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Local Life - Wigan - May 2021

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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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