**.** ## **Parish of Wigan West** Trustees Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council **For the year ended 31[st] December 2025** |**Index**|**Page**| |---|---| |Aims and Objectives|**3**| |Achievements and Performance|**4**| |Plans for the Future|**5**| |Ministry Reports|**6-20**| |Financial Review|**21**| |Fixed Assets and Reserves Policy|**22**| |Risk Management and Safeguarding|**23-24**| |Structure, Governance and Management|**25-26**| |Reference and Administration Information|**27-29**| |Declaration|**30**| |Balance Sheet|**31**| |Statement of Financial Activities|**32**| |Notes to Financial Statement|**33-40**| |Accounting Policies|**41-42**| |Independent Examiners Report|**43**| Page 2 Parish of Wigan West 2025 ## **Aims and Objectives of The Parish of Wigan West** The Ecclesiastical Parish of Wigan West was formed in January 2020, bringing together three former Church of England parishes: St Matthew’s Highfield, St James with St Thomas Poolstock, and St Paul’s Goose Green. The Parish of Wigan West continues to embody a mixed ecology of church, offering traditional Anglican worship alongside newer worshipping communities, including Lighthouse, Wellspring and Shine, linked to our church primary schools. These sit alongside a range of social justice and community-focused ministries which serve the wider community of Wigan West. Wigan West is one of the seven parishes within Church Wigan and is led by the Hub Leader, Rev Fran Humphry, under the wider leadership of the Team Rector, Rev Neil Cook. The shared vision of Church Wigan remains _“Through Jesus, transformed people, transformed places”_ , inspired by Isaiah 35:1: _“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.”_ We seek to see the Kingdom of God in Wigan as in heaven and understand our calling to join in with what God is already doing in and through the communities we serve. Our mission is to work with God in growing disciples of Jesus in Wigan West, in harmony with the vision of the Diocese of Liverpool. Our aims and objectives as a parish in 2025 are: - to enable people of all ages to grow as disciples of Jesus, deepening faith through worship, prayer, learning and shared life - to nurture, refresh and sustain both our traditional congregations and our newer worshipping communities, recognising the importance of consolidation, resilience and long-term flourishing. - to encourage and support volunteers and ministry teams, enabling wider participation in the life and mission of the parish. - to respond to local need through our food provision, social justice and community ministries, reflecting God’s love in practical and compassionate ways - to serve our local schools through clergy and lay leadership, governance and the nurturing of worshipping communities rooted in each church primary school. - to encourage generous discipleship, expressed through the offering of time, talents and financial resources. - to live out the shared mission of Church Wigan, joining together across the benefice to grow disciples of Jesus among all the people of Wigan Page 3 Parish of Wigan West 2025 ## **Achievements and Performance – 2025** During 2025, the Parish of Wigan West continued to live out it’s calling to work with God in growing disciples of Jesus. Across the breadth of parish life, there was sustained commitment to deepening discipleship, nurturing worshipping communities, responding to local need and supporting shared ministry across Wigan West, as can be seen from the many reports which follow. ## **Growing as disciples within a mixed ecology of church** In line with our aim to refresh and sustain both traditional congregations and newer worshipping communities, parish life during the year continued to reflect a mixed ecology of church. Opportunities for worship, learning and shared life remained central, enabling people to engage with faith in a variety of contexts. Alongside this, experience during 2025 contributed to increased reflection on how discipleship is nurtured over time, particularly through relational and locally rooted expressions of church life. ## **Developing collaborative pastoral care** Pastoral care continued to be offered through clergy, lay leaders and volunteers, reflecting a shared responsibility for care within the life of the parish. Increasing attention was given to how pastoral care might be shared more effectively across worshipping communities, strengthening collaboration and coordination. ## **Serving the wider community and local schools** Social justice, food provision and community-focused ministries continued to form an important part of parish life, sustained by the generous commitment of volunteers and partnerships. The parish also remained committed to serving local church schools through clergy and lay involvement, governance and the nurturing of worshipping communities connected with school settings. ## **Encouraging generous and shared discipleship** The life and ministry of the parish were supported throughout the year by the faithful offering of time, talents and resources by many people. This generosity enabled a broad and diverse pattern of ministry to be sustained across Wigan West. ## **Preparing for future development** With the support of **Rev Canon David Banbury from the Diocese of Liverpool** , the PCC and Hub Leadership Team (HLT) spent time during 2025 preparing to introduce a parish-wide planning and reflection tool known as **Discipleship 360** . This preparatory work reflected the parish’s two key aims of deepening Page 4 Parish of Wigan West 2025 discipleship and developing collaborative pastoral care and laid important foundations for future discernment and learning. ## **Linking 2025 Achievements to the Plans for the Future** The achievements outlined above reflect a year of faithful service, growing participation and continued learning across the parish. They provide a strong foundation on which to build, while also highlighting the need for intentional reflection, coordination and support as the parish looks ahead. We are grateful for the contributions of all those who are part of our parish, and we thank God for their ministry and service. As we move forward, the plans set out below are shaped by what has been learned during 2025 and by our desire to embed deeper discipleship, strengthen pastoral care and support sustainable patterns of shared life and leadership across Wigan West. ## **Plans for the Future – 2026** As the Parish of Wigan West looks ahead, we remain guided by our calling to join in with what God is already doing among the people and communities we serve. Our vision continues to be to see the Kingdom of God built in Wigan as in heaven, through God’s transforming work in people’s lives. During 2025, our focus is on **consolidation, resilience and sustainability** , particularly through supporting volunteers, ministry teams and leaders across the parish. We recognise that flourishing mission depends upon healthy relationships, shared responsibility and a clear sense of calling. ## **Deepening discipleship and strengthening pastoral care** In line with our aims of deepening discipleship and developing collaborative pastoral care, the PCC and Hub Leadership Team, with support from **Rev Canon David Banbury** , have been preparing to roll out the **Discipleship 360** planning and reflection tool across all the worshipping communities of Wigan West. Discipleship 360 will help us to reflect prayerfully on how disciples are formed within parish life and how pastoral care can best be shared and coordinated. A particular focus of this work will be nurturing a culture of **small groups** as places of nurture, teaching, fellowship and support. ## **Worshipping communities, service and generosity** Alongside this work, the parish will continue to nurture both traditional