IMPACT REPORT
2024/25
FOREWORD
Wigan Athletic Community Trust is the official charity of Wigan Athletic FC, working with the club towards equality in health, life chances and communities.
Operating since 2007, Wigan Athletic Community Trust delivers programmes and activities across the areas of Community Development, Education, Health and Football Development. Wigan Athletic Community Trust aims to:
• Reduce inequalities across all levels of society
• Raise the aspirations and confidence of young people and underrepresented groups
• Increase physical participation and activity levels in young people and adults
• Support and increase community cohesion across the Wigan borough
• Enable hard-to-reach young people, adults and elderly people to access activities to increase their quality of life
INTRODUCTION
Looking back on another inspiring year for Wigan Athletic Community Trust, I am delighted to present the Impact Report covering the period from 1st September 2024 to 31st August 2025.
This year has once again highlighted the essential role our work plays in supporting individuals, families, and neighbourhoods across Wigan Borough. Delivering 40 projects and engaging with 18,151 participants from the local area aged from two years of age to 92. We continue to engage people of all ages and backgrounds, many from communities facing significant social and economic challenges, and we remain committed to providing opportunities that improve wellbeing, build confidence, and strengthen connections.
Throughout 2024/25, we have delivered a wide range of programmes across Schools, Community Development, Health, Post 16 Education and Employability.
This year, we have continued to secure significant investment for the borough and generate outstanding social value through our projects.
These achievements reflect the strength of our partnerships and the trust placed in us by funders, schools, community organisations, and local stakeholders. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to every partner who has worked with us over the past year—their support ensures that our programmes continue to grow in both reach and impact.
Most importantly, I want to recognise the remarkable team behind the Community Trust. Their dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment to helping others are evident in everything we do. It is their hard work that enables us to deliver meaningful change year after year, and I am incredibly proud of what they have achieved once again.
Gareth Nolan | Head of Community
OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
First Latics Memories session launched in partnership with the Wigan Athletic Heritage Project, Wigan Athletic Past Players Association and the National Lottery Heritage Fund
Wigan Athletic Community Trust celebrated their EFL Community Heroes, Trafford Grimes, Caroline Molyneux and Mark Latham for their work supporting primary and secondary school students, Wigan Athletic fans and elderly people.
For World Mental Health Day, the Trust hosted a Mental Health Transition Festival to help Secondary School students acclimatise to school life
In April, Wigan Athletic Community Trust were selected to host the Northern regional of the Premier League Kicks cup!
The Wigan Athletic first-team squads were out supporting the local community through the Trust’s Show Racism the Red Card and EFL Week of Action activities
Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s Holiday and HAF Camps supported young people across the local community to stay active and healthy during the school holidays, with nearly 2,000 free meals given out to young people on the HAF programme.
Wigan Athletic Community Trust were spreading Christmas cheer across the local community, with Christmas parties held for the young people from our youth engagement and head start programmes, as well as for the over 55s at our Extra Time hubs.
In partnership with Latics Women’s captain, Abbie Moore, the Powered Up project was launched to support young women across the local community through mentoring and working with positive role models.
To kick off the new year, Wigan Athletic Community Trust were selected to host the Northwest round of the EFL Utilita Girls Cup, with nine schools proudly representing their local football club and competing for a place at the Northern finals!
Wigan Athletic Community Trust and Wigan Warriors Community Foundation hosted the Ultimate Training Day with both Latics and Warriors men’s first-team and academy sides training at Robin Park Arena alongside an array of fun family activities!
Tom Watkins was named as Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s Premier League Community Captain for his tireless commitment to supporting young people across Wigan through the Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires programmes!
Members of Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s Every Player Counts programme visited the Wigan Athletic training ground to meet the Latics players and take part in a penalty shootout masterclass with striker Paul Mullin.
OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS
18,151 people reached 4,249
40 different projects supporting people aged
Delivered programmes 2-92
278 60+ young people supported through evening sessions free meals donated to local children older people at Extra Time sessions members of staff employed
161 500+ 100% 1,776 qualifications obtained by young people of 22 USW students graduated hours of youth mentoring 51/52 weeks in the year
THE LATICS LIFE
At Wigan Athletic Community Trust, we’re proud to serve all levels of society and offer programmes that can support people from ages 2 to 92.
The Latics Life timeline illustrates how an individual could, in theory, be supported by Wigan Athletic Community Trust throughout their life. From education programmes to support their time in school, to employability programmes, and adult health provisions in later life. Wigan Athletic Community Trust is here to support all ages.
AGES 2 - 5
Kids on the Move and Little Latics supporting children’s early development and ensuring they are ‘school ready’.
AGES 12 – 16
Supported to improve their confidence, raise their aspirations and engage in stronger and safer communities through the Premier League Inspires, HeadStart, Learn with Latics, Premier League Kicks and Youth Engagement sessions.
