Our Top 10 Moments of 2024
As we wrap up 2024, we look back on a year filled with incredible achievements and memorable moments. From ground-breaking projects to community events, our team’s 2024 journey has been nothing short of amazing. Here are our top 10 moments to reflect on