for communities

Transcription

for communities

for communities
Contents
4 – Key Stats
5 – Executive Overview
6 – Meet the team & Our Partners
7 – Aims and Objectives
Section A, Horticultural Achievements
10 – A1 – Impact
12 – A2 – Horticultural Practice
13 – A3 – Residential and
Community Gardening
32 – A4 – Business Areas and Premises
34 – A5 – Green Spaces
Section B, Environmental Responsibility
40 – B1 – Conservation and Biodiversity
43 – B2 – Resource Management
44 – B3 – Local Heritage
48 – B4 – Local Environmental Quality
49 – B5 – Pride Of Place
Section C, Community Participation
52 – C1 – Development and Continuity
54 – C2 – Communication and Education
58 – C3 – Community Participation
67 – C4 – Year Round Involvement
68 – C5 – Funding and Support
4
Key Stats
Wigan Borough in Bloom has
over 22 active community
groups across the borough.
Over 400 active volunteers
involved on a regular basis.
10,000 community volunteer
hours completed from April
2015 to March 2016, with
an ‘in kind’ value of over
£115,000.
Our park volunteers clocked
up over 5,500 hours between
April 2015 and March 2016.
Our in Bloom groups
have raised over £5,000 in
sponsorship from the private
sector.
Our communities achieved
over 65 awards for
outstanding contributions to
improving the environmental
quality of Wigan Borough.
16 groups have entered the
‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’
North West in Bloom
competition; 1 group has
entered the Small Town
category; and 1 group
has entered the Urban
Communities Category.
6 new In Bloom groups
have been formed since
April 2015: Aspull, Atherton,
Golborne, Orrell, Tyldesley
and Westleigh. All these
groups were formed
through The Deal in Action
programme.
More than 300 mature trees
and saplings were planted
across our schools and
areas of green spaces.
Wigan Borough has a total
area of 77 square miles,
and over 70% is green open
space contributing to our
overarching public strategy
for open space: Greenheart.
Over 90 regional awards
won through the North West
in Bloom competition over
the past 6 years, including
5 consecutive Gold Awards
for out Boroughwide entry,
several discretionary awards
– and a nomination for the
national Britain in Bloom
competition in 2016.
Over 400 residents enter
the Wigan & Leigh Homes
Garden competition each
year.
Launched ‘Incredible
Edible North’, led by Pam
Warhurst from the awardwinning Incredible Edible
Todmorden. The overall goal
of ‘Incredible Edible North’
is to plant vegetables, herbs
and fruit trees/bushes across
as many areas of public
open space as possible.
Mow over 3 million square
metres of grass per week –
with over 1.5 million square
metres cut with collection on
housing estates, principal
routes, gateways, parks and
town centres.
Maintain over 300,000
square feet of shrub beds,
150 sports pitches and 8,000
street trees.
Communities planted
over 6,000 plants/shrubs
since April 2015, as well as
integrating more perennial
and sustainable planting
schemes.
Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles
held 320 events in our parks,
with over 16,000 places filled
on these events.
3 Green Flag Award parks
and 2 Green Pennant Award
community sites
The Environmental
Education Team worked
with 65 schools delivering
environmental education
sessions to 4,500 pupils.
This included offering advice
and support to teachers on
eco related issues and to
help schools progress with
their Eco-Schools work.
A total of 34 environmental
roadshows to promote
recycling and anti-littering
campaigns, speaking to
5,500 members of public.
An impressive total of
50 acres of communitymaintained green open
space.
Allotment tenants spend a
combined 120,000 hours per
year on their plots.
Our social media sites on
Facebook and Twitter have
over 4,000 members sharing
up to the minute information
on council and voluntary
schemes.
We have 3 QR Code Villages
across the borough allowing
‘anytime’ access to a wealth
of information about each
site from history and heritage
to education and biodiversity using smartphone
technology to scan each
code.
Over 300 trees planted
on key routes, parks and
schools.
A total of 6.5 million spring
bulbs planted over the past
5 years at hundreds of key
sites across the borough.
188 Wigan Council staff
supported 120 community
events in support of Keep
Britain Tidy’s national Clean
for the Queen campaign
to celebrate the Queen’s
90th birthday, as well as
our Spring Clean up and
Summer Bloom initiatives.
Wigan Council has
established a programme of
4 clean up events a year.
Wigan Borough in Bloom / 2015 - 2016
5
Executive Overview
Donna Hall
Chief Executive, Wigan Council
“2015 was another exciting and highly rewarding
time for our Wigan Borough in Bloom programme.
The North West in Bloom judges were impressed
by our ongoing commitment to in Bloom and the
continued improvement our communities show year
on year. For the fifth year in a row, Wigan Borough
in Bloom was awarded the prestigious Gold Award,
and we also won Best in Category. Our community
groups, all run by volunteers, also did exceptionally
well, winning 17 It’s Your Neighbourhood Awards,
not to mention three discretionary awards. The
discretionary awards were presented to BoroughWide Community Network for their commitment to
supporting in Bloom across our borough; Friends of
Mesnes Park for their contribution to enhancing our
flagship park, and Glasdon’s ‘Clean Sweep’ award
for the cleanest town centre in the North West of
England, an outstanding achievement.
I am also pleased to report that we have made
significant strides to link the in Bloom programme
with the Healthier and Happier agenda, through our
Start Well, Live Well, Age Well network. For example,
we have developed partnerships with day care
centres such as Sullivan Way Surgery, and charities,
such as My Life and New Life, to bring the social and
environmental benefits of in Bloom to our residents
of all ages.
As well as this, we have attracted new in Bloom
groups to take part this year through The Deal. The
Deal is our key approach to tackling issues in the
community in a different and unique way, offering
support to our residents and asking them to change
the way they approach improving the environmental
quality in their areas.
And the culmination of all our hard work over the
past few years led to us being nominated for the
national Britain in Bloom competition in 2016! This is
only the second time in the history of Wigan Borough
in Bloom that we have been nominated as the North
West’s representative at the national level, something
we are extremely proud of. Wigan Council is
delighted with this honour, and I wish all our partners
every success this Summer.”
Janice Barton
Chief Executive, Wigan and Leigh Homes
“I am extremely proud to continue Wigan & Leigh
Homes’ support of Wigan Borough in Bloom. In
Bloom is an excellent vehicle for bringing the best
out of our communities, creating beautiful gardens
as well as all the associated health and wellbeing
benefits. This year our ‘Better Neighbourhoods Fund’
supported 35 projects by providing over £29,000.00
funding for community allotments, improved open
spaces and community gardens.
We also had another entry from Sussex Close into
this year’s Tatton Show, with our tenant winning the
coveted Silver Gilt. Our programme of going into
schools to teach children about growing their own
food was again a huge success, with over 1,300
pupils benefiting. And over the coming months we
will be working closely with Wigan Council to explore
Incredible Edible schemes across our areas of open
space for our tenants to take part in and enjoy. So
these are exciting times and we are looking forward
to this year’s North West and Britain in Bloom
judging days.”
Cllr Kevin Anderson
Wigan Council cabinet member for environment
“We were all delighted to win Gold in North West
in Bloom again last year, a fantastic achievement
thanks to the outstanding efforts of our community
and voluntary groups. We continue to go from
strength to strength despite challenging financial
times, and being nominated by our North West
in Bloom judges for the national Britain in Bloom
competition is an exceptional testament to this
collective effort.
We continue to build on our in Bloom programme
in Wigan Borough through The Deal, Wigan
Council’s cornerstone policy of working with our
communities to help them become more resilient, a
partnership that continues to flourish. Through the
Deal programme, 2015 saw six new in Bloom groups
being formed. The new groups are: Aspull in Bloom,
Atherton in Bloom, Golborne in Bloom, Orrell in
Bloom, Tyldesley in Bloom and Westleigh in Bloom.
These new groups, with council support, are already
making significant contributions to enhancing the
quality of their local environments.
I look forward to meeting this year’s judges and I
hope they enjoy visiting Wigan Borough and meeting
our various community groups, residents, volunteers
and council officers whose passion for in Bloom is
evident for all to see.”
6
Meet the team and our partners
Meet the team
Our partners & supporters
Mark Tilley
Assistant Director Infrastructure
Paul Barton
Assistant Director Environmental Services
Keith Benson
Infrastructure Asset Manager
Nick Burdekin
Wigan Borough in Bloom Co-ordinator
Sam Cross
Technical Officer Engagement and Asset Management
Mike Cheers
Greenspaces Manager
Chris Hayes
Operational and Technical Manager Makerfield Way Depot
Ben Foster
Operational and Technical Manager Makerfield Way Depot
Simon Calderbank
Principal Environmental Planner
Martin Purcell
Greenheart Project Officer
Ellen Hardaker
Environmantal Education Officer
Jonathan Bilsborough
Analyst
Alex Baracskai
Media Officer
Dave Green
Graphic Designer & Photographer
Lee Connor
Town Centre Manager
Tracey Williams
Tenant Participation Officer
Marian Andrews
Borough-Wide Community Network
Phil Hirst
Adactus Housing, Area Housing Forums,
Allgates Brewery, The Conservation Volunteers,
Bewleys Hardware Store, Bulldog Tools,
Canals and River Trust, Co-operative Food, The
Conservation Volunteers, Elected Members, The
Galleries Shopping Centre, Wigan, The Grand
Arcade Shopping Centre, Wigan, Heritage
Lottery, Greenheart Regional Park, Groundwork
Lancashire West and Wigan, Various local
businesses, Keep Britain Tidy, Markets across the
borough, Moss Bank Nurseries, Natural England,
Northern Rail, Plantscape, The Prince’s Trust,
Pro Co North West, Probation Services, Royal
Horticultural Society – Profile Working Group ,
Shevington & District Parish Council, Shevington
& District Community Association, Soroptimist
International Leigh and District, Surestart Centres,
Spinning Gate Shopping Centre, Leigh, Taylor
Wimpey, Tenants and residents groups across
the borough, Transport for Greater Manchester
(TfGM), Waste Recycling Group Ltd, Wigan
Growing Network, Wigan & Leigh College and
local schools, Wigan and Leigh Community
Safety Team, Wigan & Leigh Homes, Wigan &
Leigh Homes Area Housing Forums, Wigan &
Leigh Homes tenants and residents groups,
Wigan & Leigh Homes estate volunteers, Wigan
Warriors, Women’s Institute, Wrightington, Wigan
and Leigh NHS Trust, Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles
and all the people of Wigan Borough.
7
Our aims and objectives - confident place, confident people, confident council
The council and its partners aim to:
• Make the borough a clean, green place to live and work
Our Environmental Priorities for 2016
• Nurture an environment where people feel safe
• Continued improvement in the appearance of our town centres
• Create prosperous town centres where people wish to visit and shop
• Ensure Wigan Borough in Bloom continues to develop links within Wigan’s
Corporate Strategy
• Encourage communities to be more sustainable
• Undertake anti-litter workshops and environmental education to all
• Raise the aspirations of the community and create cohesion
• Work in partnership with the wider community to deliver The Deal
• Support the health and wellbeing agenda through our Start Well, Live Well,
Age Well programme
Our environmental objectives are to:
• Develop the borough’s town centres
• Enhance neighbourhoods across the borough
• Strengthen communities
• Target resources to the areas that need them most
• Work in partnership to strengthen resources
• Set up environmental projects within schools
• Change behaviour to increase awareness of and respect for the environment
• Reduce litter and waste
• Develop our Building Resilient Communities Strategy, which aims to work with
our communities to deliver a better place to live and work
• Further develop and promote “Incredible Edible” across Wigan Borough
• Establish a year round network of road show events across the borough with
key partners
• Continue promotion through the press and media
• With 95% of our schools and colleges registered as Eco-Schools, Wigan is the
3rd highest performing Council in England
• Wigan Borough also has the 3rd highest number of schools in the country
(34%) that have achieved Green Flag status and is aiming to reach number 1
• Further develop our Green Flag Parks
• Maintain our current 2 Green Pennant sites for community maintained open
space
• Use imaginative floral designs and materials to enhance the local environment
• Continue to work with voluntary and community groups and encourage their
involvement with Wigan Borough in Bloom
• Engage with local residents and businesses to gather intelligence of
environmental priorities in their areas and work with them to implement the new
initiatives
• To build upon the success of our annual Big Thank You event to bring together
public, private and community sector partners to discuss and direct Wigan
Borough in Bloom for the next 12 months
Section A
Section A : Horticultural Achievements
“
“
Assessing year round horticulture including
conservation and natural areas.
The route covered several miles of roads and numerous open green
spaces, all of which were really well maintained. The judges were
also shown a good mix of sustainable and annual planting during the
tour. Local businesses were also clearly involved in the campaign and
one of the outstanding planting displays by a business was outside
Gallimore’s Restaurant.
North West in Bloom Feedback 2015
10
A1 : Impact : Design, colours, appropriate choice of plants, special features, presentation and innovation
Guardrail Planters
Planting Schedule
We now have over 1,000 planters across Wigan
Borough which we have built up over a period of
years to make the borough a better place in which to
live, work and invest in. The planters include ground
planters, barrier baskets, tiered planters, hanging
baskets and cycle containers. In order to make our
planting sustainable, we are working closely with
businesses, in bloom groups and residents to agree
ongoing maintenance. This approach has already
been successful in various parts of our borough,
including Aspull and Ashton town centres where
businesses have agreed to water, maintain and replant hanging baskets and planters. In other areas,
residents have agreed to water and maintain planters
on key approaches into the borough, such as in
Tyldesley. We aim to further develop this approach
through The Deal to bring an ever increasing number
of planter maintenance into the voluntary and
business sectors. This will help reduce our year on
year costs and help make Wigan Borough in Bloom
sustainable into the future.
Wigan Borough continues to operate a full 12 month
planting schedule, running from June to September
for summer displays and January to May for our
winter / spring displays. We modified our planting in
our containers to reduce ongoing costs by removing
the autumn bedding displays, and reinstalling
the planters in January instead of October. This
significantly reduced purchasing costs and enabled
the winter / spring bedding to be grown on under
glass which allowed us to achieve earlier flowering
times for a longer spring display. All winter planters
are planted with additional spring bulbs to extend the
season.
