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Our Funded Projects

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Eric Wright Charitable Trust for their generous multi-year support of our Recreation (Rec) area. This vital funding will help us continue promoting social mixing and creating a safe, welcoming environment where life-changing support can thrive.

The Rec area is at the heart of our frontline youth work, with our largest staff team delivering over 120 hours of support each week. From safeguarding and wellbeing conversations to conflict resolution and confidence building, this space plays a crucial role in improving young people’s mental health and wellbeing, developing life and employment skills, and strengthening confidence, emotional resilience, social skills, and physical health.

Fired Up 4

The campaign – backed by Sara Cox, Jonny Vegas and Sir Lindsay Hoyle – was developed in partnership with world-leading ceramicist Kate Malone MBE and brought together the uniquely crafted pieces from renowned potters. Each of the 33 items was sold at the online charity auction, and the final total when the hammer came down was £105,182.

All proceeds will go towards equipping pottery studios and the training and supplying of staff in two Youth Zones in the North West – Chorley and Wigan. The sole aim of this campaign is to make pottery accessible to young people so they can experience the therapeutic benefits it brings.

The Gabriel Trust

Wigan Youth Zone has tremendous gratitude to The Gabriel Trust helping us to create an engaging and life-changing service for young people in Leigh, which is affordable, accessible, desirable, and meets the needs of young people. Funding from The Gabriel Trust allows us to provide an exciting

range of activities from Leigh Youth Hub, including sports, arts and play for 8-19-yearolds (up to 25 w/additional needs).

Wigan Council and the Department of Work and Pensions

During the past three years of DWP support (September 2022–August 2025), this partnership with Wigan Council not only met but surpassed all expectations:

  • 593 young people supported vs 430 contracted.
  • 237 jobs secured by young people vs 130 contracted.
  • 124 education enrolments vs 42 contracted.

Building on this success we have funding to continue our comprehensive support to young benefit claimants aged 18-24 in Leigh who are facing substantial employment barriers, to August 2026.

Our objective is to offer tailored assistance, mostly on a one-to-one basis, to help these young individuals secure employment or move closer to entering the workforce. Our unique package of support is designed to address the specific mental health, self-confidence and employability challenges faced by young people as well as supporting those with additional barriers.

This seven-month programme will improve the health, wellbeing, safety, skills and life chances of children, young people and young mothers living in Jigsaw Homes neighbourhoods across Wigan and Leigh. The project combines trusted street-based youth work, safe and inclusive youth provision, employability support and practical anti-poverty assistance to reach residents facing deprivation, isolation, poor mental health and the risk of anti-social behaviour.

During Year 1, at least 453 beneficiaries will be supported across the 54 LSOAs where Jigsaw Homes has properties, including a minimum of 122 confirmed Jigsaw residents identified through postcode matching or referral.

The programme will deliver weekly youth provision at Leigh Youth Hub, intensive street-based outreach in Wigan neighbourhoods and targeted employability support for 18 women, including young mothers living in supported accommodation. Free entry, meal and membership vouchers will remove financial barriers to participation.

We expect 85% of participants to develop stronger social and emotional skills, alongside improved wellbeing, confidence, resilience and community connection. Women receiving employability support will gain greater job readiness, independence and progression toward training, volunteering and employment opportunities.

The project cost is £30,097, with a request of £13,114 from Jigsaw Foundation, leveraging £16,983 of secured match funding

Wellbeing Workers

Through support from Prudence Trust, OnSide provided funding for Wellbeing Youth Workers for 3 years to support the mental wellbeing of 11-25yr olds, working more intensively with young people who require additional support.  

Improving the Health and Wellbeing of young people is always a priority for Wigan Youth Zone. We are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our members, their families and our staff. Learning in health and wellbeing ensures that children and young people develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, nutritional, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future.

Burberry have provided a grant to offer creative and enterprise projects in all 15 Youth Zones plus the Hunslet Club in Leeds over 3 years to fit with their strategic programme – Burberry Inspire.

The Onside Foundation is supporting a step change in income generation and sustainability within Youth Zones by making grants to provide pump-priming resources enabling Youth Zones and OnSide to invest in new or expanded or enhanced income generation and aligned activity with
the aim of driving the long-term financial sustainability of Youth Zones.

Million Hours Fund

The Million Hours Fund is a £22 million jointly funded initiative from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. The programme funds organisations to provide positive activities for young people in areas with high levels of antisocial behaviour.