and newer worshipping communities, respond to local need through social justice and community ministries, serve church and community schools, and encourage generous discipleship expressed through time, talents and financial giving. Page 5 Parish of Wigan West 2025 ## **Ministry Reports** A selection of reports gives a flavour of the ministries of Wigan West: ## **St James With St Thomas Church** The pattern of worship at St James’ seems to very well settled now, with a good range of services to attend. We have seen a few new faces in our congregation, and this provides a source of encouragement. We have also seen a growing number of pantry customers and customers in warm spaces wanting to join us on Sunday’s which again is great to hear. We have continued to honour our patronal festival and dedication festival and provided food for our congregation which has been extremely popular. This has served well with fellowship and offers a real church family feel. We did introduce at the end of last year, a brunch following the first service of the month and this again has proved very popular. Our annual Fares have been good fundraisers for us and most of the missional groups that take place at St James’ attract funding from the local council so as not to be a burden on our much-needed church funds. Our service for VE day in May 25 was very popular with almost a hundred people in the congregation and plenty staying for a buffet and 40’s style singalong. This event also attracted local residents from Westwood Lodge, the big nursing home in Poolstock. The result of this contact has led to a team of Home Communicants visiting on a monthly basis. Our Sunday school seems to be an area for improvement. We continue to pray for the right people to come along and help and the right resources so we can improve what we offer to our young people. Next year 2026 will mark the 160[th] Anniversary of St James’ being in the community of Poolstock and Worsley Mesnes and many events to mark this are planned. ## **Rev Alison Brown, Deacon** ## **St Matthews Church** The pattern of worship has continued in the same format as the previous year, but with some changes to services mid-week. Please see the outline of services below. First Sunday: 10.30am Holy Communion (CW), Second Sunday: 9am Holy Communion (BCP), 10.30am Family Parade Service Third Sunday: 9am Holy Communion (BCP), 10.30 am Holy Communion (CW), 12.30pm Baptisms, Fourth Sunday: 9am Holy Communion (BCP), 10.30am Morning Praise, Fifth Sunday: Hub service. The first Thursday of the month: 10.30am Holy Communion (CW). Every other Tuesday of the month: SHINE based in Highfield St Matthew’s Primary School. Page 6 Parish of Wigan West 2025 In addition to these services, on the third Thursday of each month from 11.45 am to 12.15pn there are mid-day prayers followed by a time of open prayer. From Easter to the end of October there is Evening Prayer on a Wednesday 6-6.30pm. Throughout 2025, attendance at the Sunday services has been fairly stable. Sadly, some stalwart members of our congregations have died but we have also seen some new faces attending more regularly at both the 9am and 10.30am Holy Communion services. The monthly family parade service is becoming more interactive with the use of PowerPoint presentation in addition to the service sheet. We continue to provide refreshments after the 10.30 am services which is valued by many congregation members as an opportunity to meet socially. In March 2025, the new Café Area in church was completed so refreshments are now provided in church and not in the Parish Hall. One outcome of this is that there are more people staying for refreshments. We are also pleased that the number of families attending SHINE has remained stable. The importance of building up the involvement of lay people within all the services has remained a priority. We have a rota of people who welcome people at the start of each service, a rota of people who read the lessons and the baptism team is well established. We also have volunteers who have taken it upon themselves to organise the tidying up of the church building, cleaning of the church building and general maintenance so that there are clearer and more efficient systems in place for the use of space within the church building and for storage of resources. St Matthews Ministry Team (SMMT) continues to meet on a monthly basis to pray, discuss and plan outreach and mission within the community and how the church can be used on a more regular basis through the week. Below is an outline of the main actions that have been completed this year under the auspices of the SMMT: - The book swap scheme continues, and we have the display of photographs of the wedding days of couples married at St Matthews. - The Café Area (as mentioned above) was completed in March 2025 and is used each Sunday for refreshments following the 10.30am service. It is also being used by groups of people who are making use of the church during the week. The Monday Cuppa has now moved permanently into the church where people are invited to share social time together on a Monday afternoon in the café area. Winstanley Art Club has also been established on a Tuesday afternoon with work from the group being displayed in the café area and cards from the group available to buy. Looking ahead to 2026 there are plans for a community choir to start using the church on a weekly basis. - There were discussions about the church building being used to set up a local Post Office. This has been explored further during this year, but we were informed that if this were to become a reality the church would need to pay a large amount of money (approximately £25000) to install the Post Office on wheels in church, so this idea has been scrapped. Page 7 Parish of Wigan West 2025 - In March and November 2025, a Spring Fayre and an Autumn Fayre were held in the church building, organised by volunteers from our congregation. The church building along with the Parish Hall was an integral part of the Christmas Market event which took place during the first weekend in December 2025. - The Graveyard ministry has continued to thrive with more volunteers helping and they coordinate their ministry when volunteers are helping to tidy the graveyard as well. This contact with people coming to the graveyard is proving to be an important role in terms of the outreach of the church. - Social media plays an important part in communication of church events and activities, and school newsletters, the weekly notice sheet and the new notice board are being used on a weekly basis to keep the congregations and community informed of upcoming events. The Rev Fran Humphry continues as the Hub leader. Unfortunately, the diocese has not replaced the Rev Mark Wade who left Wigan in August 2024. We are extremely grateful to Fran for her leadership and commitment to this hub, but our concerns remain about the workload she continues to face along with additional workload on retired clergy, non-stipendiary clergy and lay ministers within the hub. This is also an opportunity to acknowledge and say thank you to the many people in our congregations and within the community who volunteer their time to support the work of St Matthew’s church and its affiliated organisations. Without their support we would not be able to function as a worshiping community or be able to serve the local community in the way we currently do. We are fully aware that as we move plans forward, we will continue to rely on an increasing number of volunteers if we wish to see an increase of God’s work within the community. Looking to 2026, we would like to see the diocese maintain its commitment to two full time clergy for each hub in Wigan so that Fran has the support she needs. Following requests from the Baptism team, there are