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 To read the review, you can either scroll
down the page, or use the chapter headings to jump to a particular
section.
Contents
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Overview & Introduction
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Libraries Heritage & Information
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Sport & Healthy Living
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Community Regeneration Services
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Environmental
Services
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Corporate Support
Message from the Chair of
the Board
Jacqui Boardman
"Welcome to the fourth annual review of
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust.
It is with pride that I introduce our fourth annual report and sadly my
last as Chair of the WLCT Board. In preparation for this review I have
not only been reflecting on our progress during 2006/7, but thinking
back as to how much the Trust has developed from its initial formation
in 2003.
As with any new organisation it takes time to create its own identity,
to understand enough about the customer and client needs to be able to
formulate an appropriate future strategy, and to have enough confidence
to implement that strategy. I believe we have now achieved this and I am
pleased to report that WLCT is now fully established as a successful
charitable Trust.
Furthermore, our Enterprises subsidiary has found its feet and is in a
much better position to develop into a thriving business venture.
Over the past four years we have created a new vision for leisure and
culture, made significant changes to the way we offer our services and
initiated some major projects, all under the banner of ‘Getting Wigan
Active’. I am immensely proud of our achievements and I really feel that
we have made a significant difference to the delivery of leisure and
cultural services across Wigan Borough. Having said that, there is a lot
more we can do and the challenge going forward is to continue to grow
and develop.
I would like to thank all of the Trustees for their continued commitment
to the organisation. They give up their time freely and their hard work,
expertise and enthusiasm is welcomed and appreciated.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my involvement with the Trust and on a
personal level I would like to thank all team members for their support.
Without them the Trust wouldn’t be the fabulous organisation it is
today!
With the new Business Strategy taking the organisation forward to 2012
and my handover to a new Chair in January 2008, I am sure that Wigan
Leisure and Culture Trust is set up for a bright future and I look
forward to seeing it progress with interest."
Message from the Chief Executive
Rodney Hill
I am delighted to introduce the fourth
Annual Review and Report for the Trust.
2006/07 was an important year for the future planning and direction of
the Trust. The energies of the organisation went into the preparation
work required for a five-year Business Strategy which will determine the
direction of the organisation up until 2012.
A robust value for money exercise was undertaken by senior managers and
their teams, and it is on this firm foundation that the Business
Strategy is built.
The Board has agreed that the Getting Wigan Active vision, for its next
stage of development, should have a tighter focus. It is now about
Getting Wigan Active and Improving People’s Lives.
The organisation recognises that it must demonstrate the impact it is
making if it is to be valued as a major contributor to the wider social
objectives within the borough.
An important theme for the year was making connections with partners.
The wonderful Platt Bridge Community First scheme, which included our
first new library for many years, demonstrated some key themes for the
future. These include the co-location of services and trying to make
them as seamless as possible to the customer, and targeting our services
to the more deprived communities within the borough. We aim to build on
this through the Building Schools for the Future programme and the
developing Joint Service Centre at the heart of Wigan town centre.
We continue to work in close partnership with the members of the
Cultural Partnership, which produced a Cultural Manifesto for the
borough, along with a DVD celebrating culture’s major contribution to
the life and well-being of the community.
As in previous years, I would like to pay tribute to the Council, the
Cultural Partnership and the Board of Trustees for their energy and
focus and strategic direction and, above all else, to our staff for
their ongoing hard work, determination and enthusiasm.
This Annual Review indicates how much positive work has already been
done, but we also recognise how much more can be done, and we will be
striving ever harder to achieve this.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading our latest Annual Review.
Introduction
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust was formed in 2003. The Trust is a
recognised charity that works on behalf of Wigan Council to manage and
support leisure and cultural facilities, initiatives and events for
306,000 residents living in the Wigan Borough.
WLCT is sustained by a combination of external funding and income
generation, including a community service fee from Wigan Council
(£15.798m in 2006/07). Over £2.4m was funded from external sources in
2006/07. The Trust is also a social enterprise, meaning any surplus
income generated is invested in improving facilities and services for
the people of Wigan Borough.
The Trust’s activities cover a broad range of cultural and leisure
pursuits. A trading arm exists for services that are deemed not to be
charitable. These are the catering services at Haigh, Leisure Venues and
the Greenspaces Service. Each of these services comes under the Wigan
Leisure and Culture Enterprises banner.
A Board of Trustees has the legal responsibility for ensuring that the
Trust is managed appropriately.
The Trust provides a wide range of services including the following:
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Libraries,
Heritage & Information Services |
Sport & Healthy
Living Services |
Community
Regeneration Services |
Environmental
Services |
Corporate
Support Services |
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Libraries |
Leisure Centres &
Swimming Pools |
Children’s play
areas and play activities |
Parks &
Countryside |
All support
services including Finance, Human Resources, Projects & Facilities & Marketing
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Care services for
those not able to access mainstream library service |
Profiles
Fitness Suites |
Arts & Festivals |
Sports Pitches |
Tourism |
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Heritage services
inc. The History Shop and Wigan Pier |
Sports Development |
Community & Youth
Development |
Green
Spaces Team |
Leisure Venues |
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Wigan Pier |
Active Living |
Turnpike Gallery |
Haigh Hall &
Country Park (inc. Golf complex) |
|
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Cemeteries &
Crematoria |
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Since the Trust’s formation, the executive
management team has been focused on revisioning key areas to provide
high quality, modern services. The year 2006/07 saw the Trust begin to
develop a new Business Strategy for the Trust to be implemented in the
following financial year.
As part of the strategy the Trust’s ‘Getting Wigan Active’ vision was
revised to include ‘and Improving People’s Lives’. As well as aiming to
increase participation levels across the community and encouraging good
citizenship, the revised vision now focuses on how the Trust can have a
positive impact on the lives of the borough’s residents.
During 2006/07 the Trust continued to focus its efforts on improving
those areas that had previously suffered from under-investment. The
Trust’s investment fund supports major capital projects to enable
improvements and new facilities for the future such as Leigh Indoor
Sports Centre and the new Platt Bridge library.
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Libraries Heritage & Information
 Library Services
Introduction
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust is responsible for the management of 16
libraries: two town libraries, four area libraries and ten community
libraries. In addition it runs three mobile libraries as well as the
school and housebound library services.
Wigan’s library services maintained the progress made in 2005/06.
Through a series of new initiatives and by building on the solid
foundations established in the original re-visioning program, the
library service in 2006/07 began to make a significant impact with its
customers.
Customer Satisfaction
The results from the Public Library User Survey provided some pleasing
results for the service. The survey covered all 16 libraries and found
that 94.4% of library users were satisfied with the library service
overall.
Particular praise came in for staff, ‘helpfulness’ was rated at 98.9%
and customers gave their approval to the new opening hours rolled out
across libraries; 92.6% thought they worked well.