AGES 5 – 11
Developing their key physical, emotional and social skills through the Premier League Primary Stars programme and Holiday Camp programmes.
AGES 16 – 18
Learning the skills to thrive in the sports industry through the Trust’s football and education programme.
AGES 18 – 21
Expanding their skills and knowledge while achieving a university degree via the Trust’s degree programme in partnership with the University of South Wales and EFL in the Community.
AGES 30 – 55
Improving their health and wellbeing through the Trust’s adult health provisions.
AGES 21 – 30
Learning key employability skills through the Moving On and Skills for Success programmes, and potentially achieving employment with Wigan Athletic Community Trust.
AGES 55+
Staying connected with their local community and physically healthy through the Trust’s Extra Time programme.
BECOMING SCHOOL-READY AND EARLY LIFE
At Wigan Athletic Community Trust, we believe that every child, regardless of their background, should have the same opportunities and be given the best possible start in life. That’s why our Kids on the Move programme delivers physical education activities to nurseries and community centres in some of the most deprived areas of the Wigan borough.
When children enter Primary School, we also deliver the Premier League Primary Stars programme, which supports teachers’ CPD and ensures all children can access high-quality PE sessions and develop a positive relationship with physical activity in school.
Premier League Primary Stars is delivered in partnership with the Premier League Foundation and across the 24/25 season has:
• Supported nearly 3,000 pupils through high-quality PE sessions
• Helped 44 individual teachers develop their ability to deliver PE through CPD sessions
Kids on the Move was made possible this year thanks to the Masonic Foundation and plays an important role in supporting nursery-aged children and families, ensuring children are ‘school ready’ and given the best possible start in life.
The programme combines activity sessions focused on developing children’s physical, social and motor skills as well as educational sessions for parents at family hubs to give them resources to support their children at home. These sessions are supported by Wigan Council and cover topics such as oral health, healthy eating and physical activity to ensure children are supported both in nurseries and at home.
INCREASING PARTICIPATION
Wigan Athletic Community Trust
are committed to creating new and impactful opportunities for young people to participate in sport and connect with their local community.
Through the Premier League Kicks programme, we provide free football and dance sessions for 8–18-yearolds across Wigan, Leigh and Skelmersdale every night of the week, with 18 different sessions. Young people are also engaged through enrichment and social action activities, helping them support and give back to their local community. Through the programme, over 2,000 young people have been supported, ensuring they have a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment to enjoy football sessions during the evenings.
One of those young people is Werner. Werner has autism and initially struggled to engage with other young people at the SEN-specific Premier League Kicks session, but after support and mentoring from the coaches, he grew his confidence, communication skills, and love for football. This year, Werner progressed even further, becoming a volunteer at mainstream Kicks sessions and beginning to support other young people to flourish at the sessions.
Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s holiday camps are designed to support young people throughout the school holidays. At the camps, young people can take part in high-quality and inclusive football sessions, helping them develop their football skills, make new friendships and improve their health and wellbeing.
In partnership with Wigan Council, the Trust also supports the Holiday, Activity and Food (HAF) programme, providing free places and meals for children on free school meals at the camps. Across the 2024/25 season, the Trust provided nearly 2,000 meals to support young people at the camps.
Wigan Athletic Community Trust runs a variety of football development centres to support boys and girls aged 5 - 14 in their footballing journey. Led by fully qualified Wigan Athletic Community Trust coaches, the development centres aim to improve participants’ footballing skills through fun and engaging sessions at a host of high-quality venues across Wigan.
We run both open development centres, which players of all abilities can join, and an advanced development centre, which offers a potential pathway into the Wigan Athletic Academy.
RAISING ASPIRATIONS AND HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE ACHIEVE
THEIR POTENTIAL
Through Premier League Inspires and our Youth Engagement programmes, we’re proud to play a role in raising the aspirations of young people and helping them achieve their potential.
Each programme supports a different group of young people, ensuring that we can reach pupils in schools, pupils struggling to engage in education and young people at risk of offending to be supported by Wigan Athletic Community Trust.
Premier League Inspires is one of the Premier League Foundation’s flagship programmes and uses the power of football to inspire young people aged 11-18 who are at risk of not reaching their potential to develop the personal skills and positive attitudes needed to succeed in life.
Across the 2024/25 season, Premier League Inspires has supported students with 85% improving their mental wellbeing and 86% increased their confidence and self-esteem.
The Trust’s annual Premier League Inspires Challenge also saw Up Holland High School crowned the champions and travel to Wembley to share their social action campaign to create a running track around The Brick Community Stadium to make female runners feel safer when exercising in the evening.
