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28<br />
ways to have a good time’ at the<br />
YMCA in Orrell.<br />
This selection of images<br />
from the aforementioned<br />
programme illustrates just a<br />
few of the breadth of activities<br />
on offer at the YMCA back in<br />
the 1920’s. Space prevents<br />
us from printing the entire<br />
programme, but a common<br />
theme throughout the years<br />
at the YMCA has been the<br />
quality of sport on offer.<br />
The Orrell YMCA Cricket<br />
Club plied their trade in<br />
the Ormskirk and District<br />
League, whilst Orrell Red<br />
Triangle Cricket Club played<br />
in Division 2 of the same<br />
league. Red Triangle also<br />
had two football teams to<br />
their name; the first eleven<br />
played in the <strong>Wigan</strong> JOC<br />
Welfare League, whilst the<br />
reserve side played in the<br />
league below. Amongst the<br />
more sedate sports on offer<br />
were billiards, tennis and, of<br />
course, crown green bowls<br />
on the green that remains<br />
part of the site today.<br />
Despite that, the first YMCA Building was constantly<br />
in use, six days a week, from 10am through to 10pm<br />
Monday to Friday, 10am-10.30pm on Saturdays and also<br />
on intermittent Sunday evenings. Annual membership<br />
fees ranged from 3 shillings for children over 12 to 7<br />
shillings and sixpence for adult men.<br />
The noble aim of the organisation was stated clearly in<br />
the 1926/27 programme:<br />
Our Aim is to promote the welfare of Orrell and District,<br />
especially among the young people, and to provide a<br />
centre of amenity for all people of goodwill, irrespective<br />
of creed, political opinion, or social position.<br />
And just as the famous song promises, there were ‘many<br />
Whilst there was no<br />
mention of rugby in the<br />
programme, it’s well known that Orrell RU played on<br />
many open spaces in the area at one time or another. A<br />
quick look at the history of Orrell RU confirms that from<br />
1937-1949 the club leased a ground and hut from Orrell<br />
YMCA for the princely sum of £4 a year! The club then<br />
moved to their spiritual home of Edge Hall Road at this<br />
point.<br />
In the 1950’s the YMCA made a further commitment to<br />
their Orrell site when they bought the freehold of the<br />
remainder of the site from the Winstanley Park Estate. This<br />
was approximately four acres in total and was bought in<br />
1953 for the sum of £157.<br />
The 1980’s was a busy decade for the YMCA. The Cricket
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