Some of the other significant results from the survey were:
• 90.4% of library visitors found a book to borrow;
• 77.7% thought that the library’s were attractive on the inside;
• 94.1% felt libraries were a safe place to visit;
• 86.6% approved of the choice of books;
• 81.3% felt that the computer facilities were good;
• and 95.8% were satisfied with the quality of information provided.
Platt Bridge Library
A major milestone for the library service took place in November. For
the first time in over twenty years a new public library was opened at
Platt Bridge as part of the Platt Bridge Community First facility which
includes a new primary school, health facilities, adult services, a
housing office and a children’s centre.
The facility is a prime example of successful partnership working and is
already paying dividends for all involved. From November to March the
library had 13,281 visitors, 15,590 issues, 195 class visits and 4,400
pupil visits.
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust invested over £170,000 to fit out the
library with an array of excellent facilities. The new ‘Explore’ theme
was introduced throughout the library to complement the borough’s 15
other libraries.
The new facilities included:
• a children's library incorporating 16 computers, an interactive white
board, study space and over 8000 books;
• an area for teenagers including soft seating, Play Station and a
computer;
• and a separate adult library incorporating six computers, a DVD and CD
collection, and over 6000 books.
The new facility was re-located from Abram Library just a mile away. The
former Abram Library building was handed back to Wigan Council who plan
to re-open the building as a community facility with some self service
outreach library facilities.
Activities and Initiatives
During 2006/07 the drive to ensure libraries are facilities to be
enjoyed by all age groups continued apace. A notable success was First
Time Online funded from the University for Industry. This initiative
attracted 1,661 attendees who were able to enjoy free short sessions to
learn more about how to access and make greater use of the Internet.
The successful Premier League Reading Stars scheme was again led by the
library service in partnership with Wigan Athletic. Eloquent team
captain Arjan De Zeeuw was Wigan’s chosen Reading Star. Twenty children
from four local primary schools benefited from the scheme which
encouraged them to read with their families more often.
A series of other high profile initiatives to encourage greater
community involvement were launched. These included:
• Adult Learners Week – free taster sessions from aromatherapy to
computers;
• a fines amnesty – to encourage users to return their books without
fear of fines;
• a post-New Year health week at Leigh Library;
• a new volunteers scheme;
• a ‘Read a Book in a Day’ challenge across the borough;
• over 1,000 children and their families attended the Under Five’s
Festival;
• 8,000 free book packs were distributed as part of the Bookstart
campaign;
• a Fiction Festival at Aspull and Standish libraries;
• and regular youth activities – free sessions in DJing and BMXing.
All of these schemes, together with the continued introduction of new
opening hours and the roll out of the new ‘explore’ brand, has helped to
increase the number of people visiting libraries. Not only did they help
to raise the profile of the library they also proved that libraries are
vital community hubs. The 2006/07 visitor numbers were up by over 4% on
the previous year.
The library service moved into 2007/08 with another year of progress
under its belt and with exciting projects such as the Joint Service
Centre in Wigan town centre progressing well. The Platt Bridge Community
First project has set a precedent for the library service and underlines
the success that can be achieved if libraries are allowed to continually
evolve at the heart of the community.
Heritage Services
Wigan Heritage Services comprises Wigan Pier, The History Shop, Leigh
Local History and Leigh Archives and Wigan Pier Theatre Company. This
financial year was a period of great transition for the service as it
looked towards future projects that would continue to provide an
attractive and innovative heritage service for the borough.
A New Vision
A new ten year vision for Wigan Heritage Services was finalised in
2006/07 following a year of extensive public consultation.
The new vision aims to give the public greater opportunities to learn
about the borough’s rich and exciting heritage. Many of the ideas coming
out of the vision will result in some significant changes to the way
heritage is delivered in the borough.
Focusing on the customer’s experience, the vision aims to reach out to
the community more than ever. The long term objectives include:
• The refurbishment of The History Shop making it more accessible with a
lift to the first floor, new ‘Wigan story’ exhibitions, temporary
exhibition space, a re-equipped first floor study area and a dedicated
education space;
• the development of the Wigan Pier Quarter’s Arts and Heritage Learning
Centre;
• broadening access to the collections including those held in the
archives at Leigh Town Hall and local history in Leigh;
• ensuring that learning is at the centre of the service through
exhibitions, activities and outreach work;
• providing support to all groups who wish to get involved in their own
heritage.
The service has already set about improving its customer relations. In
2006 it achieved Charter Mark status. Heritage Services also led the
borough’s Holocaust Memorial events in January 2007, hosting well
attended, moving and engaging services on both sides of the borough.
Leigh Local History and Leigh Archives proved to be an invaluable public
resource in 2006/07 responding to 779 enquiries. The ever popular Past
Forward magazine also provided local people with a unique mix of local
history articles and information.
History Shop
Central to the success of the new vision is the bid to the Heritage
Lottery Fund to improve The History Shop’s accessibility and increase
the opportunities for people of all ages to engage with their heritage
through new exhibitions and programmes. News of the bid is expected in
autumn 2007.
The History Shop continued to engage with the community through a
successful series of exhibitions contributing to the 16,138 visitors
during the year. Highlights included:
• ‘Feast of Photography’ which brought together some of the borough’s
finest photographers to display a range of breathtaking local images;
• ‘Bloomin’ Lovely’ celebrated the natural wonder of botany, gardening
and vegetable cultivation in the borough;
• ‘Young People and War - Coop's Story’ - young residents journeyed back
in time to discover the story of local soldiers who fought during the
Great War.
The History Shop team also further developed their outreach programme of
activities including events for children and families such as ‘It’s A
Small World’. Informal learning and outreach activities were enjoyed by
1631 participants in all parts of the borough.
Wigan Pier: ‘The Way We Were’
The Wigan Pier team continued to play an invaluable role to the service
in 2006/07 as delays to the Wigan Pier Quarter development meant that
The Way We Were remained open for an extra year.
Despite the team having to plan for decommissioning, visitor levels were
steady with over 40,000 people visiting the site in 2006/07. Customer
service levels remained excellent throughout the year with Wigan Pier
staff again achieving Charter Mark status and the VAQAS accreditation.
The visitor attraction remained popular with school groups in particular
and there was a greater emphasis on family activity sessions and
outreach work. With one eye on the future developments of heritage in
the borough learning officers delivered a variety of sessions to
including memory workshops for older people in care.
The Trencherfield Mill Engine will remain central to any future heritage
developments at the Wigan Pier Quarter as will the invaluable team of
volunteers who work at the Pier and throughout the service.
Wigan Pier Theatre Company
As well as the interpretation of heritage at The Way We Were, Wigan Pier
Theatre Company provides a range of community based theatre activities.
The company was boosted by a £60,000 cash injection from a variety of
external funding groups in 2006/07 helping to increase its outreach
capacity. Nine youth theatre groups were co-ordinated across Wigan
Borough in 2006/07, including a new group covering Lowton and Golborne.
