GM Mayor’s high praise for Wigan armed forces hub

A borough-based facility supporting the region’s armed forces community has been praised by the Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Andy Burnham visited Molyneux House today, home to Wigan’s Armed Forces HQ, to find out about the life-changing work delivered there.

Now, he’s keen for other areas in Greater Manchester to learn about and replicate the transformational support offered in the borough.

He was welcomed by Wigan Council leader David Molyneux, lead member for armed forces, Coun Clive Morgan and operational director of the HQ, Laura Ingham.

The Mayor heard how the council hopes to be awarded the Ministry of Defence gold Employer Recognition Award this year in recognition of its work with the voluntary sector to deliver the HQ which opened in November 2018.

Coun Molyneux said: “Since opening in November 2018, the HQ has grown from strength to strength thanks to the commitment and dedication of volunteers and key workers. In a little over a year, more than 400 members of the armed forces community have been with counselling, employment, social inclusion and more.

“The Mayor’s visit today is an acknowledgement of the truly transformational work taking place in Wigan and our commitment to offering tailored support to this specific group of residents.”

Mr Burnham said: “The services offered from the HQ are fantastic and it is good to hear that the team is conducting outreach work in Leigh, for those who may not have easy access to the Wigan base, to ensure as many veterans and family members can engage as possible.

“Wigan borough has a substantial armed forces community, so this isn’t just the right thing to do here, it’s the logical thing to do.”