We continue to work closely with Moss Bank
Nurseries and each year carefully select our plants
to give long-lasting seasonal colour, as well as a
variety of trailing and non-trailing plants to maximise
the overall coverage of flowers. Our planters are of
an exceptional standard and all our customer survey
results show that over 90% of the public approve of
them and enjoy them.
Guardrail planter
unusual striking colour and long flowering periods.
We try to choose complimentary plants that flower
at different times of year to extend the interest
throughout the spring, summer and autumn.
We have several key roundabouts across
the borough which have been sponsored by
businesses. These have been planted up with
substantial perennial stock such as the A49 Wigan
Lane roundabout. We have also enhanced other
roundabouts such as the Spirit of Wigan roundabout
by installing public artwork and LED lighting.
Tree Planting
Wigan Council operates a system which incorporates
urban tree planting into new highway schemes.
As part of this programme we have planted semimature trees along one of our key routes, the
Atherleigh Way, Leigh. During the last 12 months we
have planted over 300 trees across the borough.
Tree planting - Golborne High School
Moss Bank Nursery
Although many of our planters are annual, we have
nearly 60 ground planters that have permanent
perennial planting. These are supplemented
with annuals, and local community groups are
encouraged to take ownership and assist in their
maintenance during the summer months. In addition
to these, we have 20 perennial flower beds, which
are located at key locations throughout the borough.
Perennial plants such as flax are chosen for their
year round structure, whilst herbaceous plants such
as Phygelius and Hemerocallis are chosen for their
A1 : Impact : Design, colours, appropriate choice of plants, special features, presentation and innovation
Spring Bulbs
Askwith Road Roundabout
We have now undertaken a process of mapping
each of the locations to ensure that any disturbances
to the site by utility companies can be monitored so
we can ensure appropriate bulbs are replanted.
We plant up to 80,000 bulbs by machine on large
sites for maximum impact; however millions of bulbs
have also been hand planted by community groups
and volunteers.
Local residents, ward councillors and a landscape
designer (who offered her time and services for free)
worked together with the Wigan Borough in Bloom
Co-ordinator to achieve a new landscape design
for Askwith Road Roundabout. The design included
a bamboo and ornamental grass centrepiece
surrounded by purple slate monoliths; chippings
and newly turfed exterior. The low maintenance
design was created by local contractors Moss Bank
Nurseries, who are now sponsoring this roundabout,
and has been very well received by visitors and
residents alike.
Willow Sculptures
Perennial Planting
To further enhance Wigan Borough in Bloom, we
continue to explore ways of using willow sculptures
where appropriate. For example, Shevington
in Bloom has had a willow basket maker made
to celebrate the heritage of basket making in
Shevington.
In 2016, we upgraded 12 raised beds based in
Wigan town centre, replacing older plants with
vibrant perennial plants.
Over the past 8 years, Wigan Council has planted a
total of 6 million daffodil, crocus and tulip bulbs.
Last year, 20 groups planted a further 15,000 bulbs.
We have also provided willow sculptures for one of
our key roundabouts on the A49. These sculptures
are all fauna that that can be found on the nearby
Wigan Flashes Local Nature Reserve as the
roundabout is on a key route to the reserve.
The beds were prepared by a combination of our
Greenspaces Team and staff volunteer days (insert
photo!). We chose to plant all the raised beds with
Rudbekia, Persicaria and Nepeta for their striking
colours, relatively easy ongoing maintenance and to
co-ordinate the plants’ colours with the surrounding
street furniture.
Daffodils at the roadside
The newly planted raised beds have lifted the town
centre’s appearance and have the added benefit
of coming back year on year, keeping ongoing
maintenance costs to a minimum.
Willow horse at Howe Bridge
11
12
A2 - Horticultural Practice : Cultivation and maintenance, quality of plants, sustainability and new planting
Moss Bank Nurseries
To enhance buying power and ensure best value
for money, a tender process was used to invite local
businesses to bid for the planting and maintenance
work of our planters. Moss Bank Nurseries has
been selected as the main contractor to deliver In
Bloom planting across Wigan Borough for the past
6 years and we now work together with other local
community groups and businesses which have
led to Moss Bank winning various awards for their
generosity. They have also been awarded contracts
from neighbouring authorities due to the excellent
standard of planting seen in Wigan. Shevington
Parish Council has also recently selected Moss Bank
as their main contractor for displays within their
village.
Business Involvement
The Wigan Borough in Bloom Co-ordinator works
directly with all contractors to ensure the quality of
planting is at its best.
We work across the businesses sector to ensure
that any works undertaken are offset with attractive,
sustainable planting.
All new perennial beds are planted with low
maintenance, high impact species and all our annual
planting is recycled at the end of each season and
turned into compost for landscaping schemes.
We ensure they are aware of our aims and objectives
and Council officers provide advice to ensure that
planting is appropriate for both the business and the
authority in terms of maintenance, pruning, litter and
a sustained display of species that are appropriate to
the area in which they are located.
Any perennial plants used in the autumn / winter
planters are offered free to community groups for
planting in public areas.
Our Business Engagement Team is working with the
business sector to encourage businesses of all sizes
to take part in the In Bloom programme, from large
sponsorship packages through to offering in kind
funding and staff time.
Gallimore’s Restaurant, The Weind
Moss Bank Nursery
A3 - Residential & Community Gardening : Residential, communal areas, allotments, public buildings, grounds of churches and schools, car parks etc.
It’s Your Neighbourhood
Existing In Bloom Groups
New In Bloom Groups
• Abram Centenary Garden
• Aspull in Bloom
• Appley Bridge in Bloom
• Atherton in Bloom
• Ambergate Sheltered Accommodation, Atherton
• Golborne in Bloom
• Brookdale Residents, Hindley
• Orrell in Bloom
• Cansfield Estate, Ashton-in-Makerfield
• Tyldesley in Bloom
• Friends of Ashton Community Garden
• Westleigh in Bloom
• Hindley Community Allotment & Garden Society
• Ingleside Residents and Friends, Tyldesley
• Kirkless Friends Group, Ince
• Mosley Common in Bloom
• Selby Court, Leigh
• Stubshaw Cross Residents Group
• Crooke Village Residents Association
• Worsley Hall Community Allotments
• The Blue Bell, Atherton
• Wigan Flashes Local Nature Reserve
Small Town
• Shevington in Bloom
• Standish in Bloom
Urban Communities
• Howe Bridge in Bloom
13
14
Aspull in Bloom
Orrell in Bloom
The Deal visited Aspull in Bloom during 2015 and through this programme, Aspull
in Bloom was established working in partnership with Wigan Council. The group
consists of two local churches, including Aspull Methodist Church which hosts the
meetings, local residents, local businesses and Ward Councillors.
A very small Orrell in Bloom group, consisting of two members, was in danger
of folding. However, when The Deal in Action visited Orrell, new members were
gained from the local area. The main new group that kindly agreed to support
the in Bloom group was SKILS, a Community Interest Company based in Orrell
Methodist Church that provides alternative, quality day care activities for people
with support needs aged 18 and over. SKILS has provided 6 or 7 regular adults
to help with in Bloom, as well as several members of staff. Other new members
came from local residents. By bringing in new members, Orrell in Bloom is now
flourishing as well as contributing to the health and well-being agenda.
One of the first steps agreed by the group was to hold monthly litter picks, with
the church providing refreshments each time. As part of The Deal, Wigan Council
supplied a litter picking kit which is stored at the church. Since the group started,
7 monthly litter picks have taken place, involving a regular group of dedicated litter
pickers who have removed approximately 25 bags of rubbish during this time, all
valuable time saved for the council and environment improved for local people.
Aspull in Bloom has also successfully purchased and installed ground planters
and hanging baskets for local businesses who have, in turn, agreed to re-plant and
maintain them.
Aspull in Bloom will continue to work closely with the business sector over the
coming months and years to further enhance the environmental quality of the
village.
Over the past several months, Orrell in Bloom has carried out various schemes,
including helping elderly people in sheltered accommodation with planting to
enhance their open space area as part of the Deal for Your Street. The Deal for
Your Street is about improving the quality of the local environment, but it is more
than this. It is about building more resilient communities and ensuring people are
cared for. To meet this aim, Orrell in Bloom members spoke to the residents of
the sheltered accommodation to see if any of them had any other social or health
requirements. Several issues were raised and Orrell in Bloom resolved these
issues. Orrell in Bloom also carries out regular litter picks in order to keep Orrell
clean and tidy.
Orrell in Bloom
Aspull in Bloom Launch
Stubshaw Cross Heritage Garden
This garden, which was restored by funding of
£73,000 obtained by Stubshaw Cross Residents
Group, was opened to the public in September
2009. It is one of a number of initiatives undertaken
by the Group since 2003 which has attracted inward
investment of over £300,000 to the community.
The architecture of the garden makes heavy use of
recycled materials and the design and planting took
into account the need for a low maintenance regime,
both in cost terms and the need for volunteer effort to
undertake this work.
Whenever the opportunity arises local school
children are encouraged to help keep the garden
looking attractive and well maintained, helped
by local volunteers. The adjacent nursing home
continues to allow the group to use their water
supply during periods of dry weather.
The garden helps to promote a sense of community
and well being as it is the venue for interdenominational church services.
A range of diversionary activities for our local
children provided by the group in the local
community have had positive effects and no
vandalism or anti-social behaviour has occurred
since the garden opened.
The group has also developed links with two local
primary schools in order to help maintain two large
planted areas at an adjacent site.
In 2015-2016, our Group received £800 from the
Ashton and Bryn Deal for Communities Investment
Fund to pay for planters for the Heritage Garden.
We decided to involve pupils from nearby Willow
Grove Primary (a special needs school) and
St Wilfrid’s Primary in the project. Phil Stansbie
(Chair of Governors at Willow Grove) who is a
local resident made the planters, helped by the
pupils at the schools. The children then helped
with the planting on 8 June 2016. Dave Green took
photographs of the children doing the planting.
This project fulfilled a recommendation from the RHS
judges when they last judged the garden in July
2015.
Wigan Council very kindly helped us with
maintenance of the site again by sending staff
volunteers as part of Summer Bloom in July 2016.
New planter
15
16
Cansfield Estate, Ashton-in-Makerfield
In 2015 Cansfield Estate received a number of
awards including the Mayor’s award for volunteering
excellence and a Better Neighbourhood Award from
Wigan and Leigh Homes for bringing the community
together.
• Estate volunteer for Cansfield Estate
• Customer inspector
• Judge for Better Neighbourhood Garden
Competition
• 6 x WALH estate inspections
• Eyes of the estate
• Big Deal Big Clean Cansfield School & Estate
with volunteers
• Assist Friends of Bryn visit care homes at Xmas &
Xmas around the tree
• Homewatch co-ordinator
• Do Tidy Up Tuesdays
• Chair of Ashton & Bryn Network
• Treasurer of Friends of Jubilee Park
• 6 weeks in Jubilee Play Park with 5-7yr old,
tennis, basketball etc
• FOJP Gala fun day all day
• Bands in the park - 4 times a year
• Litter picks in the park
• Obtain funding for Car Boot Sales & Table Tops
for FOJP
• Help with Ashton Festival
• WIB & RHS involvement with schools,
businesses & community
• Work with Wigan & Leigh Homes
• Successful projects with local councillors
• Scraped & painted Jubilee Park railings with
funded paint from Travis & Perkins via Mears with
help from Ashton Youth Action Group, Shirley
Johnson Payback Team, tenants & residents &
FOJP colleagues.
Borough Life
Magazine
Hindley Community Allotment
and Garden Society
The idea of forming a Hindley Community Allotment
Society came about two years ago when residents
spotted a piece of land-locked land on Belmont road,
Hindley. A number of tenants on the estate who were
interested in growing their own food then formed
an allotment society. Working with the Community
Engagement Team of Wigan and Leigh Homes and
also Wigan Council the residents applied to lease
the land and form Hindley Community Allotment and
Garden Society. Finally, after many negotiations and
obtaining planning consent, access to the land was
obtained in late 2012.
Even in the short time the Society has been active
a sense of community has grown both with the
members and the people living around the allotment
site.
The container growing area has now been
completed and was officially opened on the 28th
April 2014 by Janice Barton, Chief Executive,
Wigan & Leigh Homes.
Pupils from All Saints Primary School use the
allotment on a weekly basis and have their own
container growing area, and a wildlife pond has
been constructed on the allotment.
The allotment was officially opened by the Chief
Executive of Wigan and Leigh Homes and with
a lot of hard work by society members and the
community, the land has been transformed into
working allotments growing all kinds of winter
vegetables with a poly tunnel, Community Garden
and raised beds for disabled use. Funding has been
obtained by donations from neighbours around the
allotments, allotment holders themselves and grants
from The Better Neighbourhood Fund, Wigan Small
Grants, and the Brighter Borough Fund. Throughout
the winter month’s members have grown and
harvested cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, kale, onions
and broccoli. Over the spring the polytunnel is full
of young seedlings and plants ready to go onto
the plots when the weather improves. Plans for the
future include extending the allotment to provide a
container growing area so that schools and youth
groups can come on site and gain experience in how
to grow vegetables and flowers.
Hindley Community Allotment
17
18
Crooke Village Residents Association
In 2014, the North West in Bloom judges described
Crooke Village as “…a delightful enclave comprising
a canal and marina, local pub, woodland path, child
nursery and Methodist chapel.” The village was
awarded the top award, Level 5 – Outstanding, an
exceptional result which Crooke Village Residents
Association was delighted with.
Since last year the group has continued to carry out
a range of improvements including:
• Developed a partnership with Adactus Housing.
• Re-painting the lock gates in partnership with the
Canal & River Trust volunteers.
Plans for the future include:
• We are exploring avenues to procure an
authentic coal pit truck to be placed on the newly
made visible ancient rail tracks.
• Developing further links with the Marina.
• Working with local primary schools to carry out
In Bloom planting projects and education.
• Working with Wigan Council to agree
maintenance of the hedgerow in front of the
park area.
• Repairing and repainting fencelines in the village.
• Regular community litter picks.
• Gained £200 sponsorship from a local
scaffolding company.