In addition the company ran two adult community theatre groups.
The company was also involved in a huge range of events and activities
providing quality support and opportunities to partners and the
community, highlights included:
• Scriptshop’s Replay Cabaret – a series of development workshops and
performances for local writers;
• R.U.Ready – a new play looking at relationships, sexual health and
personal responsibility toured Wigan and Leigh college and other
agencies;
• Saying Hello - a radio play dealing with the issues of isolation and
loneliness;
• Murder Mystery events at Haigh Hall;
The Theatre Company will continue to deliver heritage outreach work
within its remit of developing theatrical opportunities for people of
all ages and abilities across the borough.
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Sport & Healthy Living
 Active Life
Active Life services play a key role in Wigan Leisure and Culture
Trust’s drive to Get Wigan Active. Managing eight leisure sites across
the borough (including five swimming pools) Active Life continually aims
to improve and provides some of the best public sports facilities in the
North West.
Introduction
The financial year 2006/07 was a challenging, yet rewarding one, for
Active Life services. Investment in new equipment and the modernisation
of facilities continued and there was more focus than ever on improving
the customer’s experience.
Free Swimming
Thanks to Active Life, Wigan Borough now has the distinction of being
the only area in the whole of the UK that provides free swimming for
both children (aged 16 and under) and older people (aged 60 years and
over).
As part of the ‘Lifestyle’ scheme, which also includes access to a range
of discounted sports activities, the free swimming initiatives mean that
Wigan Borough’s pools are busier than ever. By the end of 2006/07 the
scheme had over 50,000 active members; well above the original target of
40,000.
Investment
An unexpected rise in utility costs meant that budgets across the
service were tighter than forecast. Nevertheless this did not hamper the
efforts to upgrade existing facilities. The introduction of new Easy
Line equipment at Robin Park and Howe Bridge meant that low resistance
circuit training could now be enjoyed by all age groups and abilities.
A £215,000 refurbishment of Howe Bridge Sport Centre’s changing
facilities was also completed in March. Howe Bridge is the borough’s
busiest swimming pool with over 200,000 swims annually. The new changing
rooms have made a huge improvement to the look and feel of the site and
have also provided essential new disabled and family changing
facilities.
Appearing on the horizon for Active Life is the new £6.4m Leigh Indoor
Sports Centre. Construction of the exciting new facility, funded by
Wigan Council, Greenbank Partnership, and the Trust, will be completed
in late 2007.
The sports centre is one of the first major milestones in the £83m Leigh
Sports Village project and will be the first new public sports facility
in Leigh for over 30 years. Leigh Indoor Sports Centre will include:
• Swimming pool – a 25m, six-lane pool suitable for regional galas with
spectator seating for 190 people;
• Sports hall – consisting of eight courts, can be used for badminton,
basketball, netball and volleyball with seating for up to 280 people;
• Profiles Health and Fitness Suite – a 65 work station gym with weight
resistance and cardiovascular equipment;
• Multi-purpose room – will provide a range of aerobic sessions and
martial arts activities for up to 40 people;
• Aerobics suite – ideal for aerobic work-outs and suitable for all ages
and abilities;
• Changing room village – a series of individual changing areas
complemented by six additional changing rooms.
Customer Focus
‘Customer Focus’ was a key phrase for Active Life this year. Four
centres: Robin Park Arena, Ashton Leisure Centre, Tyldesley Pool and
Hindley Pool, all achieved ‘Quest’ status following an independent
assessment.
Quest is the quality standard award for the UK’s Sport and Leisure
industry. The accreditation defines industry standards and good
practice. The new status for Active Life’s facilities is evidence that
they have strong management plans focused on good customer service.
Each centre had to achieve a score of at least 60% in order to achieve
the standard. The final scores were excellent for first time
assessments: Robin Park Arena - 72%, Ashton Leisure Centre – 73%,
Tyldesley Pool – 68% and Hindley Pool - 68%.
The Future
Active Life will continue to play a key role in the Trust’s business
objectives over the next five years, particularly with regards to
increasing participation and improving people’s health and well-being.
Further Quest accreditations were also being planned for other
facilities.
The new facility in Leigh, together with the development of a new
swimming pool and sports centre as part of the Joint Service Centre
project in Wigan town centre, mean that Active Life will continue to be
a vibrant competitor in the leisure industry.
Sports Development
Wigan Sports Development Unit is at the forefront of the Trust’s vision
Getting Wigan Active. Levels of activity in sport and physical exercise
among young people living in the borough are consistently amongst the
highest in Greater Manchester. This is largely due to the innovative
methods adopted by Sports Development and through the support the team
offers to the borough’s vibrant voluntary sports sector.
Active Coaching Team
2006/07 saw the team dramatically increase its capacity to reach out to
the community through the formation of the Active Coaching Team.
Launched in summer 2006, the team consists of 13 professional coaches
who work within schools and other community venues to provide activities
including rugby league, disability sports and healthy lifestyle award in
and out of school time.
Around 4,000 children from 80 of the borough’s schools took part in
physical activity sessions provided by the Active Coaching Team between
September and December 2006. Another 2,000 children took part in
extra-curricular and community activities provided outside of school
hours.
To ensure that these efforts have a long term impact on the health and
well-being of future generations a ‘Get Active’ schools file is provided
to P.E. teachers helping them to continue with the sessions when coaches
are not available.
Games Success
Wigan had the honour of hosting the 2006 Greater Manchester Mini Games.
The event took place at Robin Park Arena in July and aimed to encourage
primary school children to participate in sport and to understand the
values of fair play.
Teams representing Wigan, Bolton, Bury, Rochdale and Salford,
participated in eight sports including: gymnastics, girls’ football,
tennis, cricket, rugby, basketball, hockey and netball.
Later that month a record number of young sports enthusiasts from across
the borough participated in the Greater Manchester Youth Games. Over 350
young people, representing Wigan Borough joined 3000 of their peers from
across Greater Manchester in a huge celebration of sport and arts.
Team Wigan, supported by the Sport Development Team, put in a sterling
performance taking home gold in the girls’ basketball, girls’ football
and the girls’ tag rugby union competitions. Silver medals were also
awarded to the under-13s badminton and tennis teams, the girls’ B
basketball team and for the under-14s boys duathlon.
Stars Shine for Sports Achievers
The high point of Sports Development’s calendar is the Wigan Borough
Sports Awards held at the JJB Stadium in January.
Underlining the value placed in these awards Wigan Athletic Chairman
Dave Whelan, World Champion swimmer James Hickman, Wigan Warriors’ Chris
Ashton and Mark Calderwood all turned out to help mark the achievements
of the borough’s hundreds of unsung sports volunteers and participants.
The annual ceremony recognised the hard work and dedication put in by
competitors, coaches and clubs from across Wigan Borough. Over 70
nominations were received for the awards in 2006 - by far the largest
number of any area in Greater Manchester.