discussions for the monthly baptisms to move from the third Sunday of the month to the 10.30am service on the fourth Sunday of the month. This would be a way of welcoming new people into the church with exiting congregation members present. We are also looking at what we can offer to promote the spiritual wellbeing and increase the Chistian faith of both current members of our congregations and people within the community who currently are not actively involved with worship at St Matthew’s. During this year of 2025 we have seen an increase in the use of the church building for more activities by members of the community we continue to pray that this will increase further in 2026. **Colin Hesketh, Lay reader** Page 8 Parish of Wigan West 2025 ## **St Pauls Church** St Paul’s Goose Green is one of the three churches in the Parish of Wigan West. St Pauls church building closed for worship from July 2023 until July 2024, for repairs to be carried out and for reordering of the interior of the building. Regular Sunday services are held weekly at 10.30am and monthly at 9.00am The Sunday services are varied, week one Baptism are held, week 2 Holy Communion and weeks 3 and 4 Service of the Word. Weeks two to four there is an average congregation of approximately 45-50 people. In the latter half of the year, we have noticed a gradual increase in numbers of new people attending. On baptism days the congregation numbers vary depending on the number of children being baptised. There is a regular service of Holy Communion on Wednesday mornings 3 weeks out of 4 at which the attendance has on average of 25 people, including 10 people who do not attend any other service. The community café continues to run on Wednesdays after the midweek communion. The popularity of the café has increased gradually over the year, bringing in more non Church members. The church building has been made available for use by community organisations and for hire by Wigan Council for meetings as well as Church Wigan Training events and concerts by community choirs. The church building is also available for bookings by other organisations for which a charge is made. This comprises approximately 20% of the usage of the church. Mid-week church activities included: - Small groups meeting for bible study and prayer. Mother’s Union A craft group meeting monthly. Members of the St Paul’s congregation are very involved in activities which take place in the rest of the parish such as the food pantry and Faith Café both held in St James ## **Ann Birch, Churchwarden** ## **St Matthew’s Churchyard Ministry** The small team of volunteers have continued to meet in 2025, to be a presence at the rear of the Church building to offer drinks, a chat or sometimes information about the graveyard or services, to people who are visiting the graves of their loved ones. We don’t always persuade people to stay but they always appreciate that we are there. On key days like Mothering Sunday or Christmas, as the churchyard is busier, we offer flowers and prayer cards. Page 9 Parish of Wigan West 2025 The church building is always open too, so people can go inside to light a candle or simply sit in the quiet space. This is something that has been much appreciated at times. In the summer months, we have a growing team of volunteers both churchgoers and from the local community who responded to the call to help in the churchyard. They are very committed both on the alternate weekends and on weekdays whichever is best for themselves. It is a joy on those Saturday mornings to see the fellowship and the presence of being church outside, meeting people where they are. ## **Elizabeth Gaskell** ## **Shine** Leaders - Revd Sam Swan, Sarah Murphy, Elizabeth Gaskell, Gary Humphry, Claire Halliwell Shine began in 2023 and continues to meet on a Tuesday afternoon in St Matthew’s Highfield Primary School from 3.30pm – 5pm. This is still on a fortnightly basis. As a team, we continually strive to remember our values and purpose for meeting and ministering in the way we do: to have fellowship with the children and parents/carers through crafts and conversations, to share fellowship through food, and to share the gospel with all. We recognise the skills we each bring and complement one another through them. We continue to have regular team meetings to plan sessions, and resources are seen as a priority. During these meetings, we also check in with one another on a pastoral level. This also extends to the end of each session, where, as leaders, we reflect on what has happened and pray together, recognising anything that might be a concern or focusing on particular themes. We continue to have an excellent relationship with St Matthew’s Highfield, and Shine is seen as an important part of the life of the school. It is advertised and viewed as an important link; subsequently, we have more direct access to parents and carers. A staff member regularly calls into the sessions after school), which benefits the children and adults' confidence. We are continually looking to cement this partnership between the staff and Shine as the Worshipping Community becomes a positive link for all. A strong relationship with older children (particularly years 5 and 6) has continued flourishing as many have continued to attend after applying for secondary schools and recently secured their place. This shows their commitment, and they are willing to walk alongside the younger children, regularly help with crafts and encourage their peers. Numbers have remained steady, and we have seen growth over the last year, and a good partnership with the parents has continued. We have had more than 30 children during some sessions. As leaders, this encourages us, and we are confident that the Gospel is being delivered in various ways through conversations, teaching, fellowship, and crafts. Page 10 Parish of Wigan West 2025 The use of school equipment (projectors and screens is a significant advantage), and this aids teaching and reflection. Children are signed in by their parents/guardians at the start of each session by one of the leaders, and they stay for the duration of Shine. As a leadership team, one of our recent priorities has been to encourage more input for people to share, particularly for the Christian aspect (different voices and approaches – guest speakers). This is already happening and has been a great success. Recently, we have had speakers talk on Lent, Ash Wednesday, Easter (due to the school calendar) and how we can be a part of this season individually and collectively. One of the things we are hopeful for, particularly for children in year 6, is to look at how a transition can happen as they approach Secondary School. This conversation could happen with the Next Generation Team and at suitable youth evenings and events. During Shine, we have already made links with the Next Generation Team, and Andy Brown has already spoken to the children about possible future sessions. We are expanding on this as we increase the number of invited speakers in this area. We are mindful that future links with St Matthew’s Church, St Matthews School, and the community are essential. We try to link the talks with the life of the Church and key events. The Collective Worship within the school is also a continued positive link as the teaching within the life of the school at the beginning of the day often develops into conversation when the children meet in Shine. We recognise the need to engage with parents and carers to participate in the sessions more (whether that be by sitting with their children or actively engaging). We have seen positive signs in that some are willing to help with the running or cleaning at the end of sessions. This is a reminder for us as leaders, to continually make those links. We are also mindful that we don’t want