-year and is not a pilot scheme, such as ones run in other parts of the country during school holidays. It is also a fore-runner to a broader Lifestyle scheme that the Trust will launch later this year to encourage people of all ages to participate in physical and mental activities ranging from sporting activity to increased library use.

On Thursday 31st March, Wigan Warriors and Leigh Centurions stars helped the Trust to officially launch the scheme, by competing against one another in a ‘Freestyle race-off’ (one length of the 50m pool) at Wigan International Pool. Highlighting both the fun and fitness benefits that can be had by taking part in such physical activity, Wigan and Leigh’s sporting heroes hope to inspire even more young people to join up to Freestyle.

The launch received a great deal of positive media coverage, including a full day’s worth of coverage on BBC North West. We also secured coverage on Sky Sports, Channel M (Manchester), BBC GMR, Wish FM, Century FM and local written press coverage.

It has been a challenging period for everybody involved in the scheme. However, it is a challenge people across the Trust have risen to. Leisure centre managers and their staff, in particular, have worked tirelessly to implement new swimming programmes to protect popular family swimming periods.

Atherton Pool Closure

Atherton Pool closed its doors for the last time on Friday 1st April. To commemorate the event, all customers were given free use of the pool and a light buffet lunch was provided for regular customers and staff at the centre. During the last week of operation, the Management Team put in place sessions when the pool was not in use to enable customers to take photographs of the pool.

The decommissioning of Atherton Pool proceeded to plan. Any items that could be salvaged from the building have been transferred to other sites, and the building was handed back to the Council on Friday 9 April 2005.

Special thanks go to Joanne O’Donnell and her Management Team and staff for the sensitive way in which they dealt with members of the public, many of whom had used the pool for 60 years and more.

SPORTS DEVELOPMENT UNIT

New Multi-Games Hall

A £70,000 investment by the Trust has seen an underused facility at Robin Park Sports Centre transformed into a multi-games-hall, now called ‘The Powerade Multi-Games Hall’. The facility was originally used as a cricket hall, but due to the fact that it was purpose built and could not be used for other sports, it limited the options for customers and as a result was lying idle for two thirds of the year.

To further strengthen the links that Active Life has built with Coca Cola (who sponsor the Summer Soccer Schools) the site approached the company with regards to using the Powerade brand as part of the name. In return, the site will receive ongoing support in purchasing equipment for the hall.

"The hall is 16 years old and there was a need to refurbish it. The Trust decided that they would maximise its potential and invest in turning it into a multi-games hall, still catering for cricket but also accommodating netball, football and health and fitness sessions," said Mike Woodruff, Robin Park Sports Centre Manager. "As part of the Trust’s Getting Wigan Active campaign, it is essential that we provide facilities that can be used as often as possible by as many people as possible."

One of the initial beneficiaries from the scheme is the WLCT supported Multi-Sports Club, which has been re-launched this year following a successful 2004. Darren Birch, who is the Disability Sports Development Officer for WLCT’s Sports Development Unit has organised the club in partnership with the Wigan Disability Sports Forum.

"To achieve the aims and objectives of my role, access to suitable facilities is vital, which is why it is crucial to have a good working relationship with sports centre managers. While the new ‘Powerade’ Multi-Games Hall was being developed, Mike Woodruff approached me about accommodating our Multi-Sports Club," Darren remarked.

Wigan and Leigh Service Area Mentoring Scheme

Wigan and Leigh Service Area is currently embarking on an exciting new initiative for rugby league coaches in the shape of a comprehensive mentoring scheme. WLSA, in partnership with the Trust, Wigan Warriors RLFC and the Leigh Centurions RLFC, launched their inaugural programme on Wednesday 9th March at the JJB Stadium, Wigan.

The programme is available to any coach within the service area who currently possesses a recognised governing body qualification and who has the desire and commitment to improve their current coaching skills and knowledge. The programme is designed to provide coaches with the necessary tools to improve their skills, knowledge and experience in the arena of Sports Coaching.

The following Coach Education Courses have been organised for the coming months: Communication Workshop, Core Skills Workshop, SAQ, Good Practice and Child Protection, Equity on your Coaching, Emergency First Aid and LTAD.

Wigan Sports Awards Success

The Wigan Sports Awards were held on Wednesday 23rd February 2004 at the JJB Stadium and were an outstanding success with over 180 of Wigan’s finest performers, coaches and volunteers present.

The purpose of the event was to acknowledge the excellent work that the sporting fraternity of Wigan produces in the local community. The event was run by the Trust’s Sport Development Unit and was hosted by Stewart Williams (Wish FM/Wigan Warriors) along with guest celebrities Brett Dallas and Shaun O’Loughlin of the Wigan Warriors.