Six different awards were presented on the night from a variety of
disciplines including football, basketball, gymnastics, cricket and
wrestling. Coach of the Year Sharon Seaton also went on to win the
Greater Manchester Award.
Supporting the Community
An essential area of Sports Development’s work is their support of
community sport and in particular the huge range of voluntary clubs and
coaches that are active in the borough.
In 2006/07, Sport Development organised a series of Champions League
football competitions to provide hundreds of young people with
activities to tackle the problems of anti-social behaviour.
Similarly new opportunities to get involved in sports activities were
promoted to the public at the borough’s first ever sports club fair in
November. Forty clubs from all manner of sports attended, the day
featured demonstrations, advice workshops and a chance for sports fans
to learn more about their local clubs.
Disability Sport and Physical Activity provision continued to grow
during 2006/07. This featured the employment of a full-time Disability
Sports Coach, providing high quality delivery within local schools and
the community. In association with the Wigan Disability Sports Forum (DSF),
opportunities for young people with disabilities were provided in
multi-sports sessions, an All-stars athletics club, and the WAFC -
Ability Counts Football League.
The fit 4 Fun project continued to be successful thanks to the strong
links forged with health professionals. The aim of the project is to
promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles to young people. This
initiative, which included the Fit Friendz programme, targeted schools
with the Healthy Lifestyle Award which educated children to understand
the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle.
The team continues to reach out to all areas of the borough and is
helping to develop a solid infrastructure of professional and voluntary
sports coaches who can help to increase the amount of physical activity
taking place in the borough for many years to come.
Active Living Team
The Active Living Team deliver a huge range of activity programmes aimed
at giving more people more opportunities to be physically active. Much
of their work includes engaging hard to reach groups such as older
people, people with disabilities and people with health problems. During
2006/07 the team has enabled 3,775 adults to access its physical
activity programmes.
Stepping Out
On of the team’s major initiatives is ‘Stepping Out’ which provides
older people with opportunities to increase their physical activity.
There are many different elements:
• Outreach - the team delivered 35 talks and taster sessions to local
groups and sheltered housing and attended 32 events across the borough.
• Senior Peer Mentors – these valuable volunteers, with the support of
Age Concern, continued to help support in classes and health walks.
Three new mentors were recruited during the year.
• Exercise Leadership – 11 people trained tis year as chair-based
exercise instructors.
• Moving More Often – three new courses took place during the year
attended by 61 care and health workers working in residential and
nursing homes.
• Dancing Days - music and dance was used to encourage physical activity
in two residential homes as part of the Fit 2 Dance project with the
Trust’s Arts Team.
• Health Walks - the twice-weekly programme continued to develop during
the year. 101 walks took place involving 2512 people. More help was
received from volunteers recruited through the two Volunteer Walk Leader
Courses held (41 people were trained). Active Living also co-ordinated a
Winter Health Walk programme which was delivered by partner agencies
including the Trust’s rangers, The Forestry Commission, Lancashire
Wildlife Trust and Groundwork.
Steps to Health
The Active Living Team plays a crucial role in helping people who have
health conditions back on the road to recovery through the Steps to
Health scheme. 1,547 people were referred onto the exercise scheme. The
12 week course was completed by 898 people; an exceptional adherence
rate of 64 per cent.
The scheme’s success resulted in its expansion to include outreach work
at Total Fitness and includes specific sessions for cardiac
rehabilitation and stroke rehabilitation. New Weighs, a 12 week
programme of healthy eating advice and gentle exercise was attended by
319 people, 163 completed the course; an adherence rate of 51 per cent.
Health Advice for All
One of the Trust’s most innovative projects is Well at Work. The Active
Living Team led a pilot project working with local employers H.J Heinz
and HMP/YOI Hindley. The project, a regional first for Wigan, aimed to
discover what changes in and around the workplace can make positive
differences to the health of employees.
The team works in partnership with Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT and
Healthworks to deliver a range of interventions aimed at increasing
physical activity, encouraging better diets, giving up smoking, reducing
stress and improving the working environment.
The Food and Physical Activity project in conjunction with Sure Start
and Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT, provided healthy eating and physical
activity opportunities for parents and carers and their 0 to 5
year-olds.
The team provides a range of activities in ten of Sure Start’s
Children’s Centres. In 2006/07 1,911 visits were made by adults and
2,233 by children under 5 to the programmes. The work will expand to all
Sure Start centres in 2007/8.
Reaching Out
The Active Living Team continues to look at new ways in which it can
engage people of all ages and abilities. Other examples of the team’s
work include:
• Training Opportunities – The team, in conjunction with Robin Park
Assessments, organise and deliver training programmes for local people
to gain recognised qualifications in exercise to music, gym and free
weights, circuit training and aqua aerobics. During 2006/07 the team
successfully trained 41 people.
• Next Steps – Approximately 100 classes took place every week,
including a wide variety of activity sessions for adults. Sessions
included an expansion of Tai Chi, Pilates, Dance and New Weighs. The
number of visits in total last year was an astonishing 51,439 with a
further 1,581 visits to taster sessions.
• Bridge Builders - a new project working with mental health services
and support agencies to raise awareness and increase participation in
physical activity amongst mental health service users.
• Let’s Get Active – this project provides physical activity and leisure
opportunities for adults who have a learning disability, to help improve
their health and quality of life.
• Community Falls Prevention – a programme which provides specific
classes for older adults who have had a fall or those at risk of falling
or who have a fear of falling.
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Community Regeneration Services
Arts and Festivals
 Introduction
The Trust’s Arts and Festivals Team has a long term vision for the
development of the arts in Wigan Borough. ‘The Arts Factor’, a strategy
to implement this vision was launched in March 2007. The ethos is to
encourage people to be involved and experience the arts at many
different levels and to ensure it has a positive impact on their lives.
The Arts Factor also highlights how creatively the Trust and its
partners can work together to achieve this.
In 2006/07, the team organised seven major festivals in addition to a
range of major arts development projects and a full calendar of outreach
activities. The team is also responsible for the management of The
Turnpike Gallery in Leigh – the borough’s only purpose built exhibition
space.
Diversity and Engagement
The Arts and Festivals team organised an exciting calendar of key events
throughout the spring and summer to provide fun and engaging activities
and performances for a diverse audience.
The highlight of the summer festival season is the Wigan One World (WOW)
Festival which in 2006 grew its audience to over 6,000 people. Featuring
performers from over 20 different countries this colourful event drew
families from all corners of the borough to join in a unique celebration
of cultural diversity.
The WOW Festival brought the summer’s major arts events to a vibrant and
tumultuous close. The Trust’s other festivals attracted a variety of
audiences through a range of art forms:
• Words ’06 – the annual literary festival included over thirty
different literary events across the borough supported by an
enthusiastic team of volunteers. Events ranged from the Canterbury Rap
to an appearance by lauded novelist Kate Long.