the same leaders doing the same roles or feeling overwhelmed. Shine is an important ministry, and we want it to continue as one. We do continue to have funds in the Shine budget. As it is very sustainable, we have not spent large amounts of the budget. We have purchased some sound equipment and discussed reviewing what we need. This is under regular review. More recently, some of the leaders from Shine have attended the Greenhouse Sessions and met with the Lighthouse Leadership Team to observe how we can improve/deliver differently. Networking in this way has been invaluable and is something we want to continue to do. We also want to look towards fundraising and how this will enable us to do more mission. We are very grateful to St Matthew’s Highfield Primary School for allowing us to continue meeting and ministering within the building. Page 11 Parish of Wigan West 2025 As a team and as a Worshipping Community, we always strive to see where God is calling us to, and where our mission field is. This extends to the staff at St Matthew’s Highfield. As a result of this, a member of staff is now present at every Shine gathering, either at the beginning or at the end. This gives greater scope for interaction and to see what we do, as well as linking the topics in with our regular Collective Worship within St Matthew’s on Tuesday Mornings. As a result of wanting to use our finances in a positive way, the Shine Team took the children bowling in February of this year, along with their parents / guardians. This was an end of term outing, but also to continue the growth and collaboration of all involved, and this was a great success. We have, this year, worked more closely with others from Liverpool Diocese. David Banbury came to Shine to deliver a session on Discipleship. Claire Bedford, who also works for the Diocese in overseeing Worship Communities, is also due to come to Shine to engage with us. As always, we are very grateful to our own clergy here in Church Wigan, who give up their time to also engage and deliver sessions for us. A personal thank you goes to the whole Shine Team. Without their skills, drive, passion and enthusiasm, we would not be able to do this ministry. From preparing food and drinks, organising crafts, and delivering talks and engaging with families. We ask for your continued prayers for Shine, as we continue to seek God and build our team and our numbers. ## **Revd Sam Swan** ## **Wellspring** The wellspring leadership team consists of Lucy Haigh, Kim Robinson and Jan Lavin. Pam Wilkinson does craft every week with the children which is always faith based. We have a sports coach who does activities with the children who don't do crafts. Janice Smith and Sandra Molyneux do the kitchen every week making sure everyone is fed and the kitchen is spotless and all equipment in working order. We received 5 stars rating from Wigan council. We have about 30 people who come every week which consists of around 15 children and 15 adults. Around 5 to 6 families come on and off with having other commitments after school. The number of families has dropped from last year, but with being short of volunteers I feel this is better as we are able to give more time and listen and get to know them better. We had group discussions leading up to Easter and all joined in. We give each person a chance to talk. The children were also involved in Easter and got to hear the Easter story. This year we a trying a new easier and understanding approach. Starting with each person sharing how their week has been and any high or lows they wish to share. We then get a short bible scripture and discuss it. 10 minutes of reflecting with a song or quiet time and finish with a prayer. Page 12 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Wellspring is the first steps for a lot of families who feed from the school who have never heard of Jesus, and I feel we are making slow but steady progress with a few families. We had a generous gift of £1000 from the Amanda Penk charity fund and looking to receive another gift of £2000 in June. We are staring a small group Alpha course on the 22nd April. At Christmas we gave away 29 hampers to families and 24 bags to Coops Foyer. Jan Lavin does the Acts 435 and has helped around 15 families with costs ranging from £150-£200 to help with white goods and car repairs. She also does the multibank by The Brick with orders going in every few weeks to help families with laundry products and everyday household things and the storehouse project who deliver every 3 months with baby wipes, nappies and other essential products like toilet rolls. ## _**Lucy Haigh, Kim Robinson and Jan Lavin**_ ## **Tom’s Pantry** Tom’s Pantry has undergone some changes this year. Part way through the year, Tracy who led the pantry took the decision to step down. The pantry is now lead by three people, Joan Baines, Dennis Catterall and Revd Alison Brown. Each has a specific role within the pantry. Tom’s Pantry joined Fareshare, which distributes surplus food to bring it into line with all the other pantries. This has enhanced the choice of food for pantry customers and has had a knock-on effect on the Faith Café as we have plenty food to choose from. In order to make the pantry more missional, we have taken advantage of warm spaces and combined the two together. Pantry users can stay and have a warm drink with toast or toasties and a chat. It is hoped that we can get around to bringing Jesus into the conversation. We have seen some fruit in this area as a few pantry members are attending church on a couple of occasions. The pantry shop still continues to offer great value for money and has around 60 users each week. We have noticed a trend of regular customers, and we still get a few new members each week. The vision is for the pantry to continue offer great value for money for regular shoppers, to be a resource for agencies and individuals in need of food due to a crisis and to offer friendship and spiritual support where needed. ## **Toms Pantry Team** ## **Lifelines Dementia Friendly Community Café and Choir.** This last year, Lifelines has continued to meet both for a café on a monthly basis and a choir twice monthly. The café has continued to offer a safe space for those living with dementia and their carers but also offers a safe space for some of our neurodivergent people. Page 13 Parish of Wigan West 2025 We offer friendship and fun but also practical help for those living with dementia. During the cold months we have also offered the café as a warm space and provided hot meals for people. The future is sustainable as it continues to attract funding from the local council. The choir seems to be ok but not as popular as the café. David Goulden helps with the music side of things when he can and this Christmas the choir put on the Inn Crowd with the help of Kathleen Shepherd. Due to David’s work commitments for the first part of next year the choir will meet monthly as take the form of a musical workshop rather than a choir. It is hoped that once David retires, we can get back to being a choir again and sing something for the 160[th] Anniversary. All our missional project benefited from Christmas lunch on Christmas Day in St James’ church. Funding was provided by Neighbourly and potatoes and vegetables provided by Fareshare. ## _**Rev Alison Brown, Deacon**_ ## **Friends together** Friends Together meet nine times a year on the first Wednesday of each month. We cater for 40 to 50 guests each month but have had more than 70. Organised and run by a small but loyal group of volunteers led by Linda Berry we provide hot or cold drinks and biscuits, a substantial hot meal and dessert. We also send meals to those who are unable to get out and contact those who are house bound by phone to keep in touch. At Easter we have fish and