• Cutting back the grass on the footways and
edging the paths.
• Replacing the grass around the commemorative
stone and cutting the hedge opposite the marina.
Crooke Village Marina
• Renewal of the licence with Wigan Council to
maintain their lands in and around the village.
• Creation of a large bank of daffodils beyond the
Interpretation Board.
• Most recently in July 2016 the group worked
in partnership with Wigan Council as part
of council staff volunteer away days to help
local communities. Ten council officers visited
Crooke Village in order to carry out a variety of
landscaping, painting and litter picking tasks.
• We were delighted that Wigan Council
successfully raised a set of old rail tracks, which
has brough to life the heritage of our village.
• Developing stronger links with the business
community.
Wigan Council staff volunteers
Standish in Bloom
Standish in Bloom already has a large amount of community support with all
residents being automatic members of Standish Community Forum. An annual
awards evening is held to recognise the efforts of those people who have made an
impact on community life.
The Forum has a long history of planting up various tubs and containers across
the town each year in an effort to make Standish bloom and is taking on new key
projects to enhance the environment and character of the town.
The Community Forum also holds an annual hanging basket session each
summer whereby members of the public are invited to observe a hanging basket
preparation session and get hands on experience planting their very own basket.
This year’s session was held at the local Community Centre, where dozens of
participants created hanging baskets which were distributed around Standish to
homes and businesses to add a splash of summer colour to the town. The flowers
used were specifically chosen to add colour and variance to the baskets.
Heritage pit tub and plough
Other activities carried out during 2015 - 2016 to increase the impact of horticulture
in our town included:
• Developing links with the charity My Life, based at the nearby Eco Farm in
Standish. My Life works across all age groups with people who have a variety
of physical and mental disabilities to ensure they have the best quality of life
possible. My Life is supporting “Incredible Edible Standish.”
Staff volunteer
• Planting up the heritage pit tub on The Green on High Street and renovation of
the path and garden around it.
• Planting up flower beds, containers and tubs at strategic locations around the
town including the award winning Jubilee Garden and War Memorial. This was
done by Wigan Council staff volunteers in July 2016.
• Encouraging local businesses and pubs to improve their facades with floral
displays through regular email communications from the Standish in Bloom
team.
• Launched “Incredible Edible Standish” thanks to a £1,000 grant from the
council’s Community Investement Fund.
• Planted a new flower bed in the shape of the St George’s Flag in honour of the
Queen’s 90th birthday.
Hanging baskets
19
20
Atherton in Bloom
Atherton in Bloom was established after a visit by
Wigan Council’s Wigan Borough in Bloom Coordinator early in 2016. Atherton in Bloom is a new
sub-group as part of the wider Atherton Residents
Association, a group of over 80 individuals.
The group has developed an in Bloom action plan
for Atherton for the short – long term, and has so far
completed the following projects during Summer
2016:
• Linked with local restaurants and businesses
as well as Atherton Library support group to
enhance the quality and density of existing flower
planters in the town centre, particularly focussing
on the main high streets
• Developed a partnership with the Tamarind
Table Restaurant based within Atherton town
centre which held a fantastic Bollywood Night to
raise funds for hanging baskets and flowers to
be distributed throughout the town centre. The
evening was a sell out and consisted of
Bollywood Dancers, set menu and music with a
raffle from prizes donated from local businesses
– everybody had a great time dancing well into
the evening!
35 volunteer residents who came together on
a Saturday morning in torrential rain at times to
plant and distribute them with a Family Planting
Day. Pete Wilde said “We like to do anything we
can to help out the Residents Association and to
make Atherton a nicer and brighter place.”
• The money raised paid for 80 hanging baskets
to be installed along Market Street, Atherton
town centre and has made a significant impact in
providing a bright, vibrant corridor which is to the
benefit of all our businesses and residents.
• Moss Bank Nurseries provided an excellent price
for the hanging baskets and plants and Nick
Burdekin from Wigan Borough In Bloom also
advised the residents association on the best
way to co-ordinate and complement the existing
projects. Vice Chair of Atherton Residents Association
Anthony Waite said “Everybody has had an amazing
time and hopefully will make the town looks so much
better, we want the town to be more attractive to
visitors and shoppers alike to help the businesses. It
just shows when community groups and businesses
come together what can be achieved - a great night
and day was had by all”.
• The Tamarind contributed £300.00 and the
rest of the funding required was made up from
donations from shop owners, individuals and
funds raised from the raffle.
• Two other businesses also heavily supported
Atherton in Bloom. Pete Wilde, proprietor of
CKC Home Improvements, and his wife Julie
Wilde who runs Buttyful Café with Wayne Hook
volunteered their time by placing brackets across
the various shops in the town and assisting the
Atherton Residents Association
Golborne in Bloom
Golborne in Bloom was established in January 2016
and consists of local residents, ward councillors, staff
from Murphy’s and a local ASDA Superstore.
Since January, the group has transformed Golborne
Library, which was run-down, by de-weeding the
side, painting street furniture and installing hanging
baskets.
The group has also supported Wigan Council’s
various initiatives, including Clean for the Queen,
Spring Clean and Summer Bloom.
The group has re-landscaped grass verges, cut back
hedges, and planted annual bedding plants.
Next, the groups aims to improve a local square,
Peter Kane Square, which is a key location in
Golborne town centre. The group is looking to plant
perennials for long term sustainability.
Golborne in Bloom
Appley Bridge in Bloom
Our group has been going 4 years now and we are very proud of raising almost
all of our summer bedding from seed. We are lucky enough to have the use of the
parish council’s greenhouse and you can see the extent of our plants from the
picture. The greenhouse is 12’ by 8’.
We have also extended our links with local businesses recently. In spite of the
considerable savings we made on buying in bedding, we are always exploring
other avenues of support, particularly in the light of Wigan Council’s The Deal
Programme.
As such, over the past 12 months we have raised funds through a home-made
stall, selling cakes, pies and jams. The owner of Booth’s yard kindly allowed us to
set up there and provided tables and 2 gazebos which was a very helpful location.
Despite the weather, our volunteers and members of the community enjoyed a
great day out and we raised several hundred pounds towards Appley Bridge in
Bloom.
Last year we were awarded Level 4 in the It’s Your Neighbourhood category and
this year, with our extra contacts with businesses and with plans to support the
Queen’s 90th birthday through our planting schemes, as well as links with the
Leeds to Liverpool canal’s 200th anniversary, we are hoping to go one better!
Appley Bridge
21
22
Mosley Common in Bloom
• April 2014 held a ‘Grand Opening’ event to
celebrate installation of seating and noticeboard
with guest appearance of celebrity Justin
Moorhouse.
• Litter pick – June 2014 to mark 60th anniversary
of Keep Britain Tidy.
• June 2014 held an extremely successful first ever
dog show on the playing fields – attracted visitors
from all over the North West.
• July 2014 – wood carving of miner on the
Common attracted a great deal of local interest.
• September 2014 – First ‘Common Variety
Performance’ free musical event.
• October 2014 MCIB awarded level 4 in the It’s
Your Neighbourhood scheme.
• A new project to illuminate our famous Wheel
on the Common thanks to our local councillors’
support and B B Funding.
• Worked with Astley Environmental Projects to
clear a large area of bramble and overgrown
trees at the end of the playing field.
• November 2014 – second Christmas Wreath
making workshop and social event.
• December 2014 – Annual ‘Carols on the
Common’ event.
• For the first time ever, we secured funding for
Christmas lights. These were procured and
installed in record time.
• February 2015 –Fund Raising Social event at our
local community hall. The Race Night in Lindale
Hall was very well attended and a huge success.
• March 2015 – a free fun talk on ‘Saucy Postcards’
by Reverend Paul Martin providing light
refreshments courtesy of our Evergreen Team.
• April 2015 – Miners’ Heritage Afternoon Tea to
share stories and information on the heritage of
the area.
• March 2015 onwards - MCIB facilitated a new
scheme for community members to sponsor a
memorial bench.
• Installation of 4 additional bins to reduce littering
in the area.
• Three new community benches installed on the
playing field with contributions from MCIB, S106
& Brighter Borough.
• New scheme to help involve more community
members and gain support for the group with ongoing gardening maintenance was the ‘Adoption
of Flowerbeds’ Scheme.
• Huge Litter pick event as part of Wigan
Borough’s ‘The Deal’. This was our most
successful litter pick event yet.
• June 2015 - Wigan Council Volunteer Day. Staff
volunteers came to Mosley Common and did
a sterling job of clearing weeds from along
pavements, around lamp posts and gutters.
• Second Annual Dog Show, this year including
large fun fair, our Evergreen Team serving
afternoon teas.
• Robert Bruce held the first of the ‘Active Living
Walks’ around Mosley Common.
• Five new half Barrel planters have been procured
and are sited centrally opposite our Wheel bed.
• Summer planting of the ‘Wheel’ flowerbed, and
the recycling of the perennial spring plants,
removed from this bed, have been replanted
inside the railings of the Play Area. It is hoped
Mosley
that Common
this will Wheel
give great colour next spring.
• We have encouraged local residents to plant any
herbaceous flowering plants they no longer want,
or need to split, inside the play area railings to
give us a great show throughout the year. This is
a great way to involve more people and recycle
plants from local gardens.
Mosley Common rockery and wild flower planting
23
24
Better Neighbourhood Gardening Competition
One of the main priorities for Wigan and Leigh
Homes’ tenants is the appearance of their estates.
Wigan and Leigh Homes tenants and residents run
our Annual Gardening Competition. The competition
is very prestigious amongst tenants, who can enter
one of the different categories which cater for
different types and sizes of gardens.
Tenant and resident judges look at how each tenant
has made the most of the space available to them
using their own skills and talents, including growing
their own plants and vegetables from seed whenever
possible, floral displays and imaginative use of
planting.
The competition is open to all residential properties
on Wigan and Leigh Homes estates. The categories
this year are:
• Best Traditional Garden
• Best Ornamental Garden
• Best Communal Garden
• Best Hanging Baskets and Containers
• Best Vegetable or Fruit Garden
• Best Neighbourhood
The winner of each of the categories will then be
considered for the coveted title of Gardener of the
Year.
All winners receive their prizes, which are donated by
local businesses, at a special awards ceremony in
September.
Tenants and residents can enter by completing an
application form sent to each household, via the
web, emailing or over the phone.
Housing Matters
Magazine
Free recycling advice
Clean up days / Re-use not refuse
Wigan and Leigh Homes estate caretakers assist
tenants and residents with organised clean up days
and focus on recycling as much as possible.
Local organisations are invited to take unwanted
furniture so they can upcycle the items and sell them
on cheaply.
Free skips in Golborne
Grass cutting
Reuse / Recycle event in Atherton
25
26
Shevington in Bloom
Shevington in Bloom’s year was off to a very good
start when at the North West in Bloom Competition
Awards Ceremony, they were not only presented with
Gold but for the second time were awarded Best in
Category.
Our new campaign began earnest in January when
we were informed that the Britain in Bloom Judges
would be going to Shevington as part of the Wigan in
Bloom Judging. This would be the second time the
Britain in Bloom Judges will have been to Shevington
as they won Gold in 2014 and were delighted to
be Best in Category in their first entry to Britain in
Bloom.
Shevington’s main task is to plant and maintain all
the beds and planters to a high standard for the
residents. This year the 9 small beds at the Parish
Council Car Park have been completely refurbished
once again with recycled plants.
As our second initiative at the Recreation Field in the
RHS three year initiative to improve a green space,
the group cleared the land at the west entrance to
the Recreation Field. We then prepared the land
for sowing grass seed and now rather than a mass
of weeds, it is a green area now mown by Wigan
Council.
The group have successfully applied to the local
Rotary Club for funding to install four large planters
at the local primary school to go with two three
tier planters they funded in 2015. The group works
closely with school children who also help to plant
their beds.
We have a new wicker structure showing the old
cottage industry of basket weaving, depicting a
weaver at his work with two newly made baskets
planted with flowers.
The window of Shevington Library now has three
new signs, for the RHS Britain in Bloom Category
winners 2014 and North West in Bloom Category
Winners 2013 and 2015.
The base of a tree at the entrance to the Memorial
Garden has been planted with red and white
perennials and the local Knit and Natter group have
made poppies to emulate those at Chelsea Flower
Show.
27
28
Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles Allotments
IHL manage 411 allotments over 12 sites, which provide valuable recreation,
leisure & exercise opportunities to members of the public. The allotment tenants
spend a combined 120,000 hours per year on their plots.
Within the last 12 months external funding from the Big Lottery Fund was secured
to install a compostable toilet on Stubshaw Cross Allotments. The toilet is part of a
wider programme of improvements at Stubshaw Cross which also includes:
IHL are also working in partnership with the Primary Care Trust to develop
allotment / gardening opportunities for social care clients. The Active Choices
programme is running at a number of sites across the borough including Stubshaw
Cross Allotments, Haigh Hall, Three Sisters Recreation Area and Mesnes Park. The
events that have taken place include:
• Bush Tucker – foraging, identifying and sampling wild edible plants.
• Two large community plots developed.
• Incredible edible – growing edible plants in urban parks.
• Installation of three raised beds.
• Fruit tree planting.
• Provision of a community cabin.
• Wildflower sowing.
• 2013 saw the development of a new allotment site at Guest Fold, Atherton. The
new site was developed in partnership with The Conservation Volunteers, The
Howe Bridger’s and IHL. The new allotments are being developed in phases
and will provide:
• 15 traditional plots
• Raised beds
• Community orchard
• Polytunnels
Wigan’s allotment strategy continues to improve and increase the allotment
portfolio across the borough. The strategy is driven by a partnership of IHL, The
Conservation Volunteers & Groundwork.
IHL also worked in partnership with Lilford Park Allotment Society to expand the
community orchard on the allotment site with IHL donating the trees. The orchard
has now expanded into the adjacent park.
New Springs Allotments
29
30
Worsley Hall Allotments, Wigan
Wigan Parish Church, Wigan Town Centre
Wigan Growing Network is a Community
Interest Company based at “Jack’s House” on
Worsley Hall Community Allotment. Its aim is
to promote community food growing, urban
wildlife, sustainability and healthy communities.
