Welcome from the Committee

Welcome to the 2025 Annual Report for Brighter Better Orrell.

2025 has been one of our busiest and most successful years to date. Our volunteers have worked tirelessly to improve local green spaces, tackle litter, fly-tipping and graffiti, support wellbeing, encourage play, and bring people together through events and creative community projects.

At the start of the year, we set ourselves some ambitious goals: the installation of a community outdoor gym, the introduction of school talks focused on environmental awareness, and the revival of the Orrell Pub Crawl. We are delighted to report that all of these aims have been successfully achieved.

In particular, we are extremely proud of the installation and handover of the Community Outdoor Gym at Orrell Water Park, which followed 18 months of fundraising and partnership working. The gym now provides free fitness equipment for residents of all ages, helping to promote healthy living and outdoor activity. With the support of Be Well, we are also exploring ways to bring even more fitness opportunities to the community.

We were delighted to secure funding from the Wigan MBC Better-Connected Communities Fund which enabled us to install a bench for the residents in the sheltered accommodation on Station Avenue. Along with a small paved seating area, a raised flower bed and a general tidy-up, this small space has been transformed into a welcoming place where neighbours can pause, meet up, share a chat and enjoy each other’s company. By creating a comfortable and inviting spot to spend time together, we hope this will encourage social interaction and help reduce feelings of loneliness, supporting stronger connections within the community. We plan to have a small celebration with the residents, once the weather is warmer.

Our community events have continued to be a real highlight of the year. The Easter Pebble Trail and Family Event at Greenslate Farm, over the Easter weekend; the Scarecrow Trail, during the Summer, with over 70 entries; and the Santa Walks, just before Christmas – visiting the learners at Greenslate Care Farm, ELLA UK Day Centre, on Winstanley Road, Newfold CP School and CORE CIC – have all been uplifting, joyful occasions that brought people together and strengthened community connections.

None of this would have been possible without the encouragement of local residents and the generous support of our local businesses, councillors, volunteers, and partner organisations. We would especially like to thank Mr and Mrs Peacock for their continued financial support through their local business, The CCTV Company, and Richard Scott, at Practical Car and Van Hire (Wigan), for backing our blister pack recycling initiative. We are also extremely grateful to Wigan Council’s Streetscene and Greenspaces Teams, the Community Capacity Officers, Neighbourhood Manager and the Community Funding Team. Your belief in our mission, and the trust you place in our work, has been invaluable and is deeply appreciated.

To our incredible volunteers – thank you. Whether you are litter-picking, removing graffiti, maintaining garden spaces and planters, or helping to run community events, your efforts are the backbone of everything we do. From small beginnings, we have transformed spaces, brought people together, and made a real and lasting difference in our community. When challenges have arisen, the resilience, creativity, and compassion of our members and supporters have carried us forward.

We would also like to take this opportunity to recognise an important change within our committee. Our sincere thanks go to Corinne, who served as Treasurer from the formation of Brighter Better Orrell in 2020 and sadly stepped down at the end of November. From the very beginning, Corinne’s friendly and approachable nature, combined with her commitment, reliability and meticulous attention to detail, played a vital role in helping the group grow and operate responsibly. She has been a pleasure to work with and will be greatly missed by everyone involved.

We are pleased to welcome Mandy, who has kindly agreed to take on the role of Treasurer. We are very grateful for her willingness to step forward and support the continued work of the group.

We also say goodbye and thank you to Nic, who has been instrumental in developing our recycling initiatives and litter-picking incentives, and to Georgia, who led the initial delivery of our school talks. Their contributions have made a lasting positive impact, and we wish them both every success for the future.

Finally, we are delighted to welcome Gail, and Karla, who have recently joined the group. Each brings different skills, ideas and energy, and we look forward to working together as we continue to build a brighter, better Orrell.

Looking ahead to 2026, we are delighted to share that Brighter Better Orrell has received an invitation from the Lord Lieutenant’s office to attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May. This is a wonderful honour for the group, and we all felt it was fitting that Gill Eyre, our previous chairperson, would accompany Julie, in recognition of the dedication and hard work she and her late husband, Terry, contributed in the early years of BBO

We have exciting plans to continue engaging the community and enhancing our local area. Julie has recently become a Community Research Champion for the Wigan Borough Community First PIE Hub.

The PIE Hub is on a mission to support research that is shaped by local communities, focusing on the real issues affecting residents, services, and voluntary organisations across the borough. By bringing together the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector, public services, and community researchers, the hub will help share knowledge, resources, and ideas, and demonstrate impact in meaningful ways.

Through Julie’s role as a Community Research Champion, we hope to engage with Orrell residents to understand what really matters to them, and to use these insights to help shape and improve local health and social care services.

A key priority for the year will be returning to our roots with more community litter picks, encouraging residents to take pride in their surroundings, and promoting the monthly Litter Lottery. We will continue to inspire younger generations through school talks, delivered in collaboration with the Wigan MBC Environmental Education Officer. These sessions will focus on environmental awareness, covering topics such as the impact of littering, sustainability, recycling, wildlife-friendly practices, and the importance of active involvement. By starting these conversations early, we hope to encourage children and young people to care for their environment and feel proud to make a positive difference in the local community.

We are exploring ways to further improve the Edgehall Road footpath, including the possible installation of gates and barriers. Consulting with Wigan MBC to develop it into a Bee Route, thus creating a safe walking and cycling route, and linking all the schools from Orrell Road through to Sandbrook Road.

We are also looking to improve the play facilities in our parks. This is alongside our plans to continue delivering popular play events throughout the summer, including our own National Play Day Event, bringing families together to celebrate the importance of play in our community.

Finally, working in partnership with Social Wellbeing CIC, we are launching a community mapping project to celebrate and better understand the fantastic events, groups, and resources already here in Orrell and Billinge HE. The aim is to map what we have, highlight the strengths of our community, and identify any gaps or needs so we can support one another even better.

As part of this work, we are also developing a Community Emergency Plan. This will help ensure that if the unexpected happens — such as another epidemic, extreme weather, power shortages, or other emergencies — our community is prepared, resilient, and able to respond quickly. Most importantly, we want to make sure that no one is left isolated or without essential support.

We would love your help. If you would like to get involved, or if you know of community events, groups, or resources that should be included in this mapping, please let us know. You can contact Mandy or Gail via the BBO Facebook page or email.

Every project, event, and success is driven by a shared commitment to creating a stronger, healthier, and more connected community. We are proud of what we have achieved together and excited about what lies ahead.

Here’s to another year of growth, collaboration, and making a difference. Together, we will continue to build a community we are proud to call our home.

The Committee, Brighter Better Orrell

Minutes of Annual General Meeting held on 17th February 2026