Athletes inspire youngsters as they visit the Fire Within

Former Olympian Jenny Meadows inspired ambition and community spirit in local school children.

Pupils from four of the borough’s primary schools visited The Fire Within’s HQ and ICONS exhibitions at The Galleries, to learn about the space and think about who the icons are in their families and communities.

Local icons Jenny, along with Matthew Melling (also known as The Wigan Runner), answered questions from the children and encouraged them to think about how they can reach their ambitions.

Matthew said: “I am excited to be part of this event and meet with children to celebrate the heritage of our great town.

“The Fire Within is a fantastic exhibition that gives an insight into the important eras of Wigan’s history dating back to the 1800s and the industrial revolution.

“I’m very proud to come from Wigan and appreciate our heritage, which is what makes our town a special place today.”

Before the trip, Year 6 pupils from Aspull Church Primary, Holy Family, Our Lady’s and St Mary’s and St John’s researched some of the icons showcased at The Fire WIthin, including Theodore Major and Sir John Scott.

During the visit, they also learned about the borough’s coal-mining history through original artefacts and interactive activities.

Coun Chris Ready, cabinet member for communities and culture at Wigan Council said: “Today’s trip was about giving our young people the confidence to dream big and to appreciate the real icons in their lives, not just those they might see in the public eye.

“It’s also been about acknowledging our extraordinary heritage and how it shapes our view on the world today.

“Showcasing our cultural offer to schools and ensuring young people understand their local past and think about their futures is really important and is another reason why we organised this event. Learning from history can create new, fresh perspectives and we hope that the children really enjoyed the day.”

Speaking about her visit visit to The Fire Within, Natasha, aged 10 from Our Lady’s Primary School said: “The Fire Within is really interesting. I enjoyed learning about the coal mining because I didn’t know about it before.

“Jenny and The Wigan Runner also said some really inspiring things.”

Three of the schools, which are located in Aspull, also received Brighter Borough funding from Aspull, Whelley and New Springs ward councillors, to fund coaches to and from The Fire Within.

Coun Ready, who is also a ward councillor for the area added: “Brighter Borough is a fantastic resource that really benefits communities.

“Thanks to the fund, we have been able to support three schools with transport to and from The Fire Within, which goes towards our ambition of making arts and culture accessible to all.

“Without this transport, many pupils would have missed out on today’s trip.”

The activity is in line with the council’s cultural manifesto, which outlines a five-year plan positioning the borough as a culturally thriving district in the North West. The 2019-20 theme of the manifesto is Wigan’s Future Artists, which will come to an end in the coming months to make way for the 2020-21 theme, Digital Wigan.

For more information about The Fire Within, visit www.thefirewithin.org or follow The Fire Within on social media.

If other schools would like to view the space, they can email [email protected]