In line with the promotion of community food
growing WGN is working to increase provision of
growing opportunities through the creation of new
allotment sites, and also to create a wider range of
opportunities, including community managed plots
and organised volunteering sessions.
The gardens at the historic Wigan Parish Church
form one of the largest green spaces in Wigan town
centre, which have recently undergone substantial
investment to relay the historic flagstones, making
the area more accessible. New planting areas have
been installed to enhance entrances to the gardens
and new beds will also be installed at the cenotaph,
which will be planted in complimentary colours.
In partnership with Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles’ Active
Living team, WGN is delivering a programme of
food growing projects called ‘Get Up and Grow’ at
nine sites across the borough, including four new,
purpose-built community plots located in public
parks. The programme is specifically targeting
people suffering from isolation due to various
underlying issues, but the projects are open to
anyone of any age and background.
The goal is to establish self-managing groups at
each project in order to continue the use of the
sites as community plots into the future. It is hoped
that each site will in turn become a catalyst for the
establishment of offshoot groups in the immediate
vicinity, each adopting, developing and maintaining
a small area of public land in a similar vein to
Incredible Edible.
In addition WGN aims to build on these initial nine
sites, establishing new projects across Wigan and
Leigh so that people anywhere in the borough have
access to food growing and gardening opportunities,
and to the benefits these projects bring in terms
of improving mental and physical wellbeing and
providing social interaction.
The Parish Church has benefited from a major facelift
over the last few years including: • General infrastructure improvements including
waste bins and park benches
• Formal bedding schemes
• The introduction of wildflower planting
• Hedge row improvements
• Arboriculture Works
Wigan Parish Church
• Enhanced horticultural standards, grass cut with
collection
Overall, this has made the area much more attractive
and has increased the area’s overall use, providing
a more pleasurable environment for shoppers and
visitors to the town centre.
Pennington Hall Park, Leigh
A small, community allotment has been built for
use by the local community in a corner of the park.
The area encompasses raised beds for growing
vegetables, salad and herbs, and is currently under
further development by the volunteer group to create
a pond, shelter, seating area, woodland garden trail,
compost bays, bug hotels and further beds for food
growing.
Pennington Hall Park
“Jack’s House” - The Straw Bale Classroom at Worsley Hall Allotments
31
32
A4 - Business Areas & Premises :
Retail and shopping areas, leisure sites, transport terminals, car parks, farms rural businesses, pubs, post offices, tourist areas/attractions, offices and estate agents.
Friends of Hindley Station
Outstanding RHS for third year in 2013 achieved National recognition with a
2nd Prize for Renewable Artwork (Hindley High School), and two 3rd Prizes for
Community Artwork and Outstanding Volunteer from ACoRP (Association of
Community Rail Partnerships).
In June we held our first Strawberry Tea to raise funds for FoHS at Kildare Grange,
one of their resident’s works with us on the station. Everyone enjoyed the day and
some members of FoHS were involved in a ‘Mock Wedding’ later in the year as a
thank you, another Strawberry Tea in planned for June and a ‘Station Open Day’ in
August.
Oakfield School has made a bench which is in Brian’s Garden and also planted
onions and strawberries in the raised beds under the old station house. They were
delighted to be invited to the Big Thank You event.
Hindley High School made some brightly coloured bird boxes for our ‘wild side’
which now have some residents. In November they did a piece of artwork to
celebrate 165 years of the station using ticket shapes and Victorian designs and
have recently updated one of their art cases with some Digital Artwork and are
completing a Welcome to Hindley poster for the newly painted ticket hall.
Restorative Justice continues to work with us and helped when we painted the
ticket hall, at the moment they are painting the doors underneath the old station
house. During 2014, our member from Kildare Grange has designed the Open Air
Classroom and planters have been made and installed.
Hindley Station
Model Train Memorial
Our neighbours continue to support us, one has built us a ‘living roof’ to cover our
water barrels which has been planted with wild flower seeds and others continue to
come and donate plants for our sustainable planting scheme. Joe has designed a
‘topiary train’ using the hedge which we recycled from Helsby and put at the end of
the platform two years ago. The train has been painted and is a great new feature.
On the Wigan bound side we have almost completed the area in memory of Brian
Openshaw who sadly died last year just after he finished building the Windmill. It
has not been without its problems as we no longer have access to that side for
deliveries so any stone/slate has to be carried down. The train has been made by
his grandson. With the support of Bickershaw Hall Nurseries we have designed
rockeries and have used mulch which we produced ourselves using our shredder
purchased with the support of Brighter Borough, Transport for Greater Manchester
and ACoRP. The picket fences are made from recycled pallets, plaster board ones
are ideal as they are very long. Northern Rail donated a large train planter and
compost and this has been incorporated into the overall gardens. It has been
customised and now has wheels and tracks.
Most of our planting is now sustainable and therefore easy to maintain.
The bedding plants on the Manchester bound side have been donated by
Bickershaw Hall Nurseries who have been very supportive over the past few years.
Windmill
33
A4 - Business Areas & Premises :
Retail and shopping areas, leisure sites, transport terminals, car parks, farms rural businesses, pubs, post offices, tourist areas/attractions, offices and estate agents.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)
The Galleries
Town Centre Management
After The Bridgers group in Howe Bridge
approached TfGM regarding improving one of their
transport terminals in the centre of the village, a
representative attended a site visit and agreed that
improvements were needed to enhance the area.
TfGM then agreed to fund the improvements by
paying for the raw materials and planting needed for
the project, and the community group provided the
labour. The partnership has been very successful,
and has created a very attractive area to sit when
waiting for the bus, and improves the appearance of
the area for both local residents and visitors to the
village.
Each year, The Galleries plant up thousands of
planters around their shopping malls and the
outdoor market. Annual planting continues to be a
key part of their outdoor areas with each business
receiving a large hanging basket and integrated
planters and seating used for shoppers and visitors
to rest and enjoy the displays.
The Town Centre Unit Team was formed in April 2014
and consists of Town Centre Management, Event
Management, Parking Services, Street Cleansing and
Markets. The team have already made significant
improvements to the various work areas and are
now working together to provide a shared vision
and improve the Town Centre experience for both
business and visitors. Cleansing and the general
environment of the town centre is one of the team’s
principal tasks. Our team of caretakers litter pick
all areas of the town centre and also undertake
minor maintenance work to repair defects as they
see them. Our High Street vacancy rates are one
of the best in the North West with just one business
currently unoccupied, however this is currently under
offer and will once again give Wigan a 100% let High
Street.
G
A Tf
ject
ro
MP
Wherever possible, empty shop windows are
covered with impressive displays. And an area within
the indoor market has been identified as a site where
local children from The Deanery High School can
display ongoing artwork to support in Bloom year
round.
Plan
Floral displays at The Galleries
Summer events in the town centre
34
A5 - Green Spaces : Verges, parks and open public spaces
Green Flag Awards
For the sixth consecutive year, Colliers Corner in
Howe Bridge has been awarded the Community
Green Flag award for open spaces that are
maintained to a high standard by community groups
themselves. The judges commented favourably on
the improvements that have been made, adding that
it was one of best sustainable sites they had ever
visited.
Howe Bridge will be represented at the awards
ceremony taking place in Sheffield later this year.
Opening of new mining wheel on Colliers Corner
Green Flag award winning community maintained open space in Howe Bridge
35
A5 - Green Spaces : Verges, parks and open public spaces
The Green Spaces Team
Numbers that add up to success this year
• Wigan Borough in Bloom has over 30 active
community groups across the borough
• Our parks have 12 active Friends of Groups
Hundreds of residents enter the Wigan and Leigh
Homes Garden Competition each year
• 7,000 packets of wildflowers distributed to the
public for planting in their garden for WW1
Commemoration
• Over 400 active volunteers involved on a regular
basis
• Planted over 20,000m2 of mixed wildflowers
and 7,000m2 of woodland wildflowers within the
borough. Greenspaces planted 3-4000
• 9,500 community volunteer hours completed
from March 13 to March 14, giving an ‘in kind’
value of over £110,000. 50 volunteers took part in
parks related volunteering this year
• Mow over 3 million square metres of grass every
other week – With over 1.5million square metres
now cut with collection on housing estates,
principal routes, gateways, parks and towns
• Our parks volunteers clocked up over 5,441
hours in the last few years
• Maintain over 300,000 square feet of shrub beds,
150 sports pitches and over 8,000 street trees.
• Our groups have raised over £55,000 in
sponsorship and support
• Communities planted over 7,000 plants / shrubs
and over 200 new trees
• Communities achieved over 50 awards for
outstanding community achievement
• An impressive total of 50 acres of community
maintained green open space
• Over 26 separate groups entering ‘Its Your
Neighbourhood’, a massive 30% increase year
on year.
• Planted over 20,000 spring bulbs by hand and
150,000 planted by machine in autumn 2013
• Over 3,000 tree saplings planted by volunteers
across the borough
• Wigan Borough has a total area of 77 square
miles, and over 70% is green open space
contributing towards our Greenheart Regional
Park.
• Over the summer, over 2,000 residents per
month take part in guided cycle and walks routes
around our open spaces and parks.
• Over 70 regional awards won over the past 5
years, including 4 Gold Medals for our Boroughwide entry and an Environmental Quality Award.
• Over 200 budding photographers participated
in calendar competitions for In Bloom and
Greenheart.
• Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust facilitated 160
events in our parks, with over 10000 People
attending
• 3 Green Flag Award parks retained for over 7
years this includes Jubilee, Alexander Park and
Pennington Hall Park.
• Our Environmental Education Team worked with
95 schools delivering environmental education
sessions to over 4,500 pupils. They also visited
36 schools to offer support and advice on eco
related issues and to help schools progress with
their Eco-Schools work.
• Apprentice gardeners who were recruited
have gone onto supervisor positions within the
Greenspaces team. One apprentice has gone
onto the Council’s confident futures scheme.
• 300 perennial plants bought for community
groups by TfGM
• 3 new QR Code Villages are maintained across
the borough allowing ‘anytime’ access to a
wealth of information about each site from history
and heritage to education and biodiversity using
smartphone technology to scan each code.
• A total of 6.5 million spring bulbs planted over
the past 5 years at hundreds of key sites across
the borough
• Allotment tenants spend a combined 120,000
hours per year on their plots.
36
Frodsham Close
Mesnes Park Wigan
Hindley Allotments
Hindley Allotments
Greenheart Jubilee Way at Wigan Flashes
Chickens at Worley Hall Allotments
The Wiend, Wigan Town Centre
Low Hall Nature Reserve
Roadside planting in Shevington
RHS Training session in Mesnes park
Willow sculpture, Atherton
Ingleside Tyldesley
Clean for The Queen - Staff Volunteers
Believe Square Staff Volunteers
The Greenheart Jubilee Way on the Canal
Bee Hives at Worsley Hall Allotments
37
Section B
Section B : Environmental Responsibility
“
“
Assessing year round activities improving environmental
responsibilities
The judges were impressed that the various recycling rates for Wigan in
general are very high. The local environmental quality was of a very high
standard with no graffiti, litter or fly posting evident. All the street furniture
was also maintained to an exceptional standard and local heritage is
clearly evident.
40
B1 - Conservation and Biodiversity : Wildlife areas, natural habitats
Education
Greenheart Regional Park & Open Spaces
The Environmental Education Team continues to
promote the topic of biodiversity to schools through
the Eco-Schools programme. The latest eco news
and information is shared with schools via a termly
Eco-Schools Newsletter which includes links to
campaigns, funding opportunities, educational visits
(both within Wigan Borough and beyond) as well as
support offered by Wigan Council such as one to
one visits, assemblies and lessons within school.
Since Wigan was founded in 1974 it has been
transformed from the borough with the third highest
derelict land rate in the country to an area that boasts
a green and diverse countryside.
Schools are also invited to attend two Eco-Schools
workshops for teachers and an annual Eco-Schools
Celebration, where schools can find out the latest
eco information, share good practice and meet a
range of service providers. As part of the 2015 EcoSchools Celebration, pupils took part in a range of
eco activities including leaf litter identification and a
wildlife scavenger hunt.
Greenheart is an environmental and economic
regeneration strategy to coordinate and promote the
existence and potential of our unique open green
space network and to highlight how it can help to
address the needs of our community as well as
drawing in visitors.
Greenheart covers an area of approx. 57 square
kilometres at the heart of the borough and comprises
of an extensive network of parks, woodlands,
wetlands, ecological habitats, recreation facilities,
restored canals and public rights of way.
Actions to date have been focused around three
broad areas: habitat creation, developing quality
connecting routes across the borough and
investment in the former Bickershaw Colliery site.
• Significant investment in Wigan’s wetland sites
from Pennington through the Wigan Flashes
to Three Sisters and Borsdane resulting in
important wildlife habitat and public access
improvements
• Phase 1 restoration and interpretation of the
Kirkless former Iron and Steel works site at
Ince, resulting in important habitat and access
improvements
• On-going environmental education and
outdoor learning activities provided through the
Amberswood, Lightshaw and Kirkless projects
• Publicity and communications linked to the
marketing campaign for the period April 2014 to
March 2015
There has also been a focus on developing strategic
partnerships to steer the development of Greenheart.
This has included the establishment of the
Greenheart Board and Operations Group to oversee
the practical delivery of the project.
Some of the projects delivered include:
• Improvements to the Bridgewater Canal,
including access, seating, signage, and public
art at Leigh
• Resurfacing, interpretation and public art on the
Leeds – Liverpool Canal, providing opportunities
for volunteers, training and employment
ECO Schools Event
• Investment in two phases of the strategic
greenway network following the Whelley Loop
Line former mineral railway, with a number of
smaller additional projects related to this work,
to create over 35 kilometres of off road multi user
route as part of the National Cycleway Network
Wigan Flashes
Much of Greenheart is a designated wildlife corridor and can boast some of the most
significant natural habitats in the region, including 4 Sites of Special Scientific Interest,
89 Sites of Biological Importance and 7 Local Nature Reserves.
WELCOME TO
WIGAN
TOWN
HALL
DW STADIUM
TRENCHERFIELD
MILL
LEIGH SPORTS
VILLAGE
LEIGH
TOWN
HALL
LEEDS AND LIVERPOOL C ANAL
Pennington Flash
41
42
B1 - Conservation and Biodiversity : Wildlife areas, natural habitats
Wildflowers and Hedgerows
Public Rights of Way
The Environmental Education Team
Working with various schools from across the
borough, several wildflower areas have been sown
at various sites including Lowton, Marus Bridge,
Golborne and Standish where primary school pupils
helped to plant the new wildlife areas. This has now
been further developed to include natural ponds
and wetlands. WLCT have planted a large open area
with specific wildflower mixes at Pennington Flash
to attract bees and butterflies. Areas within Wigan
Flashes have also been transformed with wildflowers
through the help of local volunteers to enhance the
entrances to the site.