chips, and an Easter Bonnet Parade and we celebrate all significant birthdays of our guests with a special cake. For entertainment we have free prize bingo and free raffle with the prizes being donated by our regular guests. The best thing about Friends Together is the opportunity for people to get together for a good chat and have a few laughs. _**Allan Conroy, Volunteer Leader**_ ## **Faith Café** The Faith Café held each Saturday between 11 & 2pm continues to be very popular. It is open most Saturdays but closes due to low numbers of volunteers, holidays and when St James’ hosts a wedding or Fare. The average numbers are 35 adults with around 10-15 adults not engaging with any other type of church service. As well as serving good food, some kind of prayer and worship is offered each week by a member of the Faith Café team. The partnership with Fareshare has also had a knock-on effect for the Faith Café as it has greatly reduced our cost of food. As a team we now feel we are actually doing what we set out to do with the Faith Café, which was to use the food from the pantry where possible and offer decent wholesome food on a pay as you feel basis. The future looks good for the Faith Café as it is sustainable and offers a safe place for many vulnerable people. During this year we will continue to look at how it Page 14 Parish of Wigan West 2025 can be more missional with a continued emphasis on offering prayers and more worshipping opportunities. ## **Emma Suzi and all the Faith cafe family** ## **Little Stars** The Little Stars team members are Hayley Heaton, Amy Newman, Jade Gallager and Natalja Kondratjeva **.** Around 10+ children and 10 grown-ups are attending St Pauls Hall Monday mornings 9:30-11am weekly during term-time. Free play with toys, a colouring in or craft, a snack ending with a ‘God loves me‘ story and song. £2 charge per family covers the snacks and toy replacement costs with proceeds donated to Church. We are blessed with the hall for free thanks to Allan & Lynn Conroy’s support. ## _**Hayley Heaton, safeguarding lead**_ ## **St Matthews Guides** Our Guide meetings started in January with a quiz, a game’s night and Celebrating Chinese New Year with a taste of Chinese foods. We have also had a spa night which went down well, particularly the foot spa, a valentines night theme and made heart shaped shortbread biscuits to decorate and valentine cards. We have celebrated Thinking Day, the birth of our founder Olave BadenPowell, with an activity evening which was attended by Rainbows, Brownies, and Guides from our district of Wigan West. The theme of the evening was around some of the world centres in International Guiding. We made and tossed pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and also had an entertaining night of Karaoke which was requested by some of the girls this also involved dressing up as their favourite star. We also had an Easter Bunny evening. Some of our meetings concentrated on Mother’s Day activities - decorating small hoops for a Mother’s Day gift and the following week Mrs Peacock from Blossoms Room flowers visited and made a floral gift for the girls to give to Mums. After the Bank Holiday we welcomed Vicar Sam to come and meet the girls and give them a talk. She told them about her life to date and what a varied career she had had. The talk finished with which were the best pies in Wigan!! We have done some tie-dying, for Father’s Day we had an evening decorating coasters and making cards, visited a bowling alley, a film night and made gingerbread. We also held a Yoga night, Ms Gloria Green the lady who runs the art group in church on Tuesday came and spent a night with us showing the girls how to do water colour painting. We completed our annual sponsored walk from the hall to Orrell Water park. Our last meeting for the summer was on 7 July, and we finished with a party. In July we had a trip to London. We set off from Wigan Northwestern station at 8.15 a.m. with 21 girls and 8 adults and amazingly we returned at 7.45 p.m. with 21 girls and 8 adults. It was one of the hottest days of the year so far and did we know it. On arrival at Euston station, we took a tour bus taking in some of the sights of London on the way to Buckingham Palace where 10 we got off and took the tour of the staterooms at the palace. Due to ongoing renovations some of the rooms were closed but there was still plenty to see. From the palace we took another tour bus back to Euston for the 5.30 p.m. train home. During the day Page 15 Parish of Wigan West 2025 lunch was eaten and tea purchased at the station on the way home. The girls were really good as we all suffered somewhat with the heat. Grace Anderton, Erin Albers, Martha Roberts, and Elise Prescott all made their Guide promise at the palace, and we hope they will remember this occasion in the future. We have had comments from some parents who were Guides telling us they remember doing their promise in London on previous trips. We must give a big thank you to Jacky Clarke, Grace Rigby, Lucy Farrell, Helen Albers, and Laura Albers for helping us out on the day, even if one or two had to be persuaded to come. Everyone had a good time, oh and did we mention it was HOT. We will restart our meetings on Monday 15 September. We restarted our meetings in September and as we usually do, on the first night we asked the girls to write the guidelines which are the rules we hope to observe during our meetings. We caught up on all the activities and holidays everyone had enjoyed. We now have a new badge book with some really good badges in it that the girls can do, and we started with the Food Critic badge and a blind tasting of various foods. We worked for our Entertainer badge, and this was a fun night, lots of talent on show. We had an evening of scarecrow making and at Halloween, we had a night revolving round painting and decorating polystyrene pumpkins and wooden pumpkins and a Halloween party. On our return after the half term break, we made wreaths using handprints and paper poppies to hang on the pews in church on Remembrance Sunday. Mrs Chris Webster came in to decorate canvas bags with the Guides. The girls prepared designs which they hope to copy onto the bags. The meetings up to Christmas covered more badge work, a Christmas Nativity and some Christmas crafts finishing on our last night before the break with a surprise night for the girls. ## **Guide Leaders** ## **TLG** Early intervention through TLG (Transforming Lives for Good) is a programme that provides one-to-one coaching support for children who may be struggling with emotional, social, or behavioural challenges. Working in partnership with local schools, trained volunteer coaches meet regularly with children to build trusted relationships, develop confidence, and help them overcome barriers to learning. By offering consistent encouragement, practical strategies, and a safe space to talk, TLG aims to address difficulties at an early stage, improving wellbeing, engagement in school, and long-term outcomes. Over the past year, TLG has been successfully operating within Highfield St Matthew’s, primary school, supported by two committed coaches. Strong partnerships have been established with the school, where the headteacher, deputy, and key staff actively champion early intervention. This work continues to be highly rewarding and impactful for both the children and the coaches, supporting children and families at an early stage and making a meaningful difference. We meet with our coached children for one hour per week, giving a space that is solely for them. Page 16 Parish of Wigan West 2025 We have also worked collaboratively with South Hub colleagues, sharing best practice and supporting coaches as they begin their TLG journey. In the coming year, we hope to expand provision by