• Haigh Music Festival – has become the local music event for young
people in particular. In partnership with the Wigan Music Collective the
2006 event attracted over 5,000 indie and rock music fans despite
adverse weather.
• Arts for All – a showcase of community talent including theatre, dance
and the visual arts held within the grounds of Haigh Hall and Country
Park.
• Hot on the Streets and Hot on the Square – brought Wigan and Leigh’s
town centres to life with street acrobatics, comedy, magic and drama.
• Dance Fusion – building on the success of the first ever dance
festival in 2006, the 2007 sell-out event was a celebration of the
borough’s vibrant dance scene.
Innovation
In addition to the effervescent festival season the team engage with a
range of audiences to ensure arts activities have a positive impact on
people’s lives.
The Greater Manchester Arts and Health project is hosted by the Trust. A
year long flurry of activities and consultation to study how the arts
can impact positively on people’s health culminated in a major regional
Arts in Health conference. Held at The Lowry in March, the event brought
together key Department of Health and Public Health figures along with
senior arts professionals in a vibrant and productive event, which set
course a clear direction to develop and profile good practice in arts
and health in the region.
The Trust was involved in the organisation of Konnect 2 Dance, a
performance of inclusive dance at the Waterside Arts Centre in Sale. An
invigorating night of integrated dance performance, in conjunction with
Touchdown Dance Company, celebrated talented disabled and non-disabled
performers of all ages from across Greater Manchester.
The innovative Fit 2 Dance project, in partnership with the Trust’s
Active Living Team also came to fruition. The aim of the project is to
provide opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to improve
their health through dance participation.
A radio play exploring the issue of loneliness and isolation as part of
the Saying Hello project was produced in conjunction with Age Concern.
Turnpike Gallery
The Turnpike Gallery continued to go from strength to strength this
year. The annual visitor figures for the gallery were up by a stunning
30 per cent on 2005/06.
The main driver for this upsurge in interest was the gallery’s calendar
of intriguing and stimulating exhibitions, supported by a successful
funding application to Arts Council England, North West. Some of the
year’s highlights include:
• ‘PastPresentFuture’ showcased the diversity of current artistic
practice in the Wigan Borough, featuring more than 40 artworks by 34
local artists.
• ‘Home Environment’ presented the work of two Wigan-based sculptors,
Hawys Mather and Brian Taylor, who use natural materials in their work.
• One of Britain’s leading figurative painters, Tony Bevan, exhibited a
personal selection of his works alongside the writings of Atherton based
Peter Street.
• ‘Plastic Fantastic’ brought together the work of thirteen of the
finest artists and designers from across the UK to challenge the idea
that plastic is purely a material of mass production.
• ‘Audio Art Lab’ took visitors on a journey through sound featuring the
work of three innovative Manchester based artists Simon Blackmore,
Anthony Hall and Steve Symons.
• Leigh based photo-artist David Walker guest curated ‘Between Today and
Yesterday’, an exciting and thought provoking exhibition featuring some
of the leading photo-artists in the UK today.
Introducing new audiences to the pleasures of visual arts is a key
priority of the gallery; their outreach work with local schools,
community groups and residents proved particularly valuable with nearly
200 workshops taking place involving 2700 people.
Moving Forward
The Arts continues to play an important role in the business objectives
of the Trust. The role of both the Arts and Festivals Team and the
Turnpike Gallery make significant contributions to the Trust’s vision
Getting Wigan Active. The development of artistic opportunities across
the voluntary sector through groups such as The Arts Exchange continues
apace thanks to the Trust’s support.
Play Section
By working in partnership with a number of statutory, community and
voluntary organisations the Play Section are able to deliver a diverse
range of play based activities in Wigan Borough. The team develop and
maintain 119 play areas and spaces. An enthusiastic team of play workers
delivered over 600 play sessions over the year. Play’s flagship event
National Playday was attended by over 1,000 children and their families
at Ashfield Park in Standish.
Quality Community Play
A number of quality play sessions were delivered at Norley Hall
Adventure Playground this year. Following consultation with children a
change of opening times was agreed for the winter period and for the
first time the playground opened at weekends. During the summer a packed
programme of play activities took place complemented by after school
sessions.
The Play'in Out Team strived to reach all corners of the borough to
deliver diverse activities for all. During 2006/07 246 outreach play
sessions took place and the team worked directly with nearly 6,000
children.
The team provided free play provision throughout the community and are
proud to wave the flag of diversity reaching out to all ethnic minority
groups in the borough. A key project this year saw the team working with
32 community groups, to deliver an art based project in the build up to
the 2006 World Cup.
Voluntary groups such as scouts and brownies have also benefited
immensely from the support of the team, as has the Wigan Play
Association and other sections within the Trust and Wigan Council.
Support of the voluntary sector takes many forms including service
delivery, training, consultation and development.
A Sure Start
The team obtained continued funding from Sure Start to deliver a diverse
range of play activities with children aged four and under in Hindley.
The popular play sessions at the Monaco Ballroom also continued on a
weekly basis.
There has been continued development of the arts and crafts sessions at
the Sure Start centre while the team also continued to deliver sessions
in partnership with the Parks team at the play patch.
Meanwhile, more than twenty new play areas have been completed or are in
the development stage. Notable editions during this financial year were
at Foggs Fold in Platt Bridge, Lilford Park in Leigh and Orrell Water
Park.
To protect these play areas for future generations a number of Play
Watch schemes are in place. Over 60 sites have established schemes
involving 96 community contacts. As a result, the community helps to
support and monitor three quarters of the borough’s play areas.
Community Development
The Community Development Team are at the forefront of the Trust’s aim
to engage with a diverse range of groups and audiences. The team has
been particularly successful in its work with The Cultural Partnership
in developing a new Cultural Manifesto for Wigan Borough.
Manifesto for the Future
A celebratory and forward-looking context was set for the Cultural
Partnership’s new manifesto in DVD format - capturing the pride and
vibrancy of Wigan Borough and, encouraging the wider community’s
involvement in cultural opportunities. It also highlighted culture’s
capacity to contribute to a range of borough-wide social priorities.
‘Cultural Vibrancy: A CV for a Brighter Borough’ was made available
through a variety of venues and the Trust’s website. The DVD reflects
the spirit of the manifesto and is an important tool to encourage
activity and inspire pride. Its aim is to improve the awareness of how
culture can impact positively on the lives of local people.
The Cultural Partnership’s new manifesto also pinpoints a series of
aspirations for cultural change in the Wigan Borough in the run up to
2012. Highlights include:
• the designation of at least two additional local Nature Reserves;
• a modern library, swimming pool and leisure facility in Wigan town
centre;
• and the implementation of a ten year refurbishment plan for Mesnes
Park.
