Three-times Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie will officially start the 70 day journey of the Olympic Flame tomorrow (Saturday) which means in less than two weeks it will be here in Wigan!
It will arrive in the borough on the afternoon of Thursday May 31 as part of its tour around the country before the Olympic Games in July.

Wigan’s Trencherfield Mill will host a bumper Bank Holiday Heritage Day on Monday 7 May.
Classic cars, classic bikes, traction engines, canal trips and a vintage clothes and crafts fair will ensure an action packed programme for all the family and best of all it’s free!

A GROUP of Wigan Borough young people have been offered the trip of a lifetime after their hard work on the town’s new Youth Zone.

Meet Nina Alexandre, one of the most selfless young people in Wigan Borough.
Twelve year old Nina from Worsley Hall is the winner of the My Mark project, a campaign to show to how young contribute to their local community and make their mark in Wigan Borough.

TWO public meetings have been organised for people to have their say on a proposal to create a state-of-the-art University Technical College (UTC) in Wigan.
As part of the consultation on this new educational concept, residents can find out more and ask questions at the public meetings at Wigan Investment Centre, Waterside Drive on Tuesday 1 May and Thursday 10 May. Both evenings start at 7pm.

Leigh Library, Local Studies and the Turnpike Gallery have joined forces to create a ‘Super Saturday’ on 28 April at the Turnpike Centre in Leigh.
Drop-in any time between 11am and 2.30pm and enjoy a range of events and activities for all the family, including Wii games, a Victorian toys handling session, and an art workshop as part of the Tunrpike’s new exhibition ‘Art + Play’. 

A new vision to create a state-of-the-art University Technical College (UTC) in Wigan took a giant leap forward today.
Consultation has now begun on an exciting educational concept which plans to take hands-on training and academic qualifications to a new level.

Wigan Pier Theatre Company is running a drama taster day for young people aged seven to 21 years old.
Open to new and existing members,  the drama workshops -organised by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust (WLCT) -  will take place at the Academy of Live & Recorded Arts on Thursday 12 April as follows:

An Easter play that dates back centuries will be performed at the Turnpike Centre in Leigh this Saturday.
The Abram Pace Eggers will be entertaining the crowds with a traditional Easter Pace Egg play. Everyone can watch for free and children can even dress up as one of the characters from the play!

The Turnpike Gallery in Leigh will become a sea of words for its next exhibition.
Commissioned as part of this year’s Leigh and Wigan Words Together Literary Festival, the exhibition will see the gallery transformed by visual poet Philip Davenport, whose poems will stretch across walls and spill onto floors when it opens on Tuesday 3 April.

The countdown is well and truly on until the Olympic Torch Relay comes to Wigan Borough – and now its exact route can be revealed!
Leader of Wigan Council, Lord Smith said: “We are all tremendously proud to welcome the Torch.  The borough has a rich sporting heritage and we’ll be making the most of the time when the eyes of the world are on us.”
The Torch Convoy will be nearly a fortnight into its journey across the UK when, on the afternoon 31 May 2012, it arrives in Lowton. 

Some Wigan’s best-known people are set to have their names immortalised in stone as part of the borough’s very own Walk of Fame.
To celebrate the launch of Wigan Council’s exciting new public services hub – the Wigan Life Centre - on Monday 20 February, a trio of famous Wiganers who have excelled in the spheres of sport, culture and business will see their very own ‘star’ inserted in the impressive Piazza at the front of the new building.

Wigan’s Haigh Hall Live and Haigh Festival will be postponed for a year it was announced today.

Women in Wigan and Leigh are being urged to join the fight against all cancers by entering Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.
Event organisers are issuing the rallying cry ‘it’s all of us versus cancer’ to mums, daughters, sisters, grandmas and friends, encouraging them to sign up as soon as possible.

Three north west authors will be appearing at the new Wigan Life Centre Library in February to mark National Libraries Day. Organiser Carole Ogden from Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust said: “These are some of the best writers in the north west so we’re extremely delighted to be hosting such high profile visits.
“This is all about celebrating local talent and inspiring others. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to meet and chat with some of the north west’s finest.”

The Community Football Leagues make a welcome return for 2012 this Friday, January 13th.

The north west’s only newly built central library to open in 2012 will unlock its doors to the public on Monday.
With more than 70,000 books, 37 computers with free internet access, a large collection of CDs and DVDs, and an events programme packed to the rafters the new Wigan Library opens to the public on Monday 9 January.
Set across two floors it is complete with a children’s section, a dedicated teen library space, reference, fiction and non-fiction departments and will host more events and author visits than you can shake a bookmark at!

Two generations of politicians came together to share ideas over a Christmas dinner this week.

Wigan and Leigh’s annual literature event will go ahead in 2012 thanks to a £40,000 grant from the Arts Council.

A new exhibition by young people celebrating the sporting heritage of Wigan Borough will be launched on Tuesday, December 6th.