This funding will support Wigan Zone Youth to extend our physical and wellbeing activities for young people at risk of anti-social behaviour, over 2 years. Activities will include dance, martial
arts, and trampolining.

GMCA and WEA Community Grant programme

GMCA Education, Skills & Work directorate procured WEA as Managing Agent to run a Community Grant programme for Greater Manchester. Wigan Youth Zone is a delivery partner in the Essential Life Skills strand which brings together funding from GM Multiply and the GM Devolved Adult Education Budget to enable outreach and engagement activities relating to skills, in particular essential life skills.

Wigan Youth Zone will be using volunteering and work experience as a pathway to support young adults to build confidence and work through barriers.

Re:vision / Procure Plus

Re:vision provides grant funding to North West employment groups who prepare individuals for work. Re:vision quality checks & provides training for these organisations to help improve their service. Re:vision supports these organisations in engaging with employers who can provide meaningful, paid, sustainable employment opportunities & also offers an employer engagement service.

Milliken & Company

We are truly grateful to The Milliken & Company Charitable Foundation for funding in 2026 which will help to sustain our ability to improve the life prospects of hundreds of young people by providing them with one-on-one mentoring, tailored employability sessions, enterprise projects and practical support in securing jobs or training opportunities.

Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit: Community-led Approaches Programme
Wigan – Worsley Hall Alliance

This Alliance consists led by Wigan Athletic Community Trust includes bespoke group mentoring, one-to-one mentoring, community youth clubs, sports provision, outreach sessions and whole family provision delivered by a collective of 5 organisations that have jointly over 50 years’ experience in delivering positive and sustainable street-based youth work and targeted behaviour change mentoring programmes.

Cadent have offered a grant to OnSide to fund the ‘powered by Cadent’ projects in 11 Youth Zones, activities including: 
 
Family or Community Days
Weekly open sessions for adults with children with energy saving and carbon monoxide advice.
 
Cooking
Monthly “Come Dine With Me” sessions with junior and senior members cooking cost-effective meals. Videos promote energy-saving tips and are shared online. 
 
Detached Provision
Weekly outreach in deprived areas sharing energy safety and PSR advice, distributing CO alarms. Promoted via social media. Focus on engaging families who might not access services voluntarily.
 
Centre for Warmth
Youth Zone invites for vulnerable groups, offering free resources, hot drinks, and snacks. Includes activities like walking football and community bingo.  

ARIS grant from Greater Manchester Police

The funding is allowing WYZ to relaunch the skate park facility at Wigan Youth Zone by purchasing new BMX bikes, scooters and skateboards, protective equipment and portable ramps and jumps to allow indoor and outdoor use as well as at targeted outreach locations in Tyldesley, Atherton, Pemberton and Leigh. 

The funding is also allowing repairs/replacements relating to basketball apparatus, new netting to divide the sports hall into multi-use sections, and essential repairs to our gym equipment, and more.

With funding from Miller Homes we’re excited to expand our Sports programme with these dynamic new additions:

Pickleball – fast-paced fun!
Cornhole – a classic challenge.
TowerBall – team building at its best.
Disc Golf – a test of skill and precision.
Kin-Ball – an exhilarating group game!
Spikeball – action-packed and competitive.

With this funding, we’ll be able to purchase equipment needed for these sports and cover staffing costs for six months.

Barclays – Female Participation in Sport

Thanks to funding from the Barclays Community Sport Fund in partnership with Sported, we can offer more girls-only sports activities aimed at reducing inequalities and ensuring accessibility for young people from underrepresented groups.

At Wigan Youth Zone, the physical and mental wellbeing of our members is at the heart of everything we do. This funding will help us continue creating safe, inclusive spaces where girls feel supported, inspired, and empowered to experience the benefits of sport.

HSBC UK – Embracing Enterprise

We are very grateful to HSBC UK for the donation to support our Enterprise department. Over the next 12 months, the Embracing Enterprise project will increase the life chances of 100 individual children and young people (70 aged 8-11 and 30 aged 12-19) by giving them experiences of running their own businesses, one-to-one mentoring, group enterprise sessions and lots more.

The funding will enable us to continue delivering high-quality enterprise opportunities that inspire young people to explore entrepreneurship and develop key life skills.

UK Youth Active Futures

Thanks to funding from UK Youth, Wigan Youth Zone is able to deliver programmes that inspire young people to get active, move more and explore the outdoors. Sport, movement and outdoor learning can make a huge difference in a young person’s life—they help with physical development, boost confidence and play a key role in supporting positive mental health and wellbeing.

