Wigan Athletic were delighted to accept another award at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Business Awards on Friday night. Having scooped the award for Best Publicity last November, the Latics were handed the trophy for the business seen to be best in supporting the town and aiding its development - the "We're Backing Wigan Award".
The Club has made great strides in terms of how much effort is put in to supporting the community around us and many community groups, schools, charities, clubs and other various organisations benefit on a daily basis from what Wigan Athletic does for them. Some examples are as follows:
Big Ticket
Our groundbreaking scheme devised to attract interest in the town of Wigan, Wigan Athletic, football, healthy living and sport in general throughout the borough and further afield, launched during a healthy eating cookery lesson at Hesketh Fletcher School in 2008.
- The Club has given tickets to deserving schools, charities, community and youth groups and junior sporting teams
- Up to 2000 juniors per match have the opportunity to enjoy the Wigan Athletic experience on those designated matchdays
Wigan Athletic Community Trust
Working within schools and community groups, the WAFC Community Trust was recently granted charitable status enabling the exponential development of the organisation allowing them to work with more kids throughout the borough than ever before. The main efforts of the organisation are as follows:
Football Health Life Skills and Learning Social Inclusion Literacy
Crime Drugs Prejudice Sexual Health Alcohol
- The Trust manages Kickz, a social inclusion project working with disadvantaged young people offering them a fun, safe, structured environment to support a safer, stronger and more respectful community
- Encourage people who are often excluded to partake in a wide range of activities
- Act as an agent for change for sport, health and the environment in Wigan
- Act as Wigan Athletics educational tool, delivering a variety of programmes throughout schools
Playing For Success
PFS is a partnership between the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), local authorities and the football club. A study support centre has been established within the stadium to allow for extra curricular learning to support students in their efforts to get up to speed in literacy, numeracy and ICT, with a long term goal of improved skills, motivation and self-esteem.
- The scheme mainly caters for 10 - 14 year olds at risk of under achieving
- Experienced teacher / centre manager supported by tutors / mentors
- Typically, each student will receive 20 hours of tuition
- Literacy and numeracy activities using sport as a theme
- Training in the use of IT
- Sessions to improve study and learning skills
- Opportunities for support and homework
Other work in the local community
Players are regularly involved in community projects and opportunities to promote the Club and the town, some of which are not offered as much exposure as they deserve. Every Christmas, they visit the children's unit at the hospital with bags of toys, involvement with the Big Ticket initiative, charity work and community events - some recent / forthcoming examples are detailed here.
- Northwest Cancer Care Unit - promoting cancer awareness in the community
- Robin Park Arena - Premier League 4 Sport promotion of healthy living as part of a Premier League initiative
- Deanery High School - Teaching school kids Spanish - Hugo Rodallega & Maynor Figueroa went to the school to help the kids studies
- Kick it Out - Racism awareness in the community - our fixture with Manchester City focused efforts to rid the community of racism, and promote understanding and inclusion
Junior Stripes
Our junior supporters Club is free for season ticket holders and allows other young fans to connect with the Club. Members benefit from opportunities to meet players, regular parties, a dedicated member of staff who looks after the scheme, member's packs and mailings, competitions and more. With the highest percentage of junior supporters in the Premier League, it is a great success.
Inward investment & interest in Wigan since we were promoted to the Premier League
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Wigan Council estimated that the benefit of Wigan Athletic being in the Premier League was worth £13m in the first season
The Tourist Information Centre noticed a 4% increase in local hotel occupancy after the Club's arrival in the Premier League
The town is now known worldwide thanks to the presence in the Premier League and the metropolitan nature of the squad
In the quarter to 30th September, www.wiganathletic.com had 467k visitors of which 172k or 37% were from outside the UK.
Helping the borough during these difficult times
A survey has shown that Wigan Athletic fans have the lowest average wage of any of the fans in the Premier League
- With that in mind, we offer amongst the cheapest season and match tickets in the country
- Through the Big Ticket scheme, we are giving supporters the opportunity to enjoy the game for free
- Attraction of visiting supporters to the area and the influx of money to aid other neighbouring businesses in the area
If you would like any further details in to the work that Wigan Athletic does in the community, please email your query to feedback@wiganathletic.com and your email will be sent on to the appropriate member of staff.