Community Funding
A key role of the Community Development Team is to support the voluntary
sector to pursue a range of funding opportunities to support community
projects and initiatives. In 2006/07 over £200,000 worth of grants were
secured for initiatives ranging from new play equipment to community
building refurbishments. The success of these funding applications
impacts positively on thousands of lives.
Engaging Projects
In addition to the variety of public consultation programmes involving
the team, Community Development also works with partners to provide
positive activities for young people across the borough. In 2006/07 both
the Leigh Neighbours Project and the Hindley Youth Project were
initiated by the team. A total of 200 children and young people took
part in a variety of activities ranging from DJing to sport and dance.
National and regional recognition for the Trust was earned in 2006/07
through the Kick Racism Out Of Football (KROOF) campaign. KROOF was led
by Community Development locally with support from a range of partners.
The team received an Equality and Diversity Award from the Police
Service in 2006 largely due to their innovative approach to tackling
issues of race in the borough.
The 2006 campaign saw two local primary schools team up to perform a
Kick Racism song that was produced as a CD and was performed live to
Wigan Athletic’s players.
Youth Development
The Youth Development Team sits within the Trust but is funded
predominantly by Wigan Council’s Children and Young People’s Services
(CYPS). The team offers professional advice and support to partners and
helps to forge strong links with various sectors of the community.
Communication Tools for Young People
It has been a very productive year for the team, whose main role is to
provide information for 13 to 19 year-olds across Wigan Borough.
One of the biggest successes this year for the team has been the
progress of The LINC Online website. The site provides local young
people with information about useful services, clubs and activities,
while at the same time acting as a portal to put young people in touch
with other youth organisations.
In 2006/07 the number of people visiting The LINC Online increased
dramatically. Between April and June 2006 the site received 23,526 page
hits. This rose to 107,888 between January and March 2007. The site now
regularly receives over 60,000 page hits a month.
The LINC Online is run in tandem with The LINC magazine. During 2006/07
the format of the magazine changed from tabloid size to a 24-page full
colour magazine. Every issue of The LINC magazine is sent to the homes
of around 30,000 young people across the borough and feedback has been
excellent.
Supporting Partners
Among its many roles, Youth Development also produces other publications
and printed materials for young people on behalf of CYPS and other
partner organisations, to help them promote events, activities, groups
and other good opportunities.
2006/07 was particularly busy; the team produced 49 leaflets, posters
and publications against a target of 20. The materials raised awareness
about a number of important issues and opportunities for young people
including hate crime, sexual health, funding opportunities, local youth
elections and outdoor education activities.
Positive Outcomes
Youth Development continues to work hard to fight for a fairer portrayal
of young people in the media. In 2006/07, 79 press releases were issued
highlighting the positive actions of young people and/or healthy
activities young people can get involved in.
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Environmental
Services
 Parks Activities
The Parks Activities and Regeneration Teams are responsible for
maintaining and developing the borough’s major parks and countryside
areas. Major countryside sites include Pennington Flash, Three Sisters
Recreation Area and Orrell Water Park. Also included in the portfolio of
parks are Mesnes Park, Alexandra Park, Jubilee Park, Pennington Hall
Park and Lilford Park.
The new structure for Environment Management and Sustainability came to
fruition in 2006/07 allowing the team to be more flexible and to utilise
individual skills better to help focus on some major developments and
projects.
Regeneration
In 2006/07 one of the Trust’s major projects took a giant leap forward.
Initial plans for the transformation of Mesnes Park were given the green
light by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund.
The Trust was awarded a development grant of £124,000 enabling the team
to move forward with plans for a £2.9million scheme to transform and
regenerate the much-loved park.
The Mesnes Park Regeneration Project involves a whole host of
stakeholders and has had valuable input from the local community through
the Friends of Mesnes Park group. The scheme is expected to include the
restoration of historic features such as the bandstand, pavilion and
entrance lodge, as well as new security measures and lighting. Plans
also involve the appointment of a dedicated Park Ranger to manage the
site, and for a wide range of activities for the local community to get
involved in.
The team also continued to push forward the Playing Fields Strategy and
supported a range of smaller projects and funding bids to help
regenerate the borough’s parks.
Be Alive
The borough’s parks and country parks are some of the most visited sites
in the borough. In 2006/07 an astonishing 700,000 visitors made their
way to Pennington Flash.
The team is also responsible for ensuring that the borough’s green
spaces play a central part to the Trust’s vision Getting Wigan Active. A
diverse range of activities took place in the borough’s parks including
family fun days, proms in the park, bat walks, sports activities and
theatre.
‘Be Alive’ was the new brand developed for parks in early 2007. The
branding embodies the vital role that parks play in the health and
wellbeing of local people and in the borough’s future.
Protecting Wildlife
A new biodiversity strategy for Wigan Borough was formally launched in
2006/07 to help protect the areas wildlife for generations to come.
The strategy is broken down into action plans to present a positive and
clear way forward to conserving local wildlife. Each plan provides
targets and actions that work towards both species and habitat
conservation.
A major challenge for the team is to get as many local people involved
in the plans as possible. One innovative way of achieving this is by
developing two new local Nature Reserves each year.
In 2006/07 a wildlife haven at Orrell Water Park became one of the first
areas in the North West to achieve designated status under the Natural
England. The area is now know as Greenslate Water Meadows and was
officially opened later in 2007 by respected environmental campaigner
Professor David Bellamy.
Cemetery Services
A team of 25 manage more than 62 hectares of municipal cemetery land
across Wigan Borough including 90,000 individual headstones. Cemeteries
are open seven days a week and require high levels of dedication and
excellent teamwork. The team provide a crucial service to local
residents; over 59 per cent of residents visited a local cemetery in
2006/07.
Dedicated Team
In 2006/07 Cemetery Services carried out 1279 cremations, 717 burials,
232 burials of cremated remains in graves and 65 municipal funerals.
As well as providing support for bereaved families and working closely
with local funeral directors the Cemeteries Services Team also faced a
variety of issues that they dealt with proactively and effectively.
Vandalism is a constant threat to local cemeteries; however a number of
community Cemetery Watch groups work with the service to help combat
this.
Additionally, the service had to address a fundamental challenge during
the year, following the introduction of new environmental legislation
concerning the level of mercury emissions from crematoria.
The Cemetery Service moved into 2006/07 maintaining the most competitive
fees and charges in Greater Manchester.
Haigh Hall and Country Park
Haigh Hall and Country Park enjoyed a challenging yet ultimately
successful year. The team carefully balance the needs of local residents
and tourists who regularly visit Haigh’s sprawling countryside and
attractions with the commercial pressures of a successful venue for
weddings, conferences and special events.
Continued Success
Haigh continued to host a range of high profile successful events.
Thousands of people attended Haigh’s Music Festival, Arts for All, Race
for Life, Run 4 A Life and a variety of regular community arts and
crafts events. Haigh also hosted the launch of Natural England in the
autumn.