The night was an over-riding success and saw the presentation of six awards. In total the awards received 55 nominations, across sixteen different sports, with nominations coming from a wide age range (13–60 years).

Eventual winners:

Community Development

"Wheels For All"

Wigan Disability Sports Forum has successfully secured £5,000 from Douglas Valley’s Learning and Skills grant (£2,500) and the Primary Care Trust (£2,500) to investigate the possibility of providing additional resources and facilities at Leigh Sports Village. The group was supported in their funding application by Elaine Hiser, Funding Officer, WLCT, and Darren Birch, Disability Sports Officer, WLCT.

With the development of Leigh Sports Village, there is a real possibility of providing a unique, exciting and innovative scheme that will enable disabled people and older people to enjoy the fun of cycling with family and friends, or independently on a track or along a network of safe trails.

Wheels For All is a registered charity working with volunteers to provide similar opportunities all over the U.K. The core ethos of the charity is to provide inclusive opportunities to everyone to enjoy cycling. This may mean providing adapted cycles, handcycles and tricycles, and raising the awareness of, and provision for, those with specific needs.

Studies and observations have consistently demonstrated that regular physical activity is absent from the lives of most disabled people, but that most disabled people experience barriers to participation.

Wheels For All could potentially provide an accessible, inclusive and local exercise service for disabled and older people in the Leigh area.

Wheels For All has a proven track record of success. They are keen to investigate the opportunities to expand into Wigan Borough and, more specifically, into Leigh Sports Village. To do this, they will complete a feasibility study which will ascertain the local demand and viability of the project. As part of the study they are keen to contact local people and establish a volunteer base, identify other local partners, and write a project plan with a funding strategy to establish the project.

LIBRARIES, INFORMATION AND HERITAGE

Golborne Library

Saturday 2nd April saw Golborne Library officially re-opened by Wigan writer and broadcaster Stuart Maconie, the Mayor of Wigan and the Chair of the Trust, Jacqui Boardman, following a £60,000 investment. The Library was a hive of activity on Saturday afternoon, with over one hundred people of all ages invited to enjoy the new Explore concept that will eventually be introduced to all libraries in the borough.

Special guest, Stuart Maconie, said he was honoured to officially launch a new era for Wigan’s libraries. "One of my favourite lyrics is the Manic Street Preachers’ ‘libraries gave us power’ from A

Design For Life, so I’m obviously very, very proud to be asked here today," remarked Stuart. "As a child I grew up in Wigan’s libraries and they played a key role in my education. Back then libraries were very cold, colourless and uninviting, but what the Trust has done at Golborne is fantastic. The new Explore idea makes the library a more lively and welcoming place, where I think children will feel that reading is not a chore but something that is an exciting adventure."

After the official re-opening, Stuart went on to read a passage from his book, Cider with Roadies, in the Adult section of the library. Meanwhile, children were entertained by storytellers in the Children’s section. These activities represent what the Trust hopes will be a more interactive and activity based experience to be developed in all of the borough’s libraries.

The new improvements witnessed at Golborne Library are the first stage in an ongoing investment in library services, as part of the Getting Wigan Active campaign, which aims to increase levels of physical and mental activity for all citizens across the borough.

Key improvements include:

WIGAN PIER

Mayors’ Preview Exciting Developments at Wigan Pier

 

Crowds of people have flocked to see The Museum of Memories throughout the past few months before its closure on 3rd April, including Mayors from all around the region who visited on 10th March for the annual ‘Wigan At Home’ event.

The Trencherfield Mill site is now clear for the start of the massive redevelopment project, which will see a new 750-seater performance theatre, a new heritage-based attraction, plus shops and bars, by Spring 2007.

Wigan Pier Manager, Carole Tyldesley, commented: "We have hosted the ‘At Home’ event for a vast number of years and are pleased to be able to promote Wigan to civic heads around the North West. This year is special in that it marks the end of the Museum of Memories but also the beginning of a new start for Wigan Pier."

Meanwhile, the Wigan Pier Quarter exhibition continues its tour of the Libraries. It can currently be seen in Leigh Library until the 18th April, whereby it will be moved to Orrell Library until 2nd May and then Standish Library (full programme can be seen at www.wiganpier.net)

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Green & Healthy in Astley (Astley Ward)

Work is well under way to create a second Play Garden, this time in Astley. Following on from the tremendous success of the Hindley Play Patch, the Parks Team is set to open an even better garden area with its own Sure Start Ranger, Ellen Milligan. Once again, this is a close collaboration with the Council's Sure Start Team, who have contributed the majority of the capital to get the project off the ground and have found the revenue funding for the first year of operation.

Thanks are also due to local Ward Members who helped with Brighter Borough funds and to the Cabinet for earmarking some extra income to support the building work. Total spend last year was £110,000 and this year will be £20,000.

