 | |
 Interactive map of Believe Square | |
| Coordinates | 53°32′46″N 2°37′52″W / 53.546°N 2.631°W / 53.546; -2.631 (public square) |
|---|---|
| Construction | |
| Completion | 2012 |
Believe Square is a public space in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, situated by Wigan Town Hall, and is the site of the town's Walk of Fame, known as the Believe Stars.[1] Established in 2012, Wigan Council honours individuals and organizations, embodying Wigan's "Believe" mantra, with a star, on the basis of their contributions to society and the community.[2]
Architecture
The square is the site of the Face of Wigan, a 2008 sculpture by artist Rick Kirby.[3][4] The piece features a steel face, with facets reflecting the Wigan community and its hinterland.[5]
Wigan Life Centre
The Wigan Life Centre on the square is a hub for education, the arts, and leisure, as well as the site of civic offices.[6][7][8] The Life Centre adjoins Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council, on the site of the former Wigan International Pool.[8][9] Opened in 2011, as a consolidate public services hub.[10] The Life Centre consists of two main buildings: the North and South sites.[10] The North site houses a library and neighbourhood support facilities, the South site's "Healthy Living Zone", focuses on leisure and health services, including a 50-metre (160 ft) swimming pool,[11] a gym, and fitness studios.[10][12]
The hub is used for education, employment, and healthy-living programs.[13][14][10][15]
Believe
The "Believe" mantra has been associated with the local sports teams of Wigan since the early 2010s.[16] In 2013, Wigan Athletic F.C. won the 2012–13 FA Cup,[17] and the Wigan Warriors rugby league club won the Super League Grand Final.[18] The "Believe" slogan developed from then.[19][20] A related town square, Civic Square in Leigh, Greater Manchester is also the site of Believe Stars.[21][22]
Notable Inductees
Individuals and groups awarded stars on Believe Square include:
- John Winnard MBE (2012) - Co-owner of Uncle Joe's Mint Balls[23]
- Stuart Maconie (2012) - Writer and broadcaster[23]
- Billy Boston MBE (2012) - Rugby league legend.[24]
- Jenny Meadows (2012) - middle-distance runner[23]
- Dave Whelan (2013) - Former owner of Wigan Athletic F.C..[25]
- Ian McKellen (2015) - Acclaimed actor.[26][27]
- NHS and Key Workers (2021) - Following the COVID-19 pandemic.[23]
- Joseph's Goal (2022) - Non-ketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH) charity.[28][23]
- Joining Jack (2023) - Duchenne muscular dystrophy charity.[23][28]
- Wigan Youth Zone (2023) - A boys and girls club.[24][29]
- Keely Hodgkinson (2023) - Olympian[30]
References
- "❤ wiganworld - Wigan Message Boards". WiganWorld.co.uk.
- "Believe stars: which famous faces and organisations feature on the walks of fame in Wigan and Leigh". Wigan Today. 6 May 2024.
- "Take the road to Wigan and find an historic town packed with fascinating people". Great British Life. 27 November 2024.
- "Sculpture makes every passer by the face of Wigan". The Times. 13 December 2008.
- "The Face of Wigan - Rick Kirby (b.1952)". Art UK. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- Fulcher, Merlin (16 February 2012). "AStudio and LCE complete £50m Wigan Life Centre". Architects' Journal.
- "Memories should come flooding back with these pictures of the former Wigan International Pool". Wigan Today. 12 December 2024.
- "Wigan Life Centre: northern verve". New Civil Engineer. 1 September 2010.
- Wigan International Pool 1966–2008 (PDF), Wigan-Best.org.uk, archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2012, retrieved 7 July 2009
- "First Peek inside Life Centre". Wigan Observer. 16 September 2011. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
- 25 things you never knew about Wigan (PDF), Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council, archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2009, retrieved 2 July 2009
- "Wigan Life Centre - Services and Facilities". Wigan Council. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- Hyland, Bernadette (31 August 2012). "Wigan stakes its claim to be the home of Socialism". The Guardian.
- "Labour Market Information ahead of upcoming events in Wigan this month". Wigan Today. 11 September 2024.
- "New Wigan Life Centre Opens to the Public". Manchester Evening News. 5 September 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- "Serie B Confirm Wilshere Can't Register In Italian Second Tier Due To Non-EU Passport". Independent. Lagos, Nigeria. 31 August 2021.
- White, Jim (11 May 2013). "FA Cup final 2013: Wembley dream comes true for Ali Al-Habsi, the hero of Oman". The Daily Telegraph.
- "Wigan Athletic: The 12th Man - 'It's time to believe again and come out fighting...'". Wigan Today. 8 November 2024.
- "#BelieveImOnlyHuman". Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017.
- "Believe Talent Fund". Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021.
- "Sixties pop legend Georgie Fame honoured in Leigh". BBC News. 29 May 2015.
- "Olympic star Keely honoured with 'Believe' Star on row with former coach". Leigh Journal. 19 May 2023.
- "Believe Stars - Recognizing Wigan's Finest". Wigan Council. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- "Believe Stars - Wigan's Walk of Fame". Wigan Today. 15 January 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- "Wigan Athletic Owner Honored at Believe Square". BBC News. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- "McKellen gets star on Wigan walk of fame". BBC News.
- "Sir Ian McKellen: Wigan honours Gandalf and Magneto star". BBC News. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- "Efforts of two charities to be recognised with stars on Wigan's walk of fame". Wigan Today. 3 March 2022.
- "Wigan Youth Zone gets its own walk of fame star in its 10th anniversary year". Wigan Today. 1 June 2023.
- "New stars announced in borough's International Women's Day celebrations". Wigan.gov.uk. 11 March 2023. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023 – via Wayback Machine.