A major highlight of 2006/07 was Haigh’s Bonfire and Fireworks
Spectacular which saw over 2,000 people enjoy a terrific night of fun
entertainment delivered by the team with thorough professionalism.
Haigh’s wardens are responsible for the upkeep and conservation of
Haigh’s 300 acres of countryside. They also provide a wide range of fun
activities for all ages ranging from archery to tours of the historic
hall.
Golfing Glory
The main 18 hole course at Haigh Golf Complex continued to improve,
proving to be one of the finest municipal courses in the North West.
After a difficult start to the year, due to poor weather, the course
recovered well and was further helped by the launch of a new loyalty
scheme for regular customers.
The development of young golf talent is also high on the agenda for
Haigh. Haigh Tigers utilised the Golf Academy to maximum effect with
around 2,000 young golfers introduced to golf by Haigh’s team of
professionals during the year. Reece Cranfield, a member of Haigh Golf
Complex’s Juniors, symbolised this success winning the prestigious Golf
Foundation National Junior Championships for 2006.
Greenspaces Team
The Greenspaces Services Team is one of the Trust’s largest. It
currently employs a total of 170 staff that provide a wide range of
services in both the public and private sectors. The team sits within
Environmental Management and Sustainability but also provides the Trust
with valuable income through the Enterprises arm of its operation.
Responsibility
The team is responsible for maintaining the majority of Wigan Borough’s
parks, countryside areas, outdoor sports pitches, school playing fields
and open spaces.
The scale of the operation is huge. The team is one of the largest and
busiest teams of its type in the whole of the North West. In terms of
the day to day running of the team their operation includes:
• mowing over 3 million square metres of grass per week;
• maintaining over 300,000 square metres of shrub beds per year;
• maintaining over 150 sports pitches per week;
• and maintaining over 4000 street trees per year.
The team expanded their service provision in 2006/07 by successfully
competing for private sector business across the region. Large
maintenance contracts were secured in Salford, Bolton and Cheshire with
a combined value of well over £1.6 million.
Reaping the Rewards
The Greenspaces Services Team holds the prestigious ISO: 9001 quality
management standard along with the internationally recognised ISO: 14001
which promotes environmentally friendly work practices and operations.
The team were also awarded the title of the best performing grounds
maintenance service in the UK in 2006 at the Association of Public
Service Excellence (APSE) awards.
The service also works in close partnership with Wigan Council’s
Environmental Services Department in helping to deliver its “Cleaner,
Greener Saver” initiatives and its Wigan in Bloom programme.
Wigan Borough’s residents remain the team’s top priority. During the
storms of early 2007, the team worked through the night and for weeks
beyond using their expert knowledge to make sure the borough’s roads and
pathways were soon free from fallen trees and debris.
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Corporate Support
The Trust is committed to providing the best possible service to its
customers. Corporate Support Services support all areas of the Trust’s
operations to ensure that high standards are maintained with particular
attention to human resources, customer services, ICT, marketing and
facilities management.
Reputation Management
The Trust achieved level two of the Local Equality Standard and was
recognised as Wigan Council’s Team of the Year in the Progress on
Equality and Diversity category. The Trust achieved a score of 2 in
their Comprehensive Performance Assessment against the Culture Bock and
also played a significant role in helping Wigan Council to maintain its
‘excellent’ status following its corporate inspection and Joint Area
Review.
The centralized marketing team provided continual expert account
management to all service areas helping to reach out to a wider audience
and to reinforce the Trust’s key brands. The Trust’s external
communications continued to improve through proactive public relations
activity helping to generate an equivalent spend of £25,000 per month in
positive media coverage. Major Marketing and PR campaigns included Platt
Bridge Community First, Free Weekend of Leisure, Lifestyle and all key
events.
Customer relations activity became increasingly important. An enhanced
mystery shopper programme was introduced, 282 staff received customer
care training, and customers were given more opportunities than ever to
provide feedback. A new Consultation Panel involving members of the
local community was developed to help consider policy changes and new
developments.
Quality Information
The Trust’s ICT Team provide essential support to all staff throughout
the Trust.
Key activities during this year included:
• expanding Torex Leisure Management System to two golf sites;
• implementing the new Human Resources system Snowdrop;
• developing the Trust’s website further including an online photo
gallery
The Trust website became an increasingly important communications tool.
The number of ‘page reads’ increased to 2,449,790 – up 75 per cent on
2005/06.
The Children’s Information Service provides parents and carers with
free, up to date information and advice on OFSTED registered childcare.
The service is impartial and does not recommend any particular type of
childcare but provides information that allows informed choice for
parents and carers.
In 2006/07, 11299 enquiries were received to the service which also
signposts parents to other services offering support and advice. A new
Outreach Officer was appointed to further increase opportunities for
information sharing at venues across the community including eight Sure
Start Children’s Centres.
People Power
People are at the centre of the Trust’s success. This year saw 2,495
places provided to staff on both external and internally provided
training courses.
A new quarterly staff induction was introduced this year to ensure all
staff understand the culture of the Trust. In addition, 59 activities
took place during Adult Learners Week.
Employment opportunities also began to be advertised through the Trust’s
website generating an average of 4,703 hits per month.
High levels of health and safety are also paramount. In 2006/07 the key
indicators were:
• no major reportable accidents;
• reportable accidents reduced by 28%
• no increase in the numbers of Lost Work Day Accidents;
• total days lost as a result of accident at work reduced by 38%;
• number of Employee Accidents reported increased by 10% following an
initiative to improve levels of accident reporting;
• reduction target met for accidents involving members of the public.
Major Projects
A dedicated Projects and Facilities Team is actively involved in
planning a range of projects involving the Trust including the Mesnes
Park Restoration Project, The History Shop and Leigh Indoor Sports
Centre, Howe Bridge Sports Centre and the new Platt Bridge Library.
The team also actively manage a number of maintenance programmes across
all service areas to improve the sustainability and appearance of the
Trust’s facilities. Energy Management was a key work element for the
Projects and Facilities Team in 2006/07 with the introduction of energy
action plans, the launch of the Captain Energy initiative and active
involvement in the carbon management programme.
Tourism
Wigan Tourism Unit has responsibility for developing the tourism
potential of Wigan Borough.
Retail income at the Tourist Informaiton Centre reached an all time high
due to the ’Lanky’ range of merchandise and also generated national
publicity. Total enquiries to the centre increased to 37,195, whilst
visits to the www.visitwigan.com website rose to 171,635.
Visit Wigan
Wigan TIC forged new links with Wigan and Leigh College and local
schools, introducing and providing tourism learning support for young
people studying tourism and leisure.
Wigan Tourism Unit also worked in partnership with Wigan Council and
British Waterways on a gateway clean up scheme which included various
stretches of the Leeds to Liverpool Canal towpaths.
