SHOWTIME is nearly upon us.
After an extended wait, we will see the UEFA Women’s Euros kick-off in our borough, hosted at Leigh Sports Village.
It’s a momentous occasion as it will be the first time we have hosted a tournament like this with thousands of fans visiting from across the continent.
The tournament, Europe’s biggest ever women’s sporting event, promises to be a groundbreaking one and we are very proud to be part of it.
A large part of being a host location is the focus on legacy and what impact it will have in the years after the trophy has been lifted by the winning team.
We know through the Euros cultural and legacy programme, our next generation will be inspired to play sport and have the facilities and equipment to achieve their goals.
For everyone associated with Wigan Council, the matches will be the culmination of several years of hard work. It certainly feels like a long time ago when we were first unveiled as a tournament host back in 2019.
I would like to pass on my thanks to everyone who has worked on the organisation of the tournament behind-the-scenes.
We can’t wait to welcome Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands and Portugal and their fans and we hope to see as many of our residents as possible at the fan parties, cultural events and matches.
Another exciting development this week at Pennington Flash is seeing the arrival of the new visitors’ centre facility and café, called ‘The Hide’.
We’re looking forward to it opening later this year, in the meantime there is a short video about the progress on our YouTube channel.
I would also like to pass on my thanks to residents who have taken part in the latest consultation exercise for the Leigh Levelling Up Fund bid, following on from the previous round of feedback in March.
Drop-in sessions were held in Leigh Market along with the online element of the consultation, which gave residents the opportunity to view the draft proposals.
Our bid builds on the objectives of the Leigh strategic regeneration framework (SRF), which was itself based on extensive consultation and outlined our plans for investment and regeneration for Leigh.
We will now reflect on the feedback received and will be in a position to share our next stages as soon as possible.
nTickets are still available for the UEFA Women’s Euros at uefa.com/womenseuro/ticketing/
nTo view Wigan Council’s YouTube channel, please visit: youtube.com/user/wigancouncil
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