Wigan Roller Rink says ‘we’re losing a building, not our heart’ as temporary option explored
There could be some hope on the horizon for Wigan Roller Rink, with the team revealing they are currently exploring a temporary option as they work to secure the future of skating in Wigan.
With the rink’s final sessions at its current home on August 31 now almost sold out, owner Dawn Holding has shared an update, and her message is clear.
Wigan Roller Rink may be losing the building that has been the heart of skating in the town for decades, but it is not losing the company, the brand or the people behind it. Dawn said the team has been working tirelessly with Wigan Council and MPs, looking at a number of different buildings and possibilities for what comes next.
And while there is nothing definite to announce just yet, she revealed that they now have a temporary option which is still being explored.
She said: “Wigan Roller Rink are losing a building. The heart of skating in Wigan for decades.
“We are not losing our company, our brand. Our heart.
“We have been working tirelessly with Wigan Council and members of Parliament to try to find a future for skating in Wigan. We have looked at many buildings and scenarios.
“At this moment we have a temporary option we are still exploring and are now looking forward a bit more to the future.
“We will put out more information as we get a definite plan.”
Dawn also explained why updates have been relatively quiet in recent weeks, saying the family has been concentrating on trying to find something that will actually work.
She added: “The reason for silence is that we are working to secure the future for us as a family, for skating for all and an alternative option is proving difficult. Because an alternative building is the future like it or not.
“If there is any more to inform you all of I will as and when I can and is appropriate.”
The past few months haven’t always been easy for the family. Dawn said they had become much more careful about what they shared publicly after seeing what she described as both “the best and worst of humanity”, while thanking those who have continued to support them.
The update comes as conversations about the future of skating in Wigan continue behind the scenes.
The Heaton Group told what’s happening in Wigan that it has been working with Wigan Council, local councillors, Lisa Nandy’s team, the Roller Rink team and other partners to explore possible future locations and options.
A spokesperson said: “It promises to be a very busy and no doubt emotional final few weeks for the Roller Rink and the community, and we will continue to support the team in any way we can.
“Since Wigan Roller Rink announced its plans to close, we have been meeting and working constructively with Wigan Council, local councillors, Lisa Nandy’s team, the Roller Rink team and other partners to explore potential future locations, ideas and options for the rink. Those conversations remain ongoing.”
The current rink is closing as part of The Heaton Group’s wider Cotton Works redevelopment. The developer has previously said its original plans included a replacement rink, but rising construction costs meant that option was no longer financially viable.
Wigan MP Lisa Nandy has also been involved in discussions over the rink’s future. Earlier this year she responded to the petition calling for the rink to be saved, and what’s happening in Wigan has contacted her again for an update.
For now, though, there are two things happening at once. People are preparing to say goodbye to the roller rink’s current home, with its final skating sessions on August 31 almost sold out, while Dawn and the team are working behind the scenes on what Wigan Roller Rink could look like next.
And the building they’re leaving has been bringing Wigan people together for considerably longer than the roller rink itself. Built around 1918 as the Swan Meadow Works Welfare Building, it was created for workers at Eckersley Mills, with dining rooms and an entertainment hall where people could eat and socialise away from the mill floor.
More than a century later, it has served another generation of Wigan people in a very different way, as a place to skate, meet friends, celebrate birthdays and make memories.
The building may be coming to the end of that particular chapter.
But, as Dawn has made clear, Wigan Roller Rink isn’t necessarily coming to the end of its story.