UK Youth’s Active Futures Community is all about championing physical literacy and ensuring fairness. Their mission is to make sure every young person—no matter their background or circumstances—has the chance to build a lifelong, positive relationship with movement and physical activity.

Throughout 2026, UK Youth will be bringing together youth workers, partners and young people to share ideas, learn from each other and shine a light on what really works when it comes to physical literacy. It’s an exciting opportunity to celebrate best practice, strengthen our approach and help even more young people enjoy the benefits of being active.

UK Youth and The Young Foundation are seeking to develop evidence-informed, fundable ideas, that can make physical activity more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable in different communities.

Wigan Council – Holiday Activities and Food

Since 2021, Wigan Youth Zone has delivered almost 29,000 Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) places, ensuring children and young people—particularly those most in need—have access to enriching activities, nutritious meals, and meaningful support throughout school holidays.

Take a look at our video from summer HAF 2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19LcAFq27c/

StreetGames and Matchroom Boxing

We’re proud to be working with StreetGames and Matchroom Boxing to support their goal of bringing the power of boxing to more young people nationwide.

 

This partnership uses the power of major sporting events to inspire participation and build aspirations. It supports Wigan Youth Zone to deliver new non-contact boxing activity to our provision, target young people with little to no boxing experience, and train our workforce and develop their skills, confidence and knowledge to deliver safe, non-contact boxing activity.  

TfGM Wheels and Walks

Wheels and Walks is a programme that supports people in Greater Manchester to become more active by walking, wheeling and cycling.

Our Gear Medics program will provide free, practical, and inclusive bike maintenance sessions. Designed for those who cannot afford cycling lessons or bike repairs, our focus is on bike maintenance, learning new skills, and eventually forming a cycling group to apply their newly acquired abilities.

Wigan Council – Short Breaks and Services for Children with Disabilities

hanks to funding from Wigan Council’s Short Breaks programme, we’re introducing our Junior Inclusion Club – a weekly session designed specifically for primary school-aged children who may need extra support in a youth setting.

A Safe, Fun and Supportive Space

From Sunday 11th May, the new Junior Inclusion Club will run every week from 11.30am to 1.30pm. These sessions cost just 50p, with an optional meal for £1.

We want young people to feel confident trying new things, meeting others, and enjoying everything the Youth Zone has to offer. Activities will include art, baking, dance, sport, and music, all adapted to meet the needs of those taking part, and supported by experienced staff.

Plan International Period Peers Programme

Despite being a normal part of life, periods are still way too taboo in the UK. Due to a lack of education, many girls and young people don’t fully understand what’s happening to their bodies and don’t have the relevant information they need to manage their periods.

The Period Peers Programme is here to change that.​​ It’s a project designed by young people to help you and your friends learn more about periods and have open and inclusive conversations about them. Young people tell us they want solutions led by other young people and period education that is relevant to their lives, drawing on ‘peer power’. Many feel more comfortable talking about periods with friends and peers.

The Chance to See Fund

The Chance to See Fund is a partnership between Curious Minds and The Lathums, created to open up access to creative experiences for children and young people across Wigan Borough. 

link to https://curiousminds.org.uk/chance-to-see-fund/.

We’re piloting a ten-week DJ and music tech course at Wigan Youth Zone, designed by

young people themselves. We will work with 8 young people for 10 sessions (Feb-May), aimed at young people 11-16 years old, in our music studio and performance space. Our old decks are broken, so we’ll invest in sturdy, industry-standard gear to support their creativity. Beyond the project, the equipment will be used for future projects and our live events we do throughout the year. One of the decks will permanently live in our studio, and young people will use them for regular live broadcasting. The programme blends hands-on practice with peer teaching. Young people that have already mastered DJ basics with youth worker Matt will mentor six others, proving that young people coaching peers builds confidence fast. Each session adds a building block: choosing genres, beatmatching, creative mixing,

branding and social media, lighting design, and set building.

Midway through, local professional DJ Tom2Trax will run a mentoring session introducing radio and DJing. He currently runs All Trax radio, and Leo and Oliver have already featured on a Wigan Youth Zone takeover on his show. We hope to build on this relationship, which will inspire young people to see the possibilities in career pathways.

Everything leads to a DJ takeover night in The Venue in late spring, where participants

control lights, spin mixes, and perform alongside singers and dancers they invite. We’ll film the event to inspire future cohorts.

