Got something you want Wigan to know about?
I’m Claire, founder and editor of what’s happening in Wigan. I tell the stories people across Wigan want to watch, read and share, and I work with local businesses, organisations and events too, including hosting and presenting.
From a video that gets people talking to event coverage, sponsorship, the business directory, or something completely different, there are lots of ways I can help get what you do in front of more people.
Have a look at what’s possible.
A growing local audience
65 MILLION
Facebook views since launch
1.4 MILLION
Instagram views in July
54k+
website users in 2026
7.4 MILLION
TikTok views in 12 months
77,000+
followers on social media
5.5 MILLION+
Facebook engagements since launch
It's not just about the numbers
Journalism done differently
After 26 years as a journalist in radio and TV, I walked away from mainstream media because I believed Wigan deserved something different.
I wanted the freedom to follow the stories I believed mattered, spend time with people and give those stories the attention they deserved. That decision became what’s happening in Wigan, journalism on my terms, with people at the heart of it.
For me, it’s not about doing it first. It’s about doing it right. People before clicks.
Journalism that gets results
A story that changed a business
The day The Harry Harness launched, I messaged its founder, Joanne Bourne, because I knew there was a story worth telling.
Joanne created The Harry Harness from her own experience as an SEN parent. I wanted people to understand not just what she had made, but the story behind it and why it mattered. The response was huge. The BBC picked up the story, and The Harry Harness is now reaching families across the UK and around the world.
Joanne describes that first interview as “a real turning point in our journey.”
And this isn’t an isolated example. Ten stories I’ve originated have gone on to be picked up by the BBC.
Journalism that makes an impact
My work doesn’t just report what has already happened. Sometimes, it helps change what happens next.
I’ve helped stop further damage to protected trees, contributed to council U-turns and helped speed up bridge repairs.
Good journalism is built on relationships and trust, the time to understand what really matters to people.
what’s happening in Wigan is completely independent, with no large media company or public money behind it.
27 years of experience. National recognition.
I started out at Tower FM in Bolton in 1999. 27 years later, I’m still telling stories, and still doing it my way.
Along the way, there was Granada Reports, Channel 5 News, ITN and the BBC.
Less than 12 months after launching what’s happening in Wigan, I was shortlisted for a national journalism award at the Press Gazette Future of Media Awards, alongside the BBC and Reach plc.
I’m incredibly proud of that. It shows that doing things differently can work.
What happens when you work with me?
“The impact was immediate. We had customers queuing out of the door the day after the video. Our sales and revenue increased massively and we had to make six times more bakes to cope with demand.
Four months on, our sales haven’t reduced. We can’t thank Claire enough for putting our business on the map.”
“Claire has an exceptional talent for finding the heart of a story.
That one interview changed the trajectory of our business.”
“We have received countless messages from people telling us they discovered Girls Club Life CIC through Claire’s social media posts.
Her platform has helped increase awareness of our work, improve attendance at our events and reach people who may otherwise never have known we existed.”
Anne Holden
Managing Director, Crunch Bakehouse
Joanne Bourne
Founder, The Harry Harness
Jessica Rose
Founder & CEO, Girls Club Life CIC
Want to work with me?
Businesses that work with me help keep what’s happening in Wigan independent, while reaching a huge, engaged local audience.
From video content and event coverage to sponsorship, hosting and presenting, there are lots of ways we can work together. And I’m always open to something different.