Wigan Council is responsible for the management
of 480km of public footpaths and bridleways
throughout the borough. Maintenance is carried out
on priority routes twice a year, which link residential
areas, schools and local amenities. Work is also
carried out on footpaths and bridleways which link
country parks, green corridor routes and other key
facilities. In 2008 the Rights of Way Improvement
Plan (ROWIP) was launched after extensive
consultation, which aims for the borough to have
a well connected, safe and inclusive Rights of Way
Network which improves accessibility and is well
used for leisure, tourist and utilitarian journeys and
supports a healthy and sustainable community and a
dynamic economy.
The Environmental Education Team tackle Anti Social
Behaviour issues such as neighbour nuisance, noise
nuisance, rowdy behaviour, abandoned/burnt out
vehicles and responsible dog ownership. We receive
thousands of complaints each year from residents
asking us to intervene with issues within their
neighbourhood.
A hedge-laying exercise was carried out at various
sites across the borough including Greenslate
Farm and Amberswood in the winter of 2013 by
The Conservation Volunteers with a team of young
people. Traditional hedge-laying techniques were
used and a number of trees were left as standards
along the hedge. This work will help maintain the
integrity of the hedge as a field boundary and
increase its capabilities to support a wider range of
wildlife. It has also opened up good views across
Wigan to the West Pennine Moors.
Friends of Ashton have been working in partnership
with local school children at Skitters Wood where
they have been granted permission to create a
mosaic and carry out tree planting in the wood. The
local school children have also planted a ‘Jams
and Jellies’ hedge which involves planting specific
species with fruits they can pick in future years. This
has led to the formation of the “Friends of Skitters
Wood” group who are a group of local residents
passionate about improving the woodland area.
Work on implementing the plan has continued with
a number of bridleways being created and legally
designated. The ROWIP also provides opportunities
to create additional routes; both footpaths and
bridleways, this situation is enhanced further by
working with fellow Officers within the Transport
Strategy Team, thus enabling greater scope to
influence major development schemes through the
planning process.
One way we try to prevent ASB is through education
and we go into schools, community groups and
other organisations to make people aware of the
consequences of ASB for the victims as well as the
perpetrators. The Anti Social Behaviour, Crime and
Policing Act came into force in 2014 and is focused
on putting the victims first. We have been working
with community groups to make them aware of this
new legislation and how they can use it to empower
their residents to deal with problems in their area.
Responsible dog ownership is an issue that has also
been brought into focus by the new legislation and
we have been holding events offering free dog micro
chipping with the RSPCA and giving advise to dog
owners on problem behaviour in order to prevent
future issues. The pictures attached are some of the
dogs that were chipped at our event in Alexandra
Park in Newtown in February. We hope to run one of
these events every month in a different area of the
borough for the next two years.
Dog chipping
Public Bridleway
43
B2 - Resource Management : Recycling, minimising demand placed on natural resources and any harmful impact on the environment
Recycling
In 2013-14 we reached our target of 50% recycling
and only landfilled 8%. In 2014-15 we maintained our
achievement of only 8% going to landfill although our
precentage of waste being recycled reduced from
50% slightly. We are now looking at initiatives that will
increase our recycling rate to over 50%.
In late 2015, substantial improvements were
completed at the Slag Lane Household Waste
Recycling Centre (HWRC). This included a 40m x 7m
canopy over the upper area to keep residents dry
whilst they are sorting their materials into the correct
containers. Residents have really liked the fact that
they no longer get wet if it is raining and that the
lighting under the canopies make the site brighter
particularly on dark nights. The lower area of the site
has also been transformed and a tarmac surface has
been laid.
In February similar works to Chanters HWRC
commenced and will be completed by late May. This
again includes a large canopy.
In November last year the Organic Waste Transfer
Station were completed. This facility has been
purpose built to deal with the garden waste and food
collected from the green waste service provided. It
has been designed with many features to minimise
the impact on the environment such as dust, odour,
and noise. Many people have commented on how
quiet and clean the new transfer station is even after
over 6 months of operating.
The Kirkless transfer station used as a disposal
point for the Council’s fleet has also undergone a
makeover. The first initiative was the fitting of solar
panels to the roof so that some of the plant and
equipment can be run off the green power being
generated. When the plant is not operation the
electricity being generated can be exported to the
national grid. Works on a fire suppression tank are to
commence in the next few months to reduce the risk
of a fire.
We have significantly reduced the amount of
contamination in the recycling bins this year by
running ‘Recycle Right’ campaigns, roadshows
and educational events across the Borough. Last
year, 34 roadshows were carried out reaching
4,500 residents. Social media platforms including
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are regularly used
to promote recycling messages to members of the
public.
Plant-Cycle
After each planting season (summer and winter) the
in bloom team offer all the community groups and
local residents the opportunity to come to Moss Bank
Nurseries in Leigh to recycle plants and material that
they may be able to use in their community projects.
In summer cuttings and tubers are taken from plants
such as geraniums and begonias and in winter there
are species such as thyme, ornamental grasses,
spring flowering bulbs, cyclamen and primroses
which are all on offer free of charge to be replanted
or grown on. Its Your Neighbourhood groups have
priority over this stock before it is released to the
general public. Any plant material that is not re-used
via our Plant-Cycle scheme is composted for use at
schools and community sites.
Composting
Free compost bins have been supplied to local
groups and allotments and green waste collected
from residential bin collections is reused as
agricultural grade compost. WLCT also provide
wood bark chippings to any resident of the borough
free of charge.
Grand Arcade
The Grand Arcade is the premier shopping
destination within Wigan Town Centre and was the
first carbon neutral shopping centre to be built in
the UK. The centre has a green roof which helps to
form a natural habitat in an urban area, insulates
the building and helps to harvest rainwater. Thanks
to the green roof. Improved access to the green
roof means that the Northwest and Britain in
Bloom judges will be able to see the green roof for
themselves for the first time in 2016.
Energy only purchased from guaranteed green
suppliers and 65% of all waste created during
construction was recycled along with 100% of the
cardboard and paper generated by the centre and its
tenants.
LED Street Lighting
Wigan Council has taken the decision to carry out an
Invest to Save on its street lighting that will:
• Replace approximately 31,000 street lighting
columns with LED units which will be retrofitted
across the borough;
• Reduce the Councils street lighting energy
consumption by around 6,500,000 kwh per year;
• Reduce the Councils carbon footprint by around
3,500 tonnes CO2 per year;
• Reduce the maintenance of street lights as
LED’s typically last 5 to 6 times longer than
conventional lamps;
Operate by ‘smart’ controls, which will allow lighting
levels to be varied to the need of the area to be lit
and the lighting unit will ‘tell us’ if it is not working as
planned.
44
B3 - Local Heritage : Management and development of local heritage and/or identity, inclusive of natural heritage
Haigh Woodland Park
Formerly the home of the Earls of Crawford &
Balcarres, the Grade II listed Haigh Hall dates
back to 1840 and is open to the public. The walled
gardens formerly used for growing fruits and
vegetables for the estate have now been developed
into formal gardens with traditional bedding and
formal lawns which attracts thousands of visitors a
year. The gardens also include a splendid arboretum
which hosts a fine collection of native tree species.
A £12m plan will transform Haigh Hall and Country
Park into a top tourist destination. The new “Haigh
Woodland Park” includes a £6m investment to
restore the Grade II listed hall and create a four-star
boutique hotel.
The development will increase visitor numbers to an
estimated 500,000 a year and will mean even greater
public access with improved attractions including a
new family adventure zone, adventure golf course
and upgraded footpaths and bike routes.
Wigan Flashes Visitor Centre Project
There is an ambition and expectation within Wigan
Council that an iconic visitor centre will be built within
the Wigan Flashes complex. This new visitor centre
will act as a ‘Gateway’ site into Greenheart and
comprise of a suite of facilities that inspire people
about the natural world and create a desire to visit
the site and explore further afield. Of the ‘Gateway’
sites in Greenheart, Wigan Flashes is one of the
largest at over 260 hectares in size and also the
closest to Wigan Town Centre, therefore having the
potential to be an easily accessible visitor attraction.
The overarching purpose of the visitor centre is to
act as a destination point that offers local people an
enjoyable recreational and educational experience
that will encourage repeat visits.
This work follows on from previously derived
Greenheart action plans which identified a number of
potential locations in Greenheart that would benefit
from visitor facilities. Wigan Flashes was identified
as a Gateway site and being the priority location for a
Visitor Centre. The preferred location was considered
to be a waters edge position, constructed as an
integral element of the Westwood Park and A49 link
road development.
At this stage we wish to find a suitable design and
designer and we currently propose to do this through
a competitive process. It is likely to take a standard
form; briefings and rules etc sent out, submission of
sketches/design proposals, shortlisting by a judging
panel, further submission/interview of shortlisted
teams, selection & announcement of winner.
Historic Wiend
Over the last 6 years, The Wiend in Wigan Town
Centre has become the focal point for shoppers and
visitors alike. Working with local businesses, scout
groups and schools, Wigan Borough in Bloom has
transformed what was once a dull lifeless area into
the heart of our main town centres. Additionally
“The Face” artwork has seen more and more people
using the space and the new Wigan Life Centre has
ensured that The Wiend is one of the busiest areas of
the town centre. The focal flowerbeds are sponsored
by Moss Bank Nurseries, and replanted annually by
different voluntary groups.
Haigh Windmill, Haigh
Wigan Council was successful in applying for
£50,000 to restore Haigh Windmill, the only windmill
in Greater Manchester, from the Heritage Lottery
Fund. The restoration includes a new fibre-glass
dome, reparation of the brick façade and four
replacement sails. Part of this project involved the
Neighbourhood Teams carrying out a supportive
education campaign with the three local primary
schools, St David’s, Haigh, Aspull Church and Our
Lady’s, Aspull. The education lessons included
presentations on the history of the windmill as well as
a look at old uses of wind power from bread making
sessions through to modern wind turbines via a
visit to Southport Eco Centre to see demonstrations
of a working wind turbine. The pupils have also
been involved in designing a mosaic celebrating
the history of Haigh Windmill which will be installed
outside St David’s primary school.
The Wiend, Wigan Town Centre
Industrial & Commercial Heritage
Wigan Borough lies midway between Liverpool and
Manchester, covering an area of 77 square miles.
It consists of a number of communities grouped
round the two larger towns of Wigan and Leigh, and
forms the most westerly part of the county of Greater
Manchester. With a population of approximately
300,000 Wigan is the twelfth largest metropolitan
district in the country.
Wigan has a long industrial heritage with coal and
cotton being the major employers until the late 20th
century. Since that time the council has worked hard
to attract new investment and create jobs in modern
industries such as IT and leisure.
New play area at Haigh Woodland Park
The ‘Bet Fred’ chain of bookmakers has its
headquarters in Wigan, providing about 300 jobs
in the town. H. J. Heinz is amongst the largest food
manufacturers in Europe. Their 55-acre (220,000 m2)
site in Wigan is the largest food processing facility in
Europe. Patak’s food production and William Santus
& Co. Ltd, confectioner and producer of Uncle Joe’s
Mint Balls are based within the Borough.
Trencherfield Mill Engine
Haigh Hall
45
46
World War One Commemoration Events
25th June – Armed Forces Day
15th August – Victory Japan Ceremony
Armed Forces Day was held on Saturday 25th June
across the UK and Wigan Council supported our
Armed Forces with a commemorative day in Wigan
town centre’s Believe Square.
A public service to commemorate the victory over
Japan to be held in All Saints Parish Church, Wigan.
1st July – Supporting the Military Past and
Present
A tribute to those who have fought and died for their
country, as well as a tribute to all our veterans.
An event to be held in Shevington, Wigan and Leigh
hospice shops.
1st July – Somme Concert and Bronze Memorial
Figures
A commemoration concert held at the Aspull Royal
British Legion in honour of our fallen.
14th September – WW1 Battle of the Somme
Afternoon Concert
An afternoon concert for members of the public to
attend, including food and drink and various musical
arrangements to remember the Battle of the Somme
11th November – Armistice Day
A series of events to be held across Wigan Borough
in order to remember Armistice Day, including
planting trees with Shevington & District Community
Association
.
2-3rd July – Centenary Commemoration of the
Battle of the Somme
A commemoration event held in St Wilfrid’s Church,
Standish and Standish town centre, to include
recitals, music and reflection.
Armed Forces Day
Armed Forces Day
Armed Forc
es Day
Historic Monuments
The Obelisk, Leigh Town Centre was erected in
1762 a short distance from its current site by Robert
Vernon Gwillym of Atherton Hall. The base may
contain stones from Leigh’s Medieval Market Cross.
Mab’s Cross, Wigan Town Centre, is the remains of
one of Wigan’s medieval crosses and received its
legendary name when it become the destination of
a weekly penance walking barefoot from Haigh Hall
imposed by the church on Dame Mabel Bradshaigh
for marrying a Welsh knight when she innocently
believed that her husband Sir William had been killed
in a baronial revolt in the 1320s.
Wigan Borough contains nearly 500 listed buildings
of National importance, along with an additional
500 of local interest. There are also a total of 11
scheduled ancient monuments and 23 conservation
areas.
The Tyldesley Monument, Wigan Lane, was erected
in 1679 to the memory of Sir Thomas Tyldesley of
Leigh who was killed fighting on the Royalists side at
the battle of Wigan Lane on 25th August 1651.