Alongside Premier League Inspires, the Trust also delivers the Learn with Latics and HeadStart programmes. Learn with Latics is our primary and secondary alternative provision programme, which engages young people who are struggling in mainstream settings to overcome challenges, improve their behaviour and engagement and return to mainstream education settings. The programme combines academic work with physical activity/sports sessions and inspiring workshops with relatable role models, and this year has supported 49 students.
The HeadStart programme is the Trust’s flagship mental health programme, made possible thanks to PE Systems LTD, EFL in the Community and Greater Manchester Moving. The programme supports the mental health of pupils as they transition from primary to secondary school. Through one-on-one and group mentoring sessions, HeadStart helps young people to improve their resilience, confidence and ability to manage stress, helping them to successfully engage in school but also enhance their life outside of school as well.
The Premier League Changemakers programme supports young women through mentoring and social action projects. This year, the group raised over £1,000 for the Natalie Kate Moss Trust to support people with brain haemorrhages.
The Trust deliver a wide range of youth engagement programmes, including the Champions programme, which provides bespoke support for young people with a variety of different challenges and backgrounds. The Trust’s youth engagement mentors help support these young people to overcome their challenges and raise their aspirations while teaching them key life skills and acting as positive role models.
WORK READY
Wigan Athletic Community Trust also supports young people interested in a career in the sports industry through our Football and Education programmes! These programmes give young people aged 16 – 18 the opportunity to study and learn the skills to thrive in the sports industry whilst representing Wigan Athletic in the EFL’s CEFA league.
This season, Wigan Athletic Community Trust launched a brand-new Women’s specific programme in partnership with Wigan Athletic Women! This new programme provides a new pathway for aspiring young female footballers to complete their education and have the opportunity to trial for and represent Wigan Athletic Women. Several players have already joined the Women’s team through the programme, including Emily Firman and Holly Mason.
Wigan Athletic Community Trust is committed to helping everyone – no matter their age – enhance their employability, develop their life skills, and improve their knowledge.
In partnership with the University of South Wales, our USW degree programme helps young people and adults complete degreelevel qualifications, all focused on developing the skills to thrive in the sports industry. Two of those students were Thomas and Cameron, who used the skills learned on the course to visit America over the summer and coach at soccer camps through the Challenger Sport programme.
The Trust’s adult employability programmes, Moving On and Skills for Success, also help adults develop key employability skills. These sessions help ensure that they can improve their confidence and progress towards employment, either at the Trust or with other organisations, with the Trust also providing work experience opportunities on the Trust’s programmes for participants.
LIVING WELL
Supporting individuals to improve their health and wellbeing is an important pillar of our work, a key part of which is helping adults improve their physical and mental health and enhancing their knowledge of nutrition and healthy habits.
The Trust’s Fit Maintenance and Football 4 Fitness programmes help adults use the power of sport and community to improve their wellbeing and fitness. At Fit Maintenance, adults are led through a group exercise circuit by Wigan Athletic Community Trust coaches at The Brick Community Stadium, helping Latics fans engage with physical activity in a safe, familiar and encouraging environment. One of the people supported at the sessions is John Senior, who joined the sessions to improve his health after being diagnosed with a heart condition. John has improved both his physical and mental health since joining the sessions and credits the positive environment for helping him become “a better version of himself and a better father.”
The Trust’s adult disability football programme, Every Player Counts, has gone from strength to strength, working with 56 adults with disabilities to enjoy weekly football sessions at Laithwaite Park and represent Wigan Athletic in the Greater Manchester Ability Counts League.
Earlier this year, five members of the programme were invited to Christopher Park to meet the first team, watch them train and take part in a penalty shootout masterclass with striker Paul Mullin.
This year, in partnership with BeWell Wigan, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and the National Lottery Community Fund, Wigan Athletic Community Trust has created and delivered the ‘Gamechanging Community Health programme.’
The programme combines a trauma-informed approach with physical activity, peer mentoring and the empowerment of individuals to help people grow and overcome their challenges. The programme has supported a diverse range of adults to improve their mental health and begin to thrive in everyday life.
SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES
Wigan Athletic Community Trust is committed to creating safer and stronger communities for everyone across the Wigan borough. In support of this, the Trust delivers a range of bespoke programmes to bring together and support different communities.
The Trust’s Extra Time programme supports adults aged 55+ from across Wigan and Leigh at risk of social isolation. The programme uses physical and social activities to engage older people and provide opportunities to improve their health and build new friendships with their peers. This year, Extra Time has:
- Supported 278 adults
- 96% of beneficiaries improve their wellbeing
- 96% made new friendships
One of the members is Ken, aged 80. Ken, a life-long Latics fan, had begun to struggle with his sight, particularly when watching football, which led to Ken considering cancelling his season ticket and stopping attending Wigan Athletic matches. After learning this, the Trust’s Extra Time Hub coordinator worked with the club to secure an audio-descriptive headset for Ken to use on matchdays, allowing him to regain his love for watching Wigan Athletic.
