Sold-out Wigan Borough Business Awards 2026 celebrates an unforgettable night

Businesses, organisations and individuals from across Wigan and Leigh came together for a sold-out Wigan Borough Business Awards 2026, as the winners were revealed at The Brick Community Stadium.

With the room filled to capacity, finalists, sponsors, partners and guests came together for an incredible night celebrating achievement from across Wigan borough, following a day that had already seen the stadium packed with supporters for Wigan Warriors' semi-final against Wakefield Trinity.

The late confirmation of the fixture certainly added another dimension to the final preparations, but the team at The Brick Community Stadium worked closely with the WBBA organisers to accommodate both major events on the same day.

Their flexibility and support enabled the awards to go ahead as planned, with the evening beginning in The Sir Billy Boston Stand (East), where guests were welcomed to the Networking Reception sponsored by GM Business Growth Hub, with Allica Bank sponsoring the Reception Drinks.

With a live saxophonist setting the tone, the reception gave guests the opportunity to meet and catch up before moving across the stadium to the South Stand for the main awards ceremony.

Among those joining the sold-out celebration were the Mayor of Wigan borough, Coun Anne Collins; Coun Nazia Rehman, Leader of Wigan Council; Martin Ainscough CBE DL; and Alison McKenzie-Folan OBE, Chief Executive of Wigan Council. Their attendance added to an evening that brought together businesses, organisations and individuals from across Wigan and Leigh to recognise achievement across the borough.

The WBBA branding continued throughout the venue, with branded walkways featuring the logos of the businesses supporting the awards and event signage provided by Pinnacle Branding, the awards' Signage Sponsor.

Following the awards, the celebrations continued with an ‘80s and ‘90s-themed After Party sponsored by Cowgills, complete with a specially branded dance floor carrying the logos of WBBA sponsors.

The evening also raised an incredible £3,280 through the WBBA Charity Draw, sponsored by Westwood Motor Group.

Guests were invited to nominate a Wigan borough charity, CIC or social enterprise, with one organisation selected at random to receive the money raised on the night.

This year's beneficiary was Wigan-based charity The Brick, with the £3,280 raised adding another reason to celebrate an already memorable evening.

At the heart of the evening were the 53 finalists across 13 categories who had earned their places through the WBBA independent judging process.

Wigan Borough Business Awards holds Outstanding Accreditation from the Awards Trust Mark, with entries assessed against published criteria by an independent judging panel.

WBBA 2026 Winners

The Startup Business of the Year award went to The Retreat Wellbeing Sanctuary, while GMS Services Ltd was named Small Business of the Year.

Becki Rawlings was announced as Apprentice of the Year, with abtec Managed IT taking the title of Digital, Creative & Technology Business of the Year and Boxing for Better CIC named CIC/Social Enterprise of the Year.

Caring Connections was named Medium to Large Business of the Year, while Home Visit Pet Care Wigan took home the Micro Business of the Year award.

The Manufacturer of the Year title went to Nice-Pak International, with Greenmount Projects named Construction Business of the Year.

The inaugural Outstanding Contribution of the Year award was presented to Gary Speakman, recognising his long-standing contribution across business, education, charity, sport and the wider community.

Wigan Athletic Community Trust was named Charity of the Year, while G & T Express took home Transport, Distribution & Storage Business of the Year and Milliken was announced as Sustainable Business of the Year.

The evening culminated with the announcement of the Wigan Borough Business of the Year, with Greenmount Projects returning to the stage to receive the overall title.

Returning as Headline Sponsor for the second consecutive year, Calisen played a central role in WBBA 2026, with Jonathan Collins, Communities Manager at Calisen, presenting the final award of the evening.

The awards were also supported by a wide network of category, event and supporting sponsors, many of whom have been involved with WBBA over a number of years, and special thanks goes to all of sponsors, partners and ambassadors, without their support the awards wouldn’t be possible.

A special thank you was also given to the team at The Brick Community Stadium, whose support became even more important following the late confirmation of the Wigan Warriors fixture.

Working closely with the WBBA organisers in the days leading up to the event, the stadium team helped accommodate the requirements of both the rugby and a sold-out awards evening, ensuring the transition between the two events ran as smoothly as possible.

Sue France, WBBA Co-Founder, said:

“Saturday was everything we hoped it would be, and probably a little bit more! When we found out that Wigan Warriors would be playing their semi-final at The Brick Community Stadium on the same day, it certainly added another dimension to the planning, but the stadium team were absolutely fantastic.

“They worked with us every step of the way to make sure both events could happen, and we can't thank them enough for how supportive, flexible and accommodating they were.

“Once our guests started arriving in The Sir Billy Boston Stand, the atmosphere was brilliant. From the Networking Reception and live saxophonist through to the awards themselves and a packed dance floor at the After Party, there was a real energy throughout the whole evening.

“But ultimately WBBA is about the people and businesses we are there to recognise. Seeing the reactions as the winners were announced, and watching teams celebrate together, is what makes all the work that goes into the awards worthwhile.

“Congratulations to every one of our winners, and to all 53 finalists who were part of WBBA 2026.”

Wigan Borough Business Awards are organised by Professionals of Wigan, Fubhub and ATTAIN, bringing together businesses and individuals from across Wigan and Leigh.

While the awards night may be over, the celebrations aren't quite finished yet. The WBBA team is already looking forward to welcoming the 2026 winners back together in November for an exclusive Winners Event, sponsored by Leigh Sports Village. The event will provide another opportunity to celebrate this year's winners, bring them together and continue the connections made through WBBA 2026.

In the meantime, photographs, videos and individual winner stories from an unforgettable awards night will be shared over the coming weeks. A special thank you also goes to Michelle Charnock Photography, who once again joined the WBBA team to capture the evening. Michelle has been a fantastic supporter of the awards, photographing a number of WBBA events and ensuring so many of the moments, celebrations and reactions are captured.

The WBBA organisers are incredibly grateful for Michelle's continued support and for being there once again on awards night.

You can view our full list of winners and highly commended via the website - https://wiganboroughbusinessawards.co.uk/our-winners-2026/