The war memorial in Wigan Parish Chruch was
designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and is listed
at Grade II. Gilbert Scott was an English architect
known for his work on structures such as Liverpool
Anglican Cathedral, Waterloo Bridge and Battersea
Power Station as well as designing the iconic K6 red
telephone box.
The In Bloom team work across the borough with
local ward councillors to enhance the appearance of
these areas with appropriate floral displays.
The Tyldesley Monument, WIgan Lane, Wigan
47
48
B4 - Local environmental quality : Management of vacant premises and plots, litter, graffiti, fly-posting, dog fouling etc.
Graffiti & Fly Tipping
Public Artwork
The graffiti team operate across the borough to
deal with reports of graffiti and fly posting, which
is removed within 2 working days of receiving the
report. The service extends to graffiti on domestic
and business premises where it is visible to the
highway. There has been a significant decline in
graffiti since the team was introduced.
There are over 15 pieces of public art around the
borough including: Interpretation figures around
Wigan Pier Quarter; The Face at the Wiend; Ince
Mosaic; Walmsley Park; Atherton Mosaic; Standish
Sculpture; Wigan Tree; Leigh Willow Sculpture;
Dragonfly at Flashes; Rose Bridge Arch; Spirit of
Wigan; Mosley Common Wheel; Marus Bridge
Roundabout; Climbing to New Heights sculpture and
the Gabury Fold Pit cage. These are in addition to the
various pit tubs and field ploughs in various villages
around the borough.
Cleansing Operatives & Enforcement
The town centre cleansing staff deal with the
everyday cleansing problems, fly posting and
chewing gum with the use of a high-pressure washer
and other specialist equipment.
As well as dealing with everyday cleansing
problems the Cleansing team deal with reports of
environmental crime. A large percentage of the
cleansing staff are now trained to issue Fixed Penalty
Notices (FPNs) in relation to litter, dog fouling and fly
tipping.
Management of Vacant Retail Units
There is also a new sculpture installed on Colliers
Corner which includes a mining wheel and pit cart
on tracks have has been specially commissioned as
a bespoke art piece that truly depicts the heritage of
the local area with a modern twist. Others areas such
as Shevington have also installed bespoke artwork
addressing the village’s heritage as a basket making
area. Large metal interwoven baskets have been
installed in the village centre and planted with a mix
of annual and perennial planting.
Bridgeman Terrace Green Sweepers
The Department for Communities and Local
Government granted a number of town centres funds
to address vacant units and negative effects the
current economic climate is having on the UK. The
Town Centre manager is managing these funds and
via match funding and sponsorship has managed to
attract an additional £150,000. The funds are being
used to address some of the more problematic shop
fronts and host events in the town centre which will
attract additional visitors and create a more vibrant
town centre. This includes installation of window
vinyls on vacant units to maintain the appearance of
the town centres.
Wigan Pier Interpretation Figure
Walmsley Park, Ince
49
B5 - Pride of Place : Management of street furniture, signage, art in the landscape and hard landscaping
Street Scape Design Guide
Wigan Council is in the process of implementing the
Wigan Town Centre Street Scape Strategy, which has
now been approved. This has been put together by a
Project Team of officers from the Places Directorate.
The strategy sets out a vision for the Wigan town
centre public realm and outlines 4 key design
principles to be adopted by the Council, they are;
clearer streets, a greener town centre, a safer place
and a distinctive environment.
A ten year action plan has been adopted to help
coordinate the necessary resources to achieve the
vision.
Wigan Pier Quarter Scheme
As part of the larger Wigan Pier Quarter in the south
west area of Wigan town centre, Wigan Council
has developed significant regeneration plans to
redevelop the former Wigan Pier Nightclub into a
new high quality public space.
The council has worked with Groundwork to develop
a new landscape scheme for the site taking into
account the heritage of the area and its location
overlooking the Leeds Liverpool Canal.
Following demolition of the derelict nightclub
building, work is now well under way to deliver a
new formal public space for the enjoyment of local
residents and visitors, which will also create access
improvements to and from the canal towpath. The
scheme also acts as the starting point of the Pier
to Pier long distance cycle route which finishes in
Southport.
Wigan Town Centre
Wigan Council is keen to develop prosperous town
centres and over recent years both Wigan and Leigh
have seen significant investment in terms of building
and transport facilities. The plan now is to support
and encourage further investment in these centres
through the development of two major public realm
schemes at Market Place, Wigan and Bradshawgate,
Leigh.Market Place will see removal of existing stone
walls to create a large, shared open space better
suited to hosting town centre events.
Bradshawgate will see the relocation of the outdoor
market where it will be more visible and allow more
space for visitors to circulate.
Both schemes will see significant resurfacing,
planting of new street trees and new bespoke
lighting.
Market Street Wigan tree planting and business sponsorship
Former night club site
Section C
Section C : Community Participation
“
Assessing year round community participation
This bloom entry will clearly carry on for a number of years
with the passion shown by all residents and also from the local
councillors and council staff that the judges met on the tour.
Year round involvement was clearly demonstrated from all of
the varying projects the judges were shown. Wigan Council is
clearly switched on to obtaining funding from various sources
and this was well demonstrated by the city centre manager and
local businesses who have contributed over £20,000 towards
Wigan Borough in Bloom.
“
52
C1 - Development and Continuity : Development and sustainability of the local bloom initiative and evidence of ongoing projects
Public Consultation
Wigan Borough in Bloom conducts regular surveys
of public satisfaction across the year at various
events, forums, fetes and shows. Recent surveys
have shown that over 98% of the people surveyed
were aware of the Wigan Borough in Bloom
campaign or had noticed the floral displays across
the borough. Furthermore; 98% of residents were
either satisfied or very satisfied with the improved
floral displays around the borough. The information
gained from surveys, events and forums is used to
influence future development of the project.
Community Forum
Each year we hold a Wigan Borough in Bloom
Community Forum at the end of summer to discuss
with the community groups involved what was
successful and how we can improve. Developing
this further we focused on creating an agenda based
on the communities priorities, which helps to get
the most out of their value time. Their ideas are then
summarised and fed into the WBIB Steering Group
and used to aid future development of WBIB. It
also allows groups to share their experiences and
knowledge and encourage new groups to become
involved.
Response to Community Workshop
Feedback
As a result of these suggestions, a series of actions
has been completed. To help with the issue of
funding, all In Bloom groups were given a handout
outlining various funding sources, from national
schemes such as the Big Lottery Fund and Awards
for All, to local funding opportunities, such as Ward
Councillor’s Brighter Borough funding.
All groups were also directed to Wigan Council’s
Community Investment Funding (CIF). Standish in
Bloom were successful in the first round of funding
in gaining £1,000 to start their ‘Incredible Edible
Standish’ scheme.
In Bloom groups have also been encouraged to
contact local businesses for support. For example,
Crooke Village in Bloom gained £200 funding from
a local scaffolding company, their first private sector
donation.
Through The Deal and various other In Bloom
initiatives, new volunteers have been found for
existing groups, as well as to help create 6 new in
Bloom groups. And a template portfolio has also
been developed for groups to use if they require.
Judging Criteria Workshop
The main areas for improvement that were suggested
at the Community Workshop were that groups
needed help gaining funding, groups needed help
to find new volunteers, and groups needed help with
their portfolios. The Wigan Borough in Bloom
Co-ordinator agreed to help address these issues.
Honey Bee on Lavender - Mesnes Park Wigan
53
C1 - Development and Continuity : Development and sustainability of the local bloom initiative and evidence of ongoing projects
Big Thank You
Supported Employment Service
Housing Matters
In the autumn we hold our annual Big Thank You
event. This enables the council to thank all our
community members who have taken the time and
effort to enhance their local areas.
Wigan Council’s Supported Employment Service
have been working closely with our main contactor
Moss Bank Nurseries to give young people with
challenged backgrounds the opportunity to learn
new skills and get experience of working in a
commercial environment.
Housing Matters magazine goes out to 22,000 Wigan
and Leigh Homes properties. The magazine is used
to promote money saving schemes, carbon literacy
and the annual gardening competition and as a
showcase to exhibit gardening competition winners
and encourage new entrants each year.
Last year the North West in Bloom judges attended
and commented on the high quality of the work that
had been completed by our volunteer network.
In November 2015, a series of special awards for
outstanding community achievements for best
primary school grounds, best developing community
project, best established community project and best
community allotment were awarded. The awards
were presented by the Mayor of Wigan, Councillor
Susan Loudon, and Councillor Kevin Anderson,
Cabinet member for the environment.
This programme has been so successful that several
of the original participants in the project have been
given full time seasonal work at the Nursery and have
gained the confidence to progress to new positions
after learning how to operate new machinery and
undertake the technical processes that are involved
in commercial production of our floral displays for In
Bloom.
Big Thank You
Big Thank You
Supported Employment Awards
54
C2 - Communication and education :
Community awareness and understanding, engagement with schools and young people and/or other community groups, press coverage and publicity materials
Education
This year, Environmental Education has been
delivered in 65 of our 135 schools to 4,500 pupils.
Wigan Council is currently 3rd out of 159 Local
Authorities in England in terms of number of schools
registered on the Eco-Schools Programme with
95% of schools registered. Of the 135 schools in
Wigan Borough, 24% have achieved their Green
Flag making the borough 3rd in England for number
of schools achieving the prestigious Green Flag
standard.
A key part of the education programme is to show
pupils how their behaviour affects their community
with the aim of encouraging pupils to develop a
sense of ownership and responsibility for their
environment. With the support of the Council’s eco
mascots, Waste Warrior and Scoop, topics covered
in schools include waste and recycling, litter and dog
fouling as well as general environmental issues.
Schools are kept up to date via termly e-newsletters,
twice yearly Teachers’ Network meetings and an
annual Eco-Schools Conference, during which
schools are recognised for their hard work. The
Conference also gives schools the opportunity to
network with each other and other eco-education
providers, both internal and external to Wigan
Council. In October 2015, 28 schools attended the
event which was held at Central Park Academy in
Wigan.
In June 2016, the Environmental Education Team
worked in partnership with Wigan Council’s Road
Safety Team, GMPTE, NHS and Aspiring Healthy
Lifestyles team to deliver ‘Crucial Crew’ to 1,700 Y5
school children. The Environmental Education Team
delivered sessions on recycling where pupils were
shown how to recycle at home and discussed the
importance of recycling and waste minimisation.
As well as undertaking eco projects in school,
schools are actively encouraged to participate
in community initiatives as part of The Deal. This
has seen pupils taking part in litter picks and bulb
planting as well as attending The Deal in Action road
shows where they can learn about Council services
available to them as well as link up with community
groups in their local area.
Schools regularly support the council’s ‘Recycle
Right’ campaign which encourages residents to use
their bins correctly to avoid contamination (the wrong
items) in the recycling bins. They have supported
the campaign by distributing leaflets to parents on
the council’s behalf and running their own ‘Recycle
Right’ campaigns.
Wigan Council is currently working in partnership
with St Peter’s Primary, Hindley to promote the
Recycle Right message for the green bins, used for
food and garden waste. They distribute compostable
food caddy liner to parents, which can be used in
their green recycling bins at home. Rolls of caddy
liners can be collected for a donation of 20p per
roll, which goes towards the school’s Eco-Schools
budget. In May, the pupils also took part in an
educational video to encourage residents to use
their green bins correctly, which has been promoted
via social media and the local press. This also
supported Compost Awareness Week which saw the
Environmental Education Team holding roadshows
to promote the organic waste recycling.
Recycle Right messages are communicated to the
public via roadshows, online videos and a range of
educational leaflets. Last year the Environmental
Education Team delivered 34 environmental
roadshows to promote recycling and anti litter
messages. As a result the team engaged with 4,500
residents from across the borough.
Grow Your Own
Wigan & Leigh Homes have carried out their annual
Grow Your Own project. This year 42 sessions were
held including 29 schools. Over 1000 attendees took
part and in excess of 3000 vegetable plants and over
a hundred packets of seeds were planted. In terms
of measurable values this is 1000 people undertaking
exercise by digging, weeding, raking and planting.
Added benefits include saving money, eating
healthily, social skills, reducing isolation, planning,
maths, being eco friendly and recycling through
composting and water recycling.
RHS Training Sessions
Wigan and Leigh Homes’ Better Neighbourhood
Fund has been used to run a ten week course for
new allotment plot holders. Sessions average at
18 learners per week. Subjects include soil types,
seed propagation, plant care, pests/diseases, how to
encourage wildlife into gardens, how to take cuttings
and seed collection. Participants are a mix of
experienced gardeners who have been assisting with
the sessions and passing on their skills and expertise
to new gardeners.
RHS Training Session - Mesnes Park
Wigan University Technical College
Academy
Wigan UTCs Vertical Farm is the worlds first
environmental agricultural facility using a Vertical
High Density Growing system in an educational
environment to train a new generation of urban food
production technicians ready for the challenges
facing the food production industry.
Using Hydroponics and Aquaponics the students
take advantage of supplementary lighting and a fully
controlled environment to grow their crops, using
organic fertiliser and fully reticulated water. The crops
are grown in floating rafts with roots suspended in
the water and nutrient mix which is gradually drained
to deliver fresh oxygen and nutrients to the roots.
• The students propagate from seed to young
plants and transfer onto the vertical farm.
• Crops include Spinach, Lettuce, Basil, Pak Choi,
Coriander and Parsley
• The farm occupies 156 metre square footprint
with over 36 metre square of production area
• 26 crops can be produced each year with
consistent quality all year round
• Seeds can produce crops within 35 to 40 days.
• All water and nutrients are fully recirculated with
zero waste
• All produce is pesticide, chemical and residue
free
• The UTC has developed a partnership with Fur
Clempt CIC, based locally. Fur Clempt feeds
people through supermarket food that would
otherwise have been thrown away. The UTC
supplies Fur Clempt with fresh food for its
kitchen.
Wigan UTCs Vertical Farm
55
56
Eco Schools Project with the Grand Arcade
Shopping Centre, Wigan Town Centre
Wigan Borough in Bloom Poetry
Competition with Schools
The Grand Arcade Shopping Centre is Wigan town
centre’s premier shopping venue and it is proud to
boast it has a carbon zero footprint.