reintroducing coaching support into our two other primary schools. If this is something you feel called to be part of, we would warmly encourage you to get in touch to find out more. ## **Martin Gaskell, Churchwarden** ## **St James Bell Tower** Ringing has started again at St James, and this happens on a Sunday evening to coincide with the service for Open Table. We heavily rely on ringers from other towers as we are yet to establish a band of our own ringers. (please feel free to come and join us). At the moment all bells are in service apart from the 8th, which is having a wheel repair. (we can still chime the 8th bell) This was damaged whilst cleaning and has had a successful insurance claim to pay for this. Other towers are now interested in including St James on their trips to Wigan and surrounding areas and this will generate more donations from the visitors. We are planning another English Heritage Open Day on Saturday 12th September which will coincide with St James 160th anniversary. Monies to be split 50/50 on the day to church funds and the tower fund. We are asking for outside stalls / activities / bellringers to come and join in the fun and hoping for a lot of local ringers to come and join us on the day, also there will be a quarter peal attempt on Sunday 13th to celebrate the anniversary. Regarding the clock at St James. The failed part has been identified and removed. The clockmaker is sourcing a replacement. When the bells do start to ring more often, we must be aware that some neighbours will appreciate and love them. But some will complain and we have to be ready for this negative response also. Money in bank: - £2,599.67 Awaiting a grant from Lancashire Association of Church Ringers of £1,100.00 **Carole Simm, Tower Captain** ## **Friendship Group** The Friendship Group is now in its 11[th] year of operation and continues to prosper. Regrettably, during the year they lost several members who passed away; however, they also welcomed a number of new members, and the group remains active and well supported. Members continued to enjoy coach outings to places of interest and regular lunches at local restaurants. they were again successful in securing grant funding and received additional support from the Page 17 Parish of Wigan West 2025 local Brighter Borough Fund to finance a day trip to Liverpool, including afternoon tea on a boat and a tour of the docks. It is with great sadness that their Secretary, Dave Whitter, passed away in April 2026, before he could complete his report. We have been blessed to have had Dave in our church, and for the numerous tasks he undertook, we will miss him very much. We offer prayers and support to his family at this sad time. ## **Angela and Jeff** ## **St Pauls Mothers Union** We are now down to 14 members but still enjoying each other’s company and our meals out at The Wheel twice a year. We have had good speakers on varied subjects and some game afternoons. We continue to give “moving bags” to the sixth year at St Pauls, some members do craft work for things that are needed in our community, we support the prison work and dias. We very much enjoyed the 150 years celebrations held at The Deanery High School. Anne Hubbard St Paul’s branch leader. ## **Anne Hubbard, Branch Leader** ## **Bereavement group** 2025/26 has been an interesting year in the fact there has been a number of enquiries some have been productive some have not. Some people will come into church on non-service days but will shy away from face-to-face discussion, this is, in my view, quite normal. Some people, even in grief, are shy of discussing their feelings with someone they don’t know, but others actually prefer It that way. Many people will enquire outside our stipulated meetings time and which I, if Present, will oblige. I think we all will do our best to respect the needs of grieving people. Most people will attend our meetings maybe for 2 or 3 times and then pick up the pieces of their private life again. All in all, the year has been, in my view, has been at least satisfactory and look forward to helping more people who when they come to us, are at a very low ebb. ## **David Berry** ## **Open The Book** In 2025, the Open the Book (OTB) team continued its work in local primary schools, though with reduced capacity and a lighter programme of visits. Following the loss of some team members, sessions moved from monthly to once every two months, and further withdrawals at Christmas added to the pressure. Even so, the team maintained its commitment to three West Hub schools—St James, St Paul’s and St Matthew’s—delivering Collective Worship through carefully chosen Bible stories and songs. From September, and in line with Bible Society guidance, stories were selected to align with each school’s values, creating a consistent approach across all sessions. Page 18 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Although this meant sacrificing the benefits of presenting stories in biblical chronology, the coordinated planning helped pupils engage with themes that supported their wider learning and community ethos. After each visit, the team reviewed effectiveness and repeatedly concluded that OTB materials provide both an accessible introduction to basic theology and practical guidance for living well in an increasingly challenging world. The team’s long-standing aim has been to help equip pupils to make positive use of their gifts, enrich their own lives and the lives of others, and reflect the teachings of Jesus within real-life opportunities and constraints. Having interacted with around 300 pupils, the team cannot know where each child’s journey will lead, but they hope the sessions leave lasting, enriching memories. However, age, ill health and an inability to recruit new members have led to cancelled sessions and the decision to end OTB after this academic year, allowing the wider Collective Worship team to provide greater consistency. Our best wishes and, more importantly, our prayers go to all those others who are delivering the Collective Worship, as they continue with the sowing and the harvest. The OTB team may not continue but, as individuals, we still offer our support, in whatever way we can and as God directs us. ## **Brian Marsh** ## **St Pauls Hall** St Paul’s hall continues to be very well attended and is used most days of the week by at least one of 16 regular group. This year we also have two new worshipping groups, Oasis Ministries and Sanctuary Church who meet on Sunday mornings and evenings. There are days when it is in use from 9.00am until 9:00pm The hall continues to be self-supporting being able to fund all the costs involved in running it. The hall has been completely re-decorated this year as well as new carpets fitted in the foyer and alcoves. Plans for 2026 include replacing the fridge freezer. ## **Allan Conroy** ## **Cuppa and Chat.** We are a friendly group who meet on a Monday afternoon in St. Matthew’s lounge from2pm to 3-30pm. At the moment there are only ladies, but gentlemen are welcome to join us. We have a drink and a biscuit and chat. You are welcome to come and knit whilst you natter! We use the lounge door by the cricket field. All are welcome. We look forward to meeting you. ## **Barbara Jenks.** ## **Thursday Coffee Group – St Matthews** We are a group of men and women of all ages who meet up each Thursday morning to enjoy a brew and a chat. The group was set up by Ethel Hall and Jean Wainwright back in 1984 and is still going strong more than 40 years later. Page 19 Parish of Wigan West 2025 We now meet in the Café area in church at 10.30 (except for the first Thursday of the month when we gather after the 10.30 Communion service in church). There is a small charge to cover the cost of biscuits and drinks which can be made to individual tastes. Those who choose to can also make a small donation to help with the work of Plan UK. It supports children like Fatoumata Dite Goundo Mangane and the village where she lives in Mali. We send £21 per month to this charity. Any money left over is given to St Matthew’s Church to purchase Bibles which are given to children who are Baptised there. **Maureen Hart, Julie and Dave Guest.