Since 2008, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) North West team has been working closely with Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust (WLCT) and other local partners to encourage more applications from across the Borough of Wigan.
Despite its rich industrial past, the borough had received less HLF funding than other areas, so Wigan was designated a 'priority area', with HLF development officers working within the area to encourage more good quality applications. Work included running workshops and training events, attending funding fairs, holding regular meetings with partners, as well as offering additional support to all groups working on applications.
This work has been a real success. Since 2008 we have awarded a total of 12 projects across the borough, totalling more than £4million. This included grants to a range of community organisations under the Your Heritage scheme, as well as larger transformational projects at Mesnes Park, the Wallgate area of Wigan and Lightshaw Meadows.
To mark the end of this work, in February 2012 a successful event was held in the Turnpike Centre in Leigh, to showcase some of the amazing projects funded by HLF. Speakers included Sara Hilton (Head of HLF in the North West), Pete Gascoigne (Executive Director for Culture, WLCT) and Councillor Chris Ready. The audience included the Mayor, local councillors, people who had taken part in projects and members of community and voluntary groups. They heard short talks about projects, watched clips of DVDs and a live performance in Lancashire dialect.
Although from March 2012 less officer time will be dedicated to encouraging applications from groups in Wigan, we are still keen to see good quality projects put forward. We hope that the projects we have funded already will inspire other groups to celebrate their heritage. So, whichever aspect of Wigan's heritage you choose to explore, we still want to hear from you, and can help you to develop your project. Call Karen or Rebecca on 0161 831 0850 or email
northwest@hlf.org.uk.