In April 2016, Wigan Borough in Bloom launched a
poetry competition across all 133 primary, secondary
and special schools in Wigan Borough. 15 schools
took part in the competition, with over 150 entries in
total. The poems were judged by a panel of council
officers and members of Borough-Wide Community
Network, at the beginning of July 2016 and a top
three were chosen. The winning pupil won £300
towards a green prize for their school, the runner
up won £200 for their school, and third-placed won
a contribution of £100 for their school. The winning
poem was written by a pupil from Hindley Green
Community Primary School.
Over the past few years, further environmental
improvements have been made to the centre,
including the installation of a ‘green’ roof. Safe
access to the roof space has now been installed so
that visitors can enjoy this innovative space.
The Grand Arcade Management Team is also keen
on schools visiting the roof site as well as taking part
in a variety of educational sessions and activities,
principally about waste management, energy
conservation and water minimisation.
In order to support this project, the Grand Arcade
contacted the Wigan Borough in Bloom Co-ordinator
and asked for nine display boards to be designed by
local schools, based on the 9 Eco-Schools topics.
This project is ongoing, but the first boards have now
been completed as follows:
• Golborne High School (Biodiversity)
• Britannia Bridge Primary School (Litter)
• St Philip’s Primary School, Atherton (School
Grounds)
The boards will be installed within the Grand Arcade
on a ‘Green Corridor’ that leads to the green roof.
Grand Arcade Info Board
Bag for Life School Competition
When Wigan Council’s Deal in Action visited
Standish in early 2016, it wasn’t long since national
legislation had recently come in placing a 5p charge
on plastic bags (with some exemptions). Because of
this, and to encourage people to use bags for life in
the future, Wigan Borough in Bloom decided to run
a competition with the three local primary schools,
St Wilfrid’s, St Marie’s and Wood Fold, to design a
Bag for Life. The best four designs were taken to a
community event through the Deal, and members
of the public were asked to vote for their favourite
design. A pupil from St Marie’s Primary School was
chosen as the winner of this competition, and the
local press covered the story.
Bag for Life Winner
Claire Brownsey
57
Borough Life
Branding
Press Coverage
Each season, we submit an article to the editors of
our Council magazine, Borough Life. This magazine
which is consistently voted the best communication
tool for the Council to its residents is read by
thousands of our borough’s households and we
regularly achieve large articles informing the public
of our events, competitions and provide seasonal
updates on our planting schedule.
We have a very distinctive brand for Wigan Borough
in Bloom with chosen colours, layouts, forms and
text so that the image presented to the public is
consistent and memorable. We use this brand when
we produce publicity materials, posters, seeds,
planter logos; vinyls, documents and banners to
promote In Bloom as widely as possible.
We also assist our neighbourhood groups to achieve
local branding such as Orrell, Standish, Shevington
and Howe Bridge to ensure local residents who are
not yet involved with the projects are aware that it
is not only a council programme but is often coordinated and organised by local people.
Wigan Borough in Bloom recognises the importance
of publicising the work that has been undertaken by
local volunteers, businesses and schools. It not only
gives us the opportunity to let people know what we
are doing, but also how they can become involved.
During 2015-2016, we have had over 30 press
releases issued in the local newspapers, including
the Wigan Evening Post, Wigan Observer and the
Leigh Reporter. We have also had coverage on local
radio, such as Wish FM, and our Britain in Bloom
event held in April 2016, was visited by a live Radio
Manchester roadshow.
We also have a very active Public Relations Team
that helps promote Wigan Borough in Bloom via our
social media networks. Over the past twelve months,
there has been over 3,000 tweets and re-tweets
featuring Wigan Borough in Bloom.
Filming for BBC in Shevington
58
C3 - Community Participation : Community involvement is representative of the community’s side and diversity
Britain in Bloom launch event
Wigan Borough in Bloom’s entry into the prestigious
Britain in Bloom competition 2016 involved a
commitment to hold a launch event during National
Gardeners Week 11th-16th April 2016. In Wigan
Town centre, we held a large public event on
Saturday 16th April from 10.00am to 3.00pm in order
to formally launch our Britain in Bloom campaign.
The event was supported by the Mayor of Wigan,
Councillor Sue Loudon, and the Chief Executive of
Wigan Council, Donna Hall.
Subsequently, he have held a series of smaller
Britain in Bloom launches, including at National
Compost Week, Armed Forces Day, Wigan Flashes
Open Day and Friends of Amberswood, where over
700 residents were given information leaflets on
Britain in Bloom and encouraged to take part in our
campaign.
The event was a family friendly occasion, with
a variety of entertainment stalls, including face
painting, balloon artists and birds of prey displays,
together with ten of our in Bloom voluntary groups.
Free wildflower seeds, Britain in Bloom badges, bags
for life and information leaflets on Britain in Bloom
were distributed to approximately 700 members of
the public.
In order to further maximise the exposure of our
entry into this year’s Britain in Bloom, the local press
were invited to photograph the event (a double page
spread of the event was published the following
week in the Wigan Observer). We also wanted a
significant social media presence so purchased a
Tweet Board which enabled members of the public
to take photos of themselves and then tweet and
re-tweet photographs via social media. The launch was covered by the local press (Wigan
Evening Post, Wigan Observer) as well as a live
Radio Manchester broadcast which supported the
event from 9.00am to 1.00pm and involved a number
of live interviews with stall holders and members of
the public.
Donna Hall, Chief Executive of Wigan Council and the Mayor of
Wigan, Councillor Susan Loudon support the launch of our Britain
in Bloom campaign
Howe Bridge in Bloom
The Howe Bridge Community continue to work hard
to ensure that the village is in pristine condition
for the North West In Bloom judging on 28th July
2016. Maintenance on all of our existing projects is
ongoing throughout the year so we are hoping that
the standards that we set will be enough to excite
and stimulate the judges.
Research has shown that working outdoors and
taking part in environmental projects is very
beneficial in many ways, and we have found that it
has been a great way to help local residents with
dementia. This all contributes to the RHS’ theme,
“Healthier and Happier.”
We have two new projects that we are preparing,
one of them is a part of our Dementia Care Charity
(Good Deeds Trust Guardian Angels). The charity
demonstrates a highly innovative Dementia Care
programme and everyone who is affected by this
debilitating condition can be part of the scheme. It is
a method of contact for people who are affected by
Dementia when an emergency arises.
For more information on the scheme either visit
www.dementiabuddy.co.uk or telephone
01942 888990 / 01942 603175.
Howe Bridge QR Trail
Howe Bridge Promenade
59
60
“Friends Of” park groups
Friends of Ashton Community Garden
Alexandra, Jubilee, Pennington Hall, Pennington
Flash, Leyland, Lilford, Rayner, Greenslate, Three
Sisters, Low Hall, Borsdane, Haigh and Mesnes
Parks all have active Friends Of Groups
The Friends of Ashton (FOA) have been working
voluntarily on the Liverpool Road Project for
approximately 10 years. The land is in the ownership
of Wigan Council and FOA has a licence to operate
on the land. The area was extensively derelict and
significantly overgrown with brambles, weeds, debris
and full of litter. It was an unattractive gateway into
Ashton Town Centre.
One of the most recent piece of work on the land
has seen the installation of an earth mound. This
will be the base to accommodate a mosaic made by
local children and planted up with seasonal flowers.
We have had to modify the shape of the mound and
we hope to have this planted throughout the year
with seasonal flowers This will provide yet another
gateway feature into Ashton in Makerfield.
Local people know refer to this area as a park rather
than the derelict overgrown and unkempt area of
land it once was. When working on the land Friends
of Ashton volunteers receive many plaudits from
people travelling through the town and especially
at springtime when the thousands of daffodils and
crocus are in full bloom.
Tons of concrete have recently been removed from
site which formed the basis of an old raid shelter.
This area has been screened with soil and turfed to
improve the area further.
The listed groups have a major input and influence
on how we develop these sites, in line with user
aspirations, help bid for external funding and
contribute volunteers hours. Without their input the
progress we have made in developing and improving
the park facilities would not have been possible.
The “Friends Of” groups have been a tremendous
success story for our service and during these
challenging times we are keen to further support
and strengthen links with our groups to improve and
develop sites to meet community aspirations.
Friends of Low Hall Local Nature Reserve
The transitional work by the FOA initially started
with bulb planting and routine tidying. Pathways
were established to make the land accessible for all.
Significant areas of overgrowth were cut back and
several raised beds were created. Benches have
also been provided across the site and an attractive
wooden knee high fence now bounds the area.
Within the wooded areas, hundreds of natural
bluebells snowdrops and other shade seeking wild
flowers have been planted. The area has had bird
boxes installed, made by local school children along
with other provisions for wildlife to promote habitat for
butterflies, ladybirds and hedgehogs.
During June 2015 members of staff from Wigan
Council helped weed a strip of land running along the
main road and sowed wildflower seeds. It is hoped
the wildflowers will provide a colourfull border and
help bees and insects for years to come.
Wigan Council Staff Volunteer Away Days
As part of Wigan Council’s commitment to its staff
and to helping the wider community through the
Deal, the council has now developed a quarterly
staff volunteer programme to take place with the four
seasons. We have already completed our Clean for
the Queen and Spring Clean events, as well as our
Summer Bloom campaign. Later in the year we will
hold further staff volunteer days to support Autumn
and Winter clean ups with our communities.
The Clean for the Queen events took place during
4-6th March 2016 and we had a total of 49 events.
The events were mainly litter picking projects in grot
spots areas. We had a total of 815 volunteers for this
event, of which 118 were staff volunteers who helped
our local community groups.
“The work you have done is absolutely fantastic and
has made a significant difference!” Maxine Abberley,
Chair of Mosley Common in Bloom said after a staff
volunteer day.
Staff volunteers at Believe Square
The Spring Clean took place 25th – 30th April 2016
and we had a total of 30 planned clean up events
held across the borough to sweep up unsightly
litter, clear overgrown vegetation and tidy up public
spaces.
All groups of volunteers requested different types of
help from the council, from skips, tools and paint.
Some asked for professional advice and guidance
and staff volunteers.
The Summer Bloom project encouraged residents,
schools and businesses to get involved in a
weeklong event (Monday 27th June - Sunday 3rd
July) where they helped to clean up the borough and
get it looking beautiful for summer. We had a total
of 43 planned events, people got involved in plant
up floral beds and landscaping areas with summer
blooms; plant salad, vegetable and herbs (part of
‘incredible edible’ planting); repainted worn street
furniture and applied early weed control treatments.
We had 70 staff volunteers providing support with
this project.
Staff volunteers - Clean for The Queen
Staff volunteers at Thompson House, Standish
61
62
RHS theme: “Healthier and Happier”
Wigan Borough in Bloom has embraced the RHS’
“Healthier and Happier” theme during 2015 – 2016.
Ashton Library Dementia Friendly group
We recognise the significant benefits to members
of our community in taking part in environmental
activities, both for physical health and mental health
and wellbeing.
We have developed several key partnerships over
the past 12 months in order to establish clear links
with the health and wellbeing agenda. Some of
these key partners include: Age UK, Skils CIC Orrell,
True Colours CIC Leigh, Sullivan Way Care Centre,
NewLife Charity, My Life Charity, Dementia Friendly
groups and Brookfield Day Care Centre.
Wigan Council also has put in place a structure of
Community Link Workers in order to ensure that as
many of our residents who need support, friendship,
advice and activities to take part in are able to do so.
Wigan Borough in Bloom has proved an excellent
vehicle for linking in with the health and wellbeing
agenda, and over the past 12 months we have
worked with residents of all ages, abilities and
backgrounds to carry out various planting schemes
to improve the environmental quality of the borough
and which have benefited over 150 children and
adults to date.
We will further enhance our “Healthier and Happier”
agenda over the coming 12 months to ensure an
even wider service is available for people to take
part in.
Orrell in Bloom planting day
Tree planting at Golborne High School
RHS theme: “Greening Grey Britain”
Wigan Borough in Bloom has also carried out various
schemes across the borough in order to support this
year’s RHS “Greening Grey Britain” theme.
Through The Deal we have developed 6 new in
Bloom groups during the past 12 months, including
Golborne in Bloom.
Golborne in Bloom meet in Golborne Library which
had become very run down and was of a poor
environmental quality. So the group pledged to ‘plant
more flowers’ in support of the RHS’ programme,
and over the past few months has transformed
the library into a place that will benefit people and
wildlife. The group is already planning to plant
more flowers in Golborne town centre as well as in
surrounding grass verges in the vicinity of the library.
Wigan Borough in Bloom has also worked with a
community centre in Worsley Mesnes, Clifton Street
Community Centre, alongside Age UK, local Ward
Councillors and community users in order to bring
back the site back to its best. The centre already had
several raised beds, but these hadn’t been planted
for several years, and the flagged areas at the front
of the building had become over run with weeds. But
thanks to the volunteers, the community centre has
been transformed and added vibrancy to the building
for the benefit of community users, residents and
people passing the centre which is located on one of
our key routes through the borough.
We have also carried out various Greening Grey
Britain schemes at some of our key gateways into
the borough. For example, we have installed 5
willow sculptures on one of our roundabouts which
is sponsored by a local business along the theme of
the Wigan Flashes Nature Reserve as a key link road
to the Flashes.
In Standish we have worked with local Ward
Councillors and residents from a nearby elderly
residential housing unit to improve the environmental
quality of a housing estate (Sheldon Avenue,
Standish) by purchasing several new planters and
planting them with bright annual flowers.
In Autumn 2016 we will follow this up by planting
daffodil and crocus bulbs so that we also have
Spring colour and a sustainable, perennial planting
scheme.
Clifton Street Community Centre
Golborne Library
63
64
The Deal was launched in March 2014 to formalise
a new way of working between residents and the
council. Due to the continuing reductions to Local
Authority budgets, councils cannot give the same
level of service without working in partnership with
the communities we serve. Wigan Council has
embraced this new challenge and is committed
to helping communities help themselves through
the Deal in Action. We realise that this can only be
successful if we offer residents and businesses a
two-way partnership.