** Page 20 Parish of Wigan West 2025 ## **Financial Review** All transactions for the Parish are now carried out within the Wigan West PCC bank account. Our total income in 2025 was £264,506, reduced from £369,498 in 2024 due to the completion of St Paul’s reordering and the consequent reduction in grants and VAT reclaim. It is disappointing to note that Planned Gift Aid Giving reduced to £65,400 (down £3,600), although this was partially offset by an increase of £3,000 in our Other Planned and Loose Plate collections, to £31,000. Our expenses reduced from £702,836 in 2024 to £243,500 in 2025. This reduction was largely due to the completion of the reordering of St Paul’s Church. The energy contracts were renegotiated in 2024 and, while there was a welcome decrease in costs in 2024, there was an increase of £6,000 in 2025 to £33,800; however, this remains £14,000 lower than in 2023. We were able to pay £77,000 Parish Share to the Diocese. Although this was £11,000 more than in 2024, it fell short of the £116,000 required. It is essential that we pay the full Parish Share in 2026, and we will make every effort to achieve this. We did, however, also pay the full Wigan Deanery Trust Parish Share Precept of £18,800. At year-end, the Church account reported an excess of income over expenditure of £21,000. A portion of this surplus was retained in the CCLA Field Fund. The PCC is fully aware of the financial position, and continued efforts will be made in 2026 to encourage our congregations to give generously in support of the work of the Diocese and Church Wigan. We will ask all regular givers to review their giving and, for those who currently give by envelope, to consider transferring to the Parish Giving Scheme. Where possible, we would encourage donors to Gift Aid and index-link their donations, and to support our fundraising activities. The principal source of income continues to be giving from our congregations, supplemented by tax reclaims on Gift Aided donations, which amounted to £14,900 in 2025. The next major source of income was Parish fees for weddings and funerals, totalling £25,660. We received grants totalling £25,992 and are grateful to Wigan MBC for grant support of £22,232. Further grants were received from the Amanda Penk Charity (£1,000) for Wellsprings, The Grocers Charity (£2,000), Together Liverpool (£260), and Wigan Rotary (£500). We are grateful to those who identified and secured these sources of funding. Page 21 Parish of Wigan West 2025 ## **Fixed Assets:** The freehold land and buildings referenced within the financial statements refer to St Paul’s Church Hall and St Matthew’s Parish Hall which has now been established as a CIC and is being run independently, this is to be reviewed. ## **Reserves Policy** The PCC’s long-term aim is to retain within its unrestricted funds, as free reserves, a sum not greater than an amount equivalent to four months of the year’s annual expenditure. As at 31 December 2025 our unrestricted funds comprised of fixed assets of £393,226, unrestricted funds (free and designated) of £86,207 and restricted funds of £116,455 comprising mainly of the Field Fund £105,907. ## **Agent Transactions:** The PCC has acted as financial agent for the following organisations: - Liverpool Diocesan Board of Finance - ACTS 435 - Organist/ Vergers/Gravediggers monies received for weddings and funerals was passed on to the relevant individuals and where appropriate a proportion separated and sent directly to the HMRC in relation to income tax payments. ## **The charities that we gave our donations and giving to in 2025 were:** - Church Wigan Food Provision (Lifted via Wigan Deanery Trust) - The Brick - Tear Fund - Compassion UK - Wigan Deanery Trust BSD - Children’s Society - Royal British Legion Wigan and Leigh Hospice Page 22 Parish of Wigan West 2025 ## **Risk Management** ## **Financial Risk:** An annual budget is prepared to help the PCC identify areas of significant financial risk. During each financial year the PCC also receive and able to examine periodic financial reports showing actual against budget comparison reports. Investments and reserves are only held in low-risk Church of England, Central Board of Finance funds. Bank accounts are maintained at those amounts required for operational purposes only. All assets are insured and insurance levels are reviewed periodically in conjunction with the insurance provider’s staff. The PCC’s insurance provider is Congregational Church Insurance. The PCC has agreed internal controls for the handling of cash and cheques, both as receipts and as payments. ## **Health and Safety Risk:** The P.C.C. recognizes that it is responsible to conduct a Risk Assessment relating to its buildings. It has a practical Health and Safety Policy covering activities both for the churches and other buildings it is responsible for which is reviewed on a regular basis. Accident Books are maintained. ## **Data Protection:** The contents and obligations of the Equality Act 2010 and the 2018 General Data Protection Regulation are known and complied with to the best of the P.C.C.'s liability. The P.C.C. is aware of its responsibilities in respect of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order of 2005. The P.C.C. has appointed Andrew Bond to be the responsible person in respect of these requirements. ## **Safeguarding:** Over the past few years, the Church of England has issued much clearer and more detailed expectations for parishes regarding safeguarding. We also now receive more support and guidance from Liverpool Diocese, such as a monthly safeguarding news bulletin. It has sometimes felt as though, as soon as we have adopted a new policy or increased the safeguarding training, we ask people to do for various roles, the guidance has moved on again. We are now using a Church of England national safeguarding tool called The Dashboard to help us keep up to date and ensure that the required safeguarding measures are all in place. The Dashboard shows us what we should be doing, alerts us if we need to take action to renew or review any aspect of safeguarding and produces a Safeguarding Action Plan to inform the PCC. All our dashboards for Worshiping Communities in Wigan West are currently at Level 2, as per the requirements. I am currently the Parish Safeguarding Officer for Wigan West parish and work alongside Revd Fran Humphry. All Safeguarding incidents and training are reported centrally. We hold all people DBS and safer recruitment information as asked by the Church of England. We continue to review and develop working alongside other Safeguarding officers in Church Wigan and supported by the diocese. We also reviewed the national historical Safeguarding review. Page 23 Parish of Wigan West 2025 The House of Bishops guidance for this report is that the PCC should state whether Wigan West Parish is complying with the code of practice issued by the House of Bishops as far as safeguarding children and vulnerable adults is concerned. It is confirmed that the PCC is complying with the requirements imposed by the code under Section 5A of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 We display appropriate information, such as contact details for designated safeguarding officers, information about the parish's safeguarding policy, contact details for specialist support organisations and guidance on how to report concerns. These can all be found on noticeboards and other places around