Tourism marketing is a key role of the unit. Wigan Tourism Unit led on
the launch of a Wigan – Premier Town campaign in August 2006 and
Manchester’s Countryside - a national campaign (in partnership with
Greater Manchester Tourism Forum) promoting Wigan Borough as a rural
destination. The unit also led on the re-branding of the Wigan Pier
Quarter and an investigation into the branding of Wigan Borough – Brand
Wigan.
Overall, tourism spending in the borough grew by 3 per cent to £290M
with total visitor numbers equalling 11.2M, a rise of 2 per cent on the
previous year.
All That Jazz
The Tourism Unit also plays a major role in Wigan’s most famous single
event The Wigan International Jazz Festival. Working alongside the
festival’s director, Wigan Council and the Trust’s Marketing and PR
section, tourism plays a key role in ensuring the event remains one of
the UK’s best. Particular effort is given to securing sponsorship and
commercial opportunities.
The strong level of team spirit involved in the festival helped to
deliver a quality festival in 2006 despite it being without a single
‘home’ venue. The audience has now branched out and diversified, helping
to secure the future of the festival.
Enterprises
A trading arm exists for services that are deemed not to be charitable.
Each of these services comes under the Wigan Leisure and Culture
enterprises banner.
Leisure Venues
The Leisure Venues business consists of the five public halls within the
borough: Aspull Civic Hall, Formby Hall, Lowton Civic Hall, Monaco
Ballroom and Ince Public Hall.
The Leisure Venues business completed its re-branding exercise and
enjoyed a successful year with growing numbers of customers using the
facilities for commercial, private hire and community use.
The Monaco Ballroom hosted sell out comedy nights with Paddy McGuiness
and continues to excel as one of the key Northern Soul venues in the
region.
Haigh Hall Catering
The Haigh Catering operation enjoyed a successful year hosting well over
100 wedding ceremonies and receptions and successfully launched an
extended range of entertainment and dining options.
The Murder Mystery nights, Psychic Suppers, Old English Opera nights
along with Christmas Party nights and the ever popular Sunday Carvery
continued to pull in a growing number of residents and visitors from
outside of the borough.
These activities, while widening the cultural offer provided by the
Enterprise Business, continued to support the growing income stream so
crucial to the long term success of the Trust.
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FINANCIAL REVIEW
The Trust and its trading
subsidiary Wigan Leisure and Culture Enterprises Limited, have met all
of their social and business objectives and in addition through a
combination of proactive management, effective marketing of their
services and favorable external operational factors, have generated a
trading surplus of £211,419 that will be utilised in future years to
support the work of the organisation.
However, the application of Financial Reporting Standard 17 on
Retirement Benefits has resulted in net outgoing resources of £536,269
for the financial year.
The principal activity of Wigan Leisure and Culture Enterprises Limited
is to generate a trading surplus to fund and expand the work of the
Trust and in 2006/07 the company generated an operating surplus of
£218,388.
Ms J Boardman
Chair of the Board of Trustees
The Trust has adopted a reserves policy that safeguards the future
financial viability of the Trust but that at the same time, through a
continuous review process, minimises excessive levels of reserves so as
to maximize investment in service delivery. The Board of Trustees will
continue to adhere to that policy in future years.
2006/07 was a successful year during which the Board approved in excess
of £200,000 in additional investment in library, sporting and other
facilities and during which the Trust worked in partnership with the
council and other agencies to develop the Leigh Sports Village, Wigan
Pier Quarter and town centre Joint Service Centre. In addition, the
Trust’s first medium term Business Strategy was produced to cover the
period up to March 2012 and it is this strategy, agreed with the
council, which will underpin improved service delivery over the next few
years.
Mr R F D R Hill
Chief Executive
Auditors Report
The auditors to the Trust are Grant Thornton UK LLP and their report to
the members of the Trust states that, in their opinion, the financial
statements give a true and fair view of the state of the Trust’s affairs
as at 31 March 2007 and of its incoming resources and application of
resources, including its income and expenditure, in the year then ended,
have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985
and that the information given in the Trustees’ Report is consistent
with the financial statements.
2006/07 Annual Accounts
The following statements represent a summary of the information
contained in the full accounts for 2006/07, which are available upon
written request from:
Director of Finance
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust
1st Floor, The Indoor Sports Centre
Loire Drive
Robin Park
WIGAN WN5 0UL
The Directors of the Trust confirm that the accounts for the year ended
31 March 2007 have been prepared in accordance with applicable
accounting standards and the Charity Statement of Recommended Practices
(SORP) issued in March 2005. The Statement of Financial Activities
(SOFA) shows the gross income from all sources and the split of activity
between restricted, designated and unrestricted funds. The full
provisions of Financial Reporting Standard 17 on Retirement Benefits
have been implemented and the results of the previous year have been
restated to reflect the change.
The consolidated statements for the group include the results of the
charitable company and its 100% owned subsidiary, Wigan Leisure and
Culture Enterprises Limited. The charitable company is a company limited
by guarantee and its income and property shall be applied solely towards
its objectives, which are still appropriate and valid:
• the advancement and support of education, culture, arts, heritage and
history
• the provision and assistance in the provision of facilities for
recreation or other leisure time occupations
• the promotion and preservation of good health through community
participation in healthy recreation
• all other charitable purposes consistent with the above.
The company gained charitable status on 3rd August 2004 and its
registered number is 1105278. It operated under it Memorandum and
Articles of Association as modified in June 2004, which delegate
operational decisions to the executive team. The company’s Memorandum of
Association gives authority to invest in investments, securities or
property as may be thought fit.
The Board of Trustees was set up through a mix of identified
specialists, council nominees and advertisements in the local press. The
Trustees are as follows:
• J Boardman (Chair)
• J B Baldwin (Audit) (HR)
• D A Bartle (HR)
• T Bradshaw (HR)
• G W Cross (F&P)
• J Garlick (Audit) (F&P)
• W Hampson (Audit) (F&P)
• D A Lea (HR)
• D A Newman (F&P)
• E Smethurst (F&P)
• A Wiggans (HR)
(Note; Audit/F&P/HR denote permanent members of the relevant
committees).
The members of the executive team are;
• R Hill (Chief Executive)
• A Johnson (Finance Director and Company Secretary)
• K Bardgett (Executive Director)
• I Bancroft (Executive Director)
• M Eden (Executive Director)
• P Gascoigne (Executive Director)
• S Murray (Executive Director)
In preparing the accounts, the Trustees have:
• applied, on a consistent basis, suitable accounting policies which are
regularly reviewed
• made judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
• stated whether applicable accounting standards have been followed
• prepared the financial statements on the going concern basis
In addition, the Trustees confirm that they have kept proper accounting
records, have responsibility for safeguarding the assets of the
organisation and have taken reasonable steps for the prevention and
detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Mr R F D R Hill
Chief Executive
W J A Johnson
Finance Director
Employee Information
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