• Provide an holistic approach to improving
our neighbourhoods, principally from an
environmental point of view, but also in terms of
engineering schemes, health service provision
and education amongst others. Working in this
way reduces duplication and ensures our various
teams work more closely together to improve
productivity
We have used these new groups to link in with local
businesses to gain sponsorship and in kind funding,
and we will build on these links in the coming twelve
months through encouraging all our in Bloom
groups to work more proactively with the business
community.
• Offer the chance to residents to become involved
in various new hobbies, interests and pursuits.
The Deal in Action
Over the past 12 months, Wigan Borough in Bloom
has supported 8 Deal in Action areas.
The Deal in Action aims to bring Wigan Council to
our communities to help address residents’ issues
and to enable residents to put questions directly to
Wigan Council’s Chief Executive, Donna Hall, and
the Leader of the Council, Lord Peter Smith.
The Deal aims to bring together a variety of key
services to tackle areas that have been prioritised
through various data collection streams as well as
comments from members of the public. By bringing
together our various work streams in one place at
one time we are able to:
• Provide a high visibility council presence in our
neighbourhoods
• Provide a list of key services to members of
our community so that they are aware of what
support is available to them
• Offer the opportunity to residents to sign up to
volunteering in the community
Golborne in Bloom
The Deal in Action has visited many locations over
the past twelve months across Wigan Borough.
By supporting these Deal in Action area events,
Wigan Borough in Bloom established 4 new in
Bloom groups, in Aspull, Lowton & Golborne,
Tyldesley and Westleigh.
We also reinvigorated Orrell in Bloom by bringing in
extra volunteers for the existing, small group.
Through these new groups we have helped clean
and tidy areas, as well as carrying out planting
schemes including raised beds, hanging basket,
containers and large planters.
Orrell in Bloom
65
Incredible Edible Wigan Borough
The first seeds in an exciting project coming to
Wigan Borough have been planted. Incredible Edible
is a national scheme that aims to make local food
accessible to all, with volunteers encouraged to plant
in communal areas such as grass verges, gardens,
parks, areas of open space, schools and colleges.
Pam explained that Incredible Edible is a fantastic
model by which to encourage everyone in Wigan
Borough to help grow, pick and eat fresh, local
produce. Pam added that by embracing Incredible
Edible as a whole borough makes Wigan the first in
the country to become an Incredible Edible borough!
The founder of Incredible Edible in Todmorden, Pam
Warhurst, is originally from Leigh and Pam led a
community launch day for Incredible Edible in Wigan
town centre’s Believe Square in June 2016. At the
launch event, members of the public and community
groups including local food CIC, Fur Clemt, Daisy
Chain Stitchers CIC and Standish in Bloom took part
in planting herbs and vegetables in raised beds in
the town centre.
They were joined by two local businesses,
Gallimore’s and Casino De Cuba. Both businesses
are based in Believe Square and have agreed to
support the scheme by using some of the produce
grown in their commercial kitchens for the benefit of
their customers as well as to help promote Incredible
Edible.
As well as our borough-wide commitment to
Incredible Edible, Standish in Bloom has also
been successful in applying to Wigan Council’s
Community Investment Fund (CIF) for £1,000.00 in
order to set up an Incredible Edible Standish Trail.
The trail has already started and local people have
already benefited from herbs being grown by picking
them fresh from the planters and eating them.
In total there will be (x15) Incredible Edible planters
on the trail in Standish and links have been made
with local CIC My Life, based at the nearby Eco Farm
in Standish. My Life has agreed to support Incredible
Edible Standish which will help make the scheme
sustainable.
Launch event in Believe Square
The event was also attended by Metrofresh, who
provide school meals across all 133 of Wigan
Borough’s primary and secondary schools. Some
schools already have allotments on site with the
food produced being either used in the school
kitchens or being sold to parents. However, as part
of Metrofresh’s aspirations and commitment to
Incredible Edible, Metrofresh has an overall goal for
every school to have their own allotments on site and
to use the food grown in school kitchens across the
borough.
Pam Warhurst and Karim Saoudi, Manager of Casino De Cuba
Members of Standish in Bloom,
Standish Voice and St Marie’s
Primary School as part of
Incredible Edible Standish
66
Discretionary Awards
In October 2015 Wigan Borough in Bloom enjoyed unprecedented success in the RHS’ North West in Bloom Awards ceremony at The Floral Hall in Southport.
Wigan Borough in Bloom won Gold for the fifth successive year, as well as best in category and a nomination for Britain in Bloom in 2016. We also won a number of
discretionary awards which we are particularly proud of. The awards were given as follows:
Friends of Mesnes Park
Wigan town centre
Friends of Mesnes Park was established in 1998 after
public concern about the condition of the ornamental
lake. Since 1998 the Friends of group has carried
out many activities in Mesnes Park, and during
2015 they were fundamental to Mesnes Park being
successfully awarded its first Keep Britain Tidy Green
Flag, which is something the Friends of group is very
proud of. The group was also instrumental in helping
Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust and Wigan Council
to successfully gaining £6.5 million pounds from
the Heritage Lottery Fund. This funding has been
spent on renovating important features including
the ornamental lake, pavilion and band stand, as
well re-surfacing and better lighting. The North West
in Bloom judges were impressed by the Friends of
Mesnes Park’s commitment and achievements and
so awarded them a discretionary award in July 2015.
Wigan town centre was awarded the highly
prestigious Glasdon UK Ltd ‘Clean Sweep’ trophy for
the outstanding cleanliness of our main town centre.
The judges noted that there was no litter, and also no
sign of fly posting, graffiti or vandalism. The judges
were also impressed with the condition of all the
street furniture. Wigan town centre is a large centre
with significant footfall during any given day. So to
win the ‘Clean Sweep’ award for the North West
region is something we are all very proud of and is
testament to the quality and dedication of our town
centre cleansing operatives, as well as other council
sections that have a role to play in our town centres,
including Traffic and Street Lighting.
Wigan Borough in Bloom has been supported for
several years by the Borough-Wide Community
Network (BWCN), whose work often goes unnoticed
but has been invaluable in ensuring the smooth
running of in Bloom and providing support across
the voluntary network in Wigan Borough. BWCN
has, for example, delivered a variety of community
workshops across the borough during the past
year, including hanging basket workshops, wreath
making and distributing daffodil and crocus bulbs.
BWCN also supported our Big Thank You event in
November 2015 and our Community Feedback Event
in January 2016. They have also helped support our
Britain in Bloom bid this year and will be present at
the Britain in Bloom judging day. Their discretionary
award is deserved recognition for all the hard work of
BWCN staff and we are delighted for them.
Mesnes park
Clean Sweep Award
BWCN Award
67
C4 - Year Round Involvement : Schedules of events and supporting evidence of year round activity
Uniformed Groups
Community Talks
In preparation for their camp in the autumn the
explorer section of 1st Standish Scout Group has
been busy growing their own vegetables. A section
on an allotment site owned by one of the leaders has
been cleared by the Explorers, prepared and planted
with a variety of vegetables. This is not only part of
their badge work but provides cheap fresh food for
the camp.
The In Bloom Co-ordinator has visited many groups
across the borough such as Women’s Groups, girl
guiding groups, rainbows, scouts, YMCA groups and
Friendship groups to talk about In Bloom, how they
could get involved and to give general gardening
advice and support. In 2015, these have been
extended to include events with practical advice on
hanging basket making and bulb planting and to
working with local churches.
The In Bloom team also carried out an environmental
workshop with the Rainbows group at St Luke’s in
Orrell where we made bio-degradable plant pots,
potted up tomato plants and started a sunflower
competition between the group members to last
throughout the summer months. The 1st Atherton
Scout Group have also been undertaking a small
wildlife and food growing project on the land at the
side of their hut. The project has been supported by
the Better Neighbourhood Fund and has allowed
improvements to the outdoor space such as
planting a wildlife hedge, developing a small wild
flower meadow and building 3 raised beds to grow
vegetables.
Boroughwide Community Network Events
When the Chair of Borough Wide Community
Network (BWCN) became involved with Wigan
Borough in Bloom, he identified a gap in regular
community participation. It was identified that the
BWCN could act as a bridge between the Council
and the residents of the borough who wanted to
participate in the project.
Now in its fifth year Borough Wide Community
Network assist and promote a year long schedule
of horticultural events – including spring hanging
baskets, bulb planting, wild flowers, Christmas
wreaths, grow your own and craft events. The events
this year are to be held in HIndley which is the centre
of the borough and due to increased popularity
a booking system is again necessary this year. is
always available to answer individual questions on
any part of gardening and horticulture.
The Wigan Borough in Bloom Coordinator is always
available to answer individual questions on any part
of gardening and horticulture. Moss Bank Nurseries
continue to support the events.
12 month planting
Wigan Borough in Bloom continues to deliver 12
month planting, with our displays on show for spring,
summer, autumn and winter. Displays are fully
replanted between summer and winter; however
they are refreshed on site over the winter to ensure
that they continue to look their best. A selection of
spring bulbs is also planted to keep interest until late
April. Even our perennial flower beds use structural
centrepieces that continue to give year round
interest. Due to continued budget restrictions, Value
for Money has become more and more important
and with this in mind, some winter displays in
outlying areas have been reduced and focus has
moved to higher profile town centre displays for the
winter months. Areas that have been affected by
the reductions have received additional community
support to ensure local groups can provide
alternative, sustainable displays.
68
C5 - Funding and Support : Initiatives to secure on-going support for the local bloom campaign including local business support.
Business Support
2015 – 2016 saw the level of business support for
Wigan Borough in Bloom continue to grow. Through
The Deal, it is important to Wigan Council and to
our local voluntary in bloom groups to encourage
businesses to support our work in order to bring
about sustainable improvements, especially with
budget constraints.
In November 2015 we held our annual Big Thank
You vent and for the first time we attracted private
sponsor to finance the event. Truline is a construction
business based in Wigan which is very proud of
employing local people and helping to serve the
community in which they are located. Truline’s
support helped fund our Big Thank You event as
well as plants for some of our key planters on Wigan
town centre ring road. Truline has gone the extra mile
by also enabling in Bloom volunteers to make use of
their workshop and spare materials.
McDonald’s has also become a key supporter of
Wigan Borough in Bloom during the past year. For
example, during our Clean for the Queen campaign
in March 2016, a Wigan branch of McDonald’s
helped clean up one of main gateways into Wigan,
Saddle Junction, as well as the banks of the
Leeds to Liverpool canal. And more recently, three
branches of McDonald’s in Leigh, and one branch
of McDonald’s in Tyldesley, all managed by Anne
Joyce, helped to re-plant our raised beds outside the
Turnpike Gallery in Leigh Civic Square. McDonald’s
staff turned out to help our Greenspaces Team
transform the raised beds, and have also committed
to help with ongoing maintenance of the site,
including de-weeding and dead-heading the flowers.
Gallimore’s in Wigan town centre has been a longtime supporter of Wigan Borough in Bloom and last
year they once again provided a donation towards
our Big Thank You event. Gallimore’s also regularly
donate prizes to in Bloom to help incentivise
projects, as well as sponsoring planters in the town
centre.
The Grand Arcade, the major shopping centre in
Wigan town centre, is also a long-time supporter of
Wigan Borough in Bloom and this year they helped
support our official Britain in Bloom launch event by
providing sponsorship prizes.
McDonald’s volunteers
6 branches of Royal Bank of Scotland also took
part in cleaning up various parts of Wigan Borough
as part of the Clean for the Queen campaign, with
approximately 60 volunteers in total taking part and
collecting over 75 bags of litter. We aim to build on
this partnership with RBS over the coming year.
Truline sponsored roadside planter
artwork for visitors and residents alike to enjoy.
One of the most recent roundabout improvement
schemes has taken place on one of our main arterial
routes through Wigan Borough on the A49. As this
route will soon link to Wigan Flashes Nature Reserve,
we have worked with a local willow weaver to
produce an innovative design on the roundabout to
reflect the animals found in the nature reserve.
We also have several sponsors of some of our
key roundabouts, including Murphy’s, Homestyle
Kitchens, Moss Bank Nurseries, Amans Indian
Restaurants and Prosper Independent Financial
Advisors. This sponsorship enables us to plant our
roundabouts to a higher standard of planting and
Moss Bank Nurseries continue to support our in
Bloom work by often giving plants, compost and
containers to various in Bloom and other community
groups above and beyond what they are paid for on
the central contract. Their kindness and relationship
with the in Bloom programme is one of the main
reasons why Wigan Borough in Bloom has been so
successful over the past 10 years.
There are a range of other business supporters that
have recently joined with Wigan Borough in Bloom,
including Adactus Housing and the Tamarind Table
Restaurant in Atherton, and over the coming year,
we aim to further increase the number of businesses
engaged with Wigan Borough in Bloom, but the past
year has been a great success.
Galimore’s Resturant, Wigan Town Centre
69
70
Our Awards 2015
It’s Your Neighbourhood Awards
Abram Community Garden
Level 5 - Outstanding
Ambergate Housing
Level 4 - Thriving
Level 4 - Thriving
Brookdale Allotments
Cansfield Estate
Crooke Village
Hindley Community Allotment and Garden Society
Howe Bridge / The Bridgers
Ingleside Housing
Level 4 - Thriving
Mosley Common in Bloom
Park View Allotments
Level 1 - Establishing
Quayside Residents Association
Level 3 - Developing
Slackey Fold
Standish Lower Ground
Wigan Flashes LNR
Worsley Hall Allotments
Level 4 - Thriving
Friends of Mesnes Park
Highly Commended
and Level 3 - Thriving
Britain in Bloom North West Awards
Shevington in Bloom
Gold and Best in North West
Wigan Borough in Bloom
Gold - Invite to Britain in Bloom 2016
Wigan Council
Clean Sweep Award - Wigan Town Centre
Borough-Wide Community Network Highly Commended
71

for communities

Transcription

Similar documents

Willard Wigan MBE at London House London House invites

7. Teacher - student relationship (*) During the

9. Test for student evaluation (*) Docimology (from dochimàzo

Borsdane Wood

Brandi - Southern Living Plants

Rosalinda - Southern Living Plants

JEWELWIGAN Wigan Pier Quarter

southwest GARDEN - Edible Communities Network