Hi, I’m Claire, born and bred in Wigan and founder of what’s happening in Wigan. Proud of my roots, I’ve always shouted out about my hometown, but during 26 years as a journalist in mainstream media – 22 in radio and four in TV – I realised something was missing.

Local radio stations vanishing, eyes glazing over when I mentioned Wigan and constant focus on bad news. So now, I’m using my experience to celebrate all the good in Wigan, and there is a lot to celebrate!