Local kids will be growing up appreciating the opportunity for safe play and growing plants with parents who have easy access to information & services. We are still building our portfolio of pictures taken through the build, and will top these off with the smiling faces of happy young gardeners early in the summer. We are also proud to be ensuring that these young citizens of tomorrow are being included and start their lives using our services. Thanks are also due to the Trust's Project Management Team for help and advice.

Atherton Working to Remember (Atherton Ward)

An 18 month consultation is close to fruition in Atherton, where a local project group has been supported by the Parks Development Team to renew the surrounds at Atherton's Cenotaph. Perhaps, surprisingly, the group members include local high school students as well as war veterans. Final plans are being prepared to keep the Cenotaph as a formal entrance feature to the town and to create a new garden and ‘community plant nursery’ at the disused Play Team depot. Local residents have been involved at all stages and it is hoped the green light will be given soon to some initial refurbishment this summer. Further bids for another £200,000 will follow with the whole scheme, taking another year or two.

Two of the more innovative aspects of the project are related to information and active gardening. The plan is to make information about Atherton in wartime available on the Internet. Research by Hesketh Fletcher High School on wartime jobs and rationing will join the names of all those local servicemen who died in service. Local residents with no garden or time to offer are to be encouraged to grow plants to make Atherton even greener; the ‘community plant nursery’ could be growing flowers and shrubs to brighten a pensioners garden or a corner of a school. The Trust is certainly happy to be promoting healthy exercise, recycling its own redundant assets and raising community pride.

Thanks are also due to local Ward Members and the Township Team for all their work in making this happen and ensuring that everyone has had a voice in negotiations.

CEMETERIES & CREMATORIUM SECTION

Cemeteries (Hindley, Leigh, Tyldesley)

Cemeteries in Hindley, Leigh and Tyldesley have seen £40,000 of investment improve their main pathways. Through a partnership between the Environmental Development Section at Atherton Town Hall and the Environmental Management Group, new tarmac path repairs are underway in all the three cemeteries. The repairs carried out were much needed and the level of investment involved proves there is a commitment to improve cemeteries access. Hindley Cemetery was completed by the end of March; Tyldesley and Leigh are still in the process of being repaired.

HAIGH HALL

Juniors Hit the Greens at Haigh!

Haigh Hall Golf Complex has launched a new initiative to secondary schools in the borough, following on from the success of their primary schools outreach activity. Funding for the new initiative has come from a private sponsor and the amount has been doubled thanks to Sports Match.

The schools initially selected to benefit from the funding are: St. John Fisher RC in Springfield, St. Peter’s RC in Orrell and Standish Community High. The schools will receive 2-hours coaching per week throughout the summer term for 16 pupils, selected by the school.

Ian Lee, Head Golf Professional at Haigh commented: "Haigh Hall Golf Complex is committed to ‘Golf for All’. One of our aims is to create and promote opportunities for young people to experience the game of golf. We are delighted with the successes to date and will continue to develop young golfers in Wigan, by working closely alongside schools and offering excellent facilities at the Academy up at Haigh."

As part of the new initiative, all Wigan secondary schools will be invited to take part in an inter-schools cup on Monday 4 July.

COMMUNITY REGENERATION & PLANNING

PLAY SECTION

Play’In Out Team Go From Strength to Strength

The Play'In Out Team is an outreach play project, which consists off three Playworkers and a van full of exciting play equipment. The team travel around the borough providing thousands of children with play based sessions within their local community and play areas. During school holidays the Play'In Out Team deliver up to three play sessions a day in a variety settings. The sessions are free to children and the team operate an 'Open Access' policy and welcome all children regardless of race, ability or gender (these sessions are advertised in the Trust’s Kids Festival leaflet). During term time, the team is heavily involved with consultation with children, play training for children and closely working with voluntary out of school clubs.

The Play'In Out Team is currently involved with the NRSI project (Neighbourhood Road Safety Initiative). This is a national project which aims to dramatically decrease the number of children killed and injured on the roads. The team felt that out of school play could be heavily part of this project.

The Play'in Out Team, along with the Trust’s Playground Development Officer, Alan Brown, developed a project where five local play areas within the Borough would be developed and improved, in order to get the children off the streets and back onto their play areas. The five areas selected were chosen as they are situated in 'Blackspots' - areas where children had been killed or seriously injured.

To date, the team has successfully consulted with children within the Ince area, and the development work to Walmsley Park is almost completed. The next consultation was due to start after the Easter holidays and this project will based around improvements to Firs Park in Leigh.

Norley Hall Adventure Playground

A chance for children to have their say!