UK Youth Summer Jobs Programme

Link: https://www.ukyouth.org/what-we-do/our-programmes/summer-jobs-programme/

2025 Programme Highlights

Since 2024, over 800 young people have participated in The Summer Jobs Programme across Greater Manchester, West Midlands, South Wales, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Sheffield, and Doncaster and London.   

In 2026, UK Youth are expanding the programme to reach 900 young people, partner with even more top employers and extend their reach and outcomes to new areas.

This evaluation report from the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) explores the programme in more detail.

The programme is part of a study funded by the Youth Endowment Fund, Youth Futures Foundation and DCMS, and delivered by UK Youth and Local Delivery Partners, and evaluated by IFF Research. The Summer Jobs Programme aims to build evidence on the best ways to support the most vulnerable young people in our country by keeping them safe and improving their future involvement in education, training, and employment.

Wigan Council – Independent Visitor Service

Every young person in care deserves someone who shows up simply because they want to. At Wigan Youth Zone, we’re proud to offer the Independent Visitor (IV) Service in partnership with Wigan Council. This is an opportunity to provide that consistent support at a time when it matters most. Although every young person in care is entitled to an Independent Visitor, only 3.3% currently have one. We’re working to change that.

An Independent Visitor is a volunteer aged 19 or over who gives around one hour each month to spend time with a young person in care, up to age 18. They’re not part of the system, and they’re not paid. They’re there purely to build a genuine, long‑term connection. That’s what makes the role so meaningful.

Visits can be simple, relaxed and tailored to each match—grabbing a drink, going for a walk, playing pool, catching a film or trying something creative. The activity isn’t the focus; the relationship is. IVs aren’t counsellors or therapists. They’re everyday people who want to offer stability, encouragement and a listening ear.

Link to: https://www.wiganyouthzone.org/what-we-offer/independent-visitor-service/

The UFC – Martial Arts Mentoring Programme

Wigan Youth Zone, in partnership with OnSide and UFC, offers an empowering mentoring programme for young people aged 11 and over—built around the discipline, focus and confidence that martial arts can inspire.

Martial arts are widely recognised for their positive impact on both physical and mental wellbeing. Through regular practice, young people can improve strength, balance, coordination, flexibility and overall body awareness.

This programme has been designed to help young people develop core life skills, with a strong emphasis on self‑discipline, self‑control and safe self‑defence. Sessions are delivered by expert UFC‑trained coaches and instructors who bring passion, professionalism and real-life experience to every class. Young people learn in a familiar, supportive environment where they can build confidence at their own pace.

Alongside the physical benefits, participants also receive one‑to‑one mentoring, helping them stay motivated, set goals and navigate challenges in a positive way. The mentoring element ensures that each young person feels seen, supported and encouraged throughout their journey.

National Lottery Million Hours Fund Round 3

Thanks to generous funding from The National Lottery – Million Hours Fund, we’re expanding our youth offer across Wigan, Leigh and our outreach areas to create more safe, positive spaces for young people. This support enables us to deliver brand‑new youth work hours and provide opportunities for those aged 10–18, or up to 25 for young people with SEND. With this funding, we’re introducing an exciting range of activities designed to build skills, confidence and wellbeing, including street‑based outreach, arts and crafts, cooking and baking, football, girls’ gym, hair and beauty, STEM sessions, youth voice opportunities, skate park activities and climbing. At Leigh Youth Hub, young people will also enjoy enhanced music, dance and podcasting sessions. These new activities will help more young people access support, develop new interests and connect with others in ways that inspire and empower them. We’re incredibly grateful to National Lottery players for making this possible.

Wigan Youth Zone is incredibly grateful to the Calisen team for their generous support. Their funding is helping us tackle some of the biggest challenges faced by unemployed young people—particularly around mental health, confidence and employability.

This investment from Calisen is a meaningful commitment to improving the economic wellbeing of young people across Wigan and Leigh. Thanks to their backing, we’ve been able to deliver targeted support that helps young people build resilience, develop essential skills and take positive steps toward their future.

The Way Foundation

We’re proud to be supported by Way Foundation, whose funding helps us reach some of the most vulnerable young people and families across Wigan and Leigh. Their grant enables us to provide free entry and meals for those facing challenging circumstances, places in our Summer Holiday Club for children living in poverty, vital safeguarding and wellbeing support, and continued support of our Family Christmas Meal. Their support plays a key role in making sure every young person can access a safe, supportive space and the opportunities they deserve