This year, the Trust held its second community Iftar.
Supported by the Premier League Fans Fund, the iftar welcomed members of the local community to The Brick Community Stadium to break their fasts, celebrate and learn about different cultures.
Over 250 people attended this year’s event, which included a tour of The Brick Community Stadium and received tickets to attend their first Wigan Athletic match.
Wigan Athletic Community Trust have also begun to expand its support for the Armed Forces Community through the appointment of an Armed Forces Community Coordinator. This coincided with hosting a Remembrance Cup featuring local armed forces teams from Wigan and the surrounding regions coming together to celebrate all of those who have served. This season, the Trust was able to support nearly 150 veterans across the local area.
CELEBRATING OUR HISTORY
In partnership with the Wigan Athletic Heritage Project and Wigan Athletic Past Players Association, Wigan Athletic Community Trust has secured funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support and enhance the existing work to preserve and archive the history of Wigan Athletic FC.
The programme has helped support the creation of the Wigan Athletic Museum, thanks to the hard work of volunteers and generous donations of historical items from the Wigan Athletic fan base. The museum is based at The Brick Community Stadium and is accessible on match days to help fans learn more and connect with the history of their football club.
In addition to the Museum, the Latics Memories programme has been launched, providing monthly reminiscing sessions for elderly Wigan Athletic fans and past players, helping them to improve their social connectivity, cognitive skills and celebrate their time supporting or playing for the club.
These programmes are planned to develop further in the near future, with more educational activities and heritage activities planned to spread the word of and celebrate Wigan Athletic’s rich history.
ROLE MODELS INSPIRING FANS OF ALL AGES
The first team and academy players from both the men’s and women’s teams are key supporters of Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s work across the local community, acting as role models for local people, young and old.
2023/24 was Wigan Athletic Women’s inaugural season, with members of the Women’s team quickly becoming involved in a variety of community activities, from supporting local football tournaments to mentoring young women and much more!
Goalkeeper Amelia Knowles was selected as the Women’s team’s PFA Community Champion for her work supporting the local community. Amelia supported more sessions than any other Wigan Athletic player that season, including supporting the Trust’s Premier League Primary Stars Protect the Planet Challenge, in partnership with Calisen. Amelia was one of the judges for the challenge and spoke with local primary school children to inspire them to make a positive change and improve the sustainability of their school.
In partnership with the PFA (Professional Footballers’ Association) and the Premier League Foundation, Latics Women’s captain Abbie Moore also partnered with the Community Trust to launch Powered Up, a youth engagement programme to support and mentor young women across the community. The programme will continue into the 2024/25 season.
Jensen Weir was the men’s team’s recipient of the PFA Community Champion award, continuing the trend of Latics Academy graduates winning the award every year since 2020. Jensen received the award for his work supporting the Premier League Kicks programme, where he presented this year’s Premier League Community Captain to Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s Youth Engagement Project Lead, Tom Watkins.
Across the 2023/24 season, Wigan Athletic players contributed over 150 hours to community activities through their work with Wigan Athletic Community Trust, playing a life changing role in inspiring both young people and adults alike.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US
At Wigan Athletic Community Trust, we are always looking for new ways to grow our organisation to ensure we can support as many people as possible across the Wigan borough and beyond.
Whether you are a fellow community-focused organisation or a business looking to have an impact on your staff or local area, we want to hear from you.
Any businesses interested in supporting the Trust’s work can scan the QR code below to find out more about our business partnership packages and opportunities to give back to the local community.
In partnership with Wigan Warriors Community Foundation, the Trust held a business networking breakfast to give local businesses the opportunity to meet and learn about the work of the two charities. If you would like to be included in the next breakfast, please email community@wiganathletic.com
Individuals who want to directly support the Trust can make a donation or potentially volunteer at one of our charitable programmes.
VOLUNTEER
Wigan Athletic Community Trust is committed to being a financially stable and sustainable charity that is proud to attract significant national investment into Wigan, enabling the Trust to work with local partners to address local priorities.
The Community Trust is governed by a board of trustees with a diverse range of skill sets to ensure its effective and efficient operation.
Wigan Athletic Community Trust Board of Trustees:
• Brenda Spencer - Chair
• Cathy Robinson - Vice Chair
• Philip Ivory
• Jenny Meadows
• Caroline Molyneux
• Cllr David Molyneux MBE
• Dr Peter Marwick
• Sarah Guilfoyle
• Richard Bramwell
• Emily Higham
• Martin Preston
For more information about the Community Trust’s financial history, please visit the Charities Commission website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission
Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s registered charity number is 1120745.
OUR PARTNERS