Norley Hall Adventure Playground is an open access adventure playground situated in the heart of the Norley Hall Estate on Lamberhead Road. The Play Section has recently undertaken a consultation with its members to ask for their views on the Adventure Playground.

Over one thousand children were sent questionnaires that asked questions on opening times, choice of play activities, types of equipment and if they would add or change anything about the playground.

Staff and volunteers delivered questionnaires to children who lived within one mile of the playground and the rest were posted out. A freepost envelope was provided for the responses.

The results will give the children a unique opportunity to shape their play facility and for children to decide what they want at the playground. Results will be published in May 2005.

Community Redevelops Play Area on Hag Fold

The Play Association on Hag Fold in Atherton has nearly completed a very special project for all the children on the estate.

Spa Road play area was looking tired and run down but was well loved by the children and families who used it.

The Play Association and volunteers from the estate held consultation days, and a plan was drawn up to develop the play area. A bid was put forward to SRB5 and was successful. The Play Section will support the open day scheduled for Saturday 16th April. The play area will be renamed as Rainbow Park, a name chosen by the children from the estate.

ARTS & FESTIVALS

Festival season in full flow

The festivals and events season is now well and truly upon us, with over 22 public events running between April and October, delivered and supported by the Trust’s Arts and Festivals Team.

The Words 05 Literary Festival that finished in April was bigger and bolder than its previous year with a wide variety of events to suit all tastes and generations.

Also taking place in April is the Vivace Trust’s Premier of a Famine for Freedom, which involves over 1000 local school children. The Youth Arts Challenge celebrates this year’s achievements of young people involved in arts based projects, as well as launching the 2005 scheme. At the Turnpike in Leigh, there are two exciting exhibitions at the Turnpike Centre in Leigh, ‘Stigma’ which explores bullying and the effects of it on mental well being and ‘Objects of Desire’ which is the annual exhibition for local artists.

Things hot up in June with a host of international performers and community groups taking to the marble cross stage in Wigan’s Market Place on June 1st – 3rd, whilst cross-generations act out a community play in Atherton celebrating local dialect and traditions on 10th June. June also features the first of two major arts events at Haigh Country Park, with Wigan Music Collective’s sizzling annual showcase of local and up and coming bands. Over 5 hours of live music, for free, on June 19th.

If you fancy celebrating arts across Greater Manchester, pop along to Platt Fields in Manchester, June 3rd – 5th for a gigantic weekend in the Garden of Delights, with Wigan represented by the creative talents of the Disability Arts Forum.

20th Wigan International Jazz Festival

This year’s festival runs from Saturday July 9 to Saturday July 16 and it promises to be eight days of real excitement as the festival moves to two great new venues, the Pier Centre (for both Saturdays) and the Marquee at the JJB Stadium.

To celebrate this year’s special anniversary the quality of the artists involved is stronger than ever, and this year’s line-up will reach out to a wider audience. As always the festival has an international flavour, but some of the finest young Jazz talent the UK has to offer will also be appearing, particularly at the dinner jazz at Rigalettos.

Jazz Festival Musical Director, Ian Darrington, is confident that this year will be a real success. "It’s going to be one of the best festivals ever," remarked Ian. "We are an international festival and the artists reflect that. We are particularly proud to be welcoming some of the world’s top big bands this year as well as some legendary vocal talent."

Highlights of the festival include: The Manhattan Transfer, the Count Basie Orchestra, the Woody Hermann Orchestra, Joey De Francseco and James Morrison. Regular workshops and seminars will also take place as the festival is keen to maintain its educational value.

COMMERCIAL SERVICES

HALLS SECTION

‘Once Upon a Time In Wigan’ comes home!

This May sees Lowton Civic Hall playing host to a play celebrating the halcyon era of Northern Soul and its spiritual home, Wigan Casino. The play entitled ‘Once Upon A Time In Wigan’, returns home as part of a major national tour that has been a storming, sold out success for the last years.

Premiered to great acclaim at Manchester’s Contact Theatre in 2003, and nominated for three Manchester Evening News Awards, ‘Once Upon a Time In Wigan’ comes highly recommended for all audiences. The Guardian said: "Northern Soul fans will adore this play, while drama lovers can admire its soul".

Once Upon A Time In Wigan is a celebration of the rise and fall of one of the most unique of musical times. Blending rich humour, a tender pathos, enthralling dance moves and a soundtrack of priceless soul greats, the show charts the birth of the all night rave and dance culture, the death of old industries, and ultimately, the demise of Wigan Casino itself.

Putting on a play of such magnitude is a very ambitious step on behalf of Commercial Services. Tickets are currently selling well and we urge anyone interested in coming along to book their tickets early. The play runs from May 24th to 28th and tickets are available from the Box Office on 01942 825677.

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