Young people with autism in Wigan Borough can now benefit from an innovative new sports therapy.

CAST, known for their fishing ponds in Springview, have unveiled a new indoor centre made up of several deep fishing canals in large greenhouses.

A selfless group of young people from Marsh Green have staged a sporting tournament to raise money for Help for Heroes.

Wigan Council’s Outdoor Education Team is running a Basic Expedition Leadership training course.

The Meadows Youth Facility in Worsley Hall now have their own football club and are looking for other local teams to join them for matches.

When teams of previously unemployed young people began working on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal towpath in Bamfurlong, south of Platt Bridge, last March, little did they realise what their efforts would achieve. 

Five young women can now cook a healthy meal for themselves and their families for just £5 a day, after completing a healthy eating course.

Autumn is with us but the pitfalls of the season hold no fear for pupils at Lowton High, who been learning all about how to stay safe when they’re making their way to and from school.

Young people, older members of the community and council workers have come together to have their say as part of Local Democracy Week 2012

Wigan’s Members of Youth Parliament head to London on November 4 for a debate in the House of Commons

Twelve places are available on a new course to help young people with additional needs get ready for the world of work.

From Monday 10 to Friday 14 October a special programme of events will run in the borough’s schools and in the community exploring how the choices voters make can influence the day-to day running of Wigan Borough.

The Meadows youth facility now has a garden befitting its name after some help from Groundwork volunteers.

Young people from Worsley Hall have been awarded with an Amateur Boxing Association Award.

Have you ever had anything stolen? Or perhaps one of your peers has started a fight with you? These were just some of the questions asked to teenagers from across the borough who attended the Youth Voice on Crime conference at the DW Stadium.

Over 100 young people took part in the 2011 Summer Boost Programme which offered a huge range of vocational skills delivered by professional tutors.

Swinley man Ian Mills has set off on a epic challenge to cycle from Lands End to John O’Groats.

A group of young people from Standish are the first to benefit from the Standish Prince’s Trust programme delivered and managed locally by Groundwork Lancashire West & Wigan, which will see them gain new skills, new friends and several new qualifications.

The cream of Wigan borough’s young people were honoured at a special celebration event on Saturday.

The cream of Wigan borough’s young people were honoured at a special celebration event on Saturday (24th September).

An innovative new scheme to provide activities for young people launched in Standish on Saturday.

Young people from The Meadows youth facility have dug out their tired, old bikes to fix them up - and learn some life skills in the process.

Young people from Wigan Borough promise to be the life and sole of the party after managing to shoe in an entry to the Manchester Pride parade.

A Foster Family Fun Day takes place this Friday (August 19th) at Haigh Hall.

Nominations are now being accepted for an awards ceremony which will celebrate all that’s class about children and young people in Wigan and Leigh.

A group of young people from Ashton are giving something back to the community by laying on activities for the next four Friday evenings.

This annual Wigan Water Festival event takes place this Saturday (July 30th)  from 10am – 3pm at Scotmans Flash, off Poolstock Lane in Wigan.

The Mayor for the Day competition returns this October as part Local Democracy Week 2011, giving you the opportunity to spend the day as an honorary Mayor of Wigan.
You’ll get to try on the robes, accompany the current Mayor Councillor Joy Birch to the prestigious events she attends, pick up a special medal and more.

The hotly contested 20/20 cricket final is set to take place at Highfield Cricket Club this Sunday.

Young people from Atherton’s New Greenhall School were celebrating victory  after winning the Special School’s Athletics Tournament this week.

Summer is upon us and Wigan’s Outdoor Education Team are kicking off their annual project to make sure young people can safely enjoy the borough’s canals.

Wigan Borough will have a state-of-the-art new multi-million pound new youth facility to rival any in the country for a fraction of the cost to the taxpayer.

The under 16s boys and under 16s girls teams made up of young people from St Edmund Arrowsmith School in Ashton have both brought home gold in their respective categories

Are you a young person who wants to get involved and make positive changes in your area? Then look out for these youth workers who are coming to a neighbourhood near you!

Wigan Cricket Development Group's (WCDG)  summer cricket bonanza kicks off on Wednesday June 1st with the WCDG 24-hour charity bat-a-thon. 

The Marsh Green community have come together to back a young people’s football tournament raising money for Wigan and Leigh Hospice.

A sheep or two would not usually look out of place in your average meadow. But this farmyard creature can now also be found in the heart of the Worsley Hall thanks to a group of enterprising young people.

Being out of work is not an easy situation for anyone to find themselves in. But one group of young people from Wigan have used it as a opportunity to make a DVD to help inform future decisions on services for the unemployed.

Last year some of Wigan and Leigh’s best unsigned bands got to experience the real “rock and roll” deal on a stage fit for some of the world’s top pop artists.

A 15-year-old boy has returned to Hindley Sports Centre to thank staff for saving his life following a cardiac arrest.