Community crowdfunding campaigns help people of Wigan Borough

An innovative and collaborative way of raising funds called crowdfunding has helped community-spirited locals create sensory gardens and helped Wigan Borough brass bands achieve their dreams of performing at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

In the last 12 months, 13 crowdfunding projects run by groups in Wigan Borough, have raised more than £70,000 – supported by local people and match funded by Wigan Council – which will go straight back into supporting local people and projects.

Successful projects include the Old Pemberton DW Band who raised money to compete in a competition at the Royal Albert Hall, improvements to the Hamlet CIC’s café and a campaign to fund a community sensory garden at Lancashire Mining Museum.

Councillor Chris Ready, cabinet member for communities at Wigan Council, said: “Crowdfunding campaigns are a special example of people coming together for the good of their local community.

“There have been so many different projects succeeded with the help of crowdfunding and I’m incredibly proud that Wigan Council has been able to offer match funding of community donations for many of them.

“It’s a perfect example of how as a borough, we are implementing our Progress with Unity plan and there really are some brilliant results.”

Crowdfunding is a way of funding a project or venture by asking a large number of people each for a small amount of money.

One of the successful projects was fundraising to create a sensory garden at Lancashire Mining Museum.

Nicki Vivash, a volunteer at the museum which is in Higher Green, Astley, added: “The garden will be a fabulous green oasis with a seating area in which to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and scents of the plants, we even plan some you can taste. 

“Our thanks go to supporters who contributed and Wigan Council who ran training courses and agreed match funding.  Volunteers will start work on the garden in the New Year.”

In Wigan Borough there are more than 1,500 groups in the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector, many of whom are supported by the local authority’s specialist communities team.