the buildings. Safeguarding is a standing item at every PCC meeting. All our Trustees and volunteers are trained to recognise signs which could indicate that a child or adult at risk may be being abused or neglected. This training also includes wider Charity Commission requirements to recognise and report incidents involving our staff and volunteers. We actively encourage our staff, volunteers and those who use or come into contact with our services, to speak up about things which they think could cause harm to people and we act promptly when concerns have been raised. We will not tolerate any behaviours or practices which could lead to anyone being abused and/or exploited by our people. I would like to thank the many people who have played their part in supporting safeguarding in Wigan West **Angela Matthewson Parish Safeguarding Officer** Page 24 Parish of Wigan West 2025 ## **Structure, Governance and Management** ## **Description of the charity’s trusts:** The Parochial Church Council (PCC) operates under the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 and the Church Representation Rules. The PCC is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure and is a charity registered with the Charity Commission. PCC members are appointed in accordance with the Church of England the Church Representation Rules 2022 and are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. All those who attend are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC. Individual members of the PCC receive external training as and when deemed appropriate by the PCC. Day to Day management of the church was exercised by the standing committee, the only committee required by law. It has the power to transact PCC Business between PCC meetings and considers strategic issues which may affect the church. The Standing Committee consists of: - Clergy - Rev Fran Humphry - • Churchwardens Ann Birch , Martin Gaskell • Secretary Kathleen Moran • Treasurer Jeff McCann Page 25 Parish of Wigan West 2025 ## **Church Wigan relationship to the PCC:** - Parish of Wigan West has two representatives that are on Joint Council. Revd Fran Humphry and Cliff Unsworth. Each month the minutes are shared. Revd Neil Cook chairs the Joint Council. - Hub Leadership Team looks at the missional work of the Parish with a focus on planting new worship communities. Each PCC meeting this is reported back to the PCC. ## **Policies adopted:** All polices were created by Church Wigan and adopted by the PCC: - Health and safety - Safeguarding - Safer recruitment All PCC members are required to have DBS checks and to complete basic and foundation Safeguarding training. ## **Other Related Trusts:** - Wigan Deanery Trust employs Core services for Church Wigan and as a PCC we liaise with them. - Revd Fran Humphry is an ex-officio member of the Board of Governors of St James C of E Primary School, Revd Anita Fath (SSM Associate Minister) and Revd Sam Swan (Curate) are foundation governors of St Matthew’s C of E Primary School. The PCC also makes recommendations to the Liverpool Diocesan Schools Trust (LDST) for the appointment of further foundation Governors. - St Paul’s Church Field Goose Green: The managing Trustees for this charity are the PCC of Wigan West. Although _St Paul’s Church Field, Goose Green_ is a separate charity to the PCC the Charity Commission has provided written consent that it may be included within the PCC’s financial statement as a ‘Special Trust’ under the provision contained within s287 of the Charities Act 2011. Page 26 Parish of Wigan West 2025 ## **Reference and Administration Information** ## **Name: Parish of Wigan West.** This Parish is part of the Diocese of Liverpool within the Church of England **Charity Number:** 1201671 ## **Church correspondence address:** Church Wigan Office. Wigan Investment Centre, Waterside Drive Wigan. ## WN3 5BA Telephone 01942 410910 For the period 1[st] January 2025 until the approval of this report, the following people served as members of Wigan West and were the charity’s Trustees. **Name Role** Revd Neil Cook Incumbent Ex-Officio member Revd Fran Humphry Hub Leader (Team Vicar Ex-Officio member and PCC chair) Martin Gaskell Churchwarden Ex-Officio member Ann Birch Churchwarden Ex-Officio member Jeff McCann Treasurer PCC Elected Member Emma Dickinson Deanery Synod Rep Ex-Officio member Kath Smith Deanery Synod Rep Ex-Officio member Cliff Unsworth Deanery Synod Rep Ex-Officio member Kathleen Moran Deanery Synod Rep Ex-Officio member Peter Grey Deanery Synod Rep Ex-Officio member Gary Humphry Deanery Synod Rep Ex-Officio member Angela Matthewson Diocesan Synod Rep / Ex-Officio member Parish Safeguarding Officer Iain Matthewson Roger Clarke Andrew Bond Sheila Albers Diocesan Synod Rep Ex-Officio member PCC Elected Member PCC Elected Member PCC Elected Member PCC Elected Member PCC Elected Member PCC Elected Member Page 27 Parish of Wigan West 2025 |Marie Bond|PCC Elected Member|PCC Elected Member| |---|---|---| |Dennis Caterall|PCC Elected Member|PCC Elected Member| |Joan Baines|PCC Elected Member|PCC Elected Member| |David Whitter|PCC Elected Member|PCC Elected Member| |Christopher Barton|PCC Elected Member|PCC Elected Member| |Revd Steve Beck|Team Vicar|Ex-Officio member| |Revd Sue Fulford|Team Vicar|Ex-Officio member| |Revd Dot Gosling|Team Vicar|Ex-Officio member| |Revd Stan|Team Vicar|Ex-Officio member| |Higginson||| |Revd Canon|Team Vicar|Ex-Officio member| |Sam Nicholson||| |Revd
Peter|Team Vicar|Ex-Offico member| |Whittington||| |Revd Roland Harvey|Team Vicar|Ex-Officio member| |Revd Sandra Jones|Team Vicar|Ex-Officio member| |Revd Clive Doran|Team Vicar|Ex-Officio member| The Trustees are aware of the Charity Commission's guidance on Public Benefit in their publication 'The Advancement of Religion for Public Benefit' and have given regard to it in their administration of the parish. It is considered that all P.C.C. members and any others who could be understood to be 'managers' in the activities and affairs of the Parish - as defined in Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 - have completed declarations confirming they are 'fit and proper' persons under the terms of the Finance Act 2010. Trustee training is available to new and established Trustees as and when required. Page 28 Parish of Wigan West 2025 ## **Names and addresses of advisers:** ## **Architects** Anthony Grimshaw Associates St Paul’s Reordering 6 Bridgeman Terrace St James with St Thomas Quinquennial Wigan Architect WN1 1SX Schafer Associates St Matthew’s Quinquennial 56, Belvedere Road, Architect Ashton in Makerfield, Wigan WN4 8RU ## **Independent Examiner** Rev Alan A Clements MA ACIB FCIE 15 Carleton Road, Great Knowley, Chorley, PR6 8TQ ## **Name and address of Bankers.** Lloyds Bank, Lewisham Branch, 120 High Street, Lewisham, London, SE13 6JG ## **The PCC also holds accounts with:** Central Board of Finance of the Church of England Santander UK plc The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Page 29 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 30 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 31 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 32 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 33 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 34 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 35 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 36 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 37 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 38 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 39 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 40 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 41 Parish of Wigan West 2025 Page 42 Parish of Wigan West 2025 ## **Independent Examiners Report 2025** Page 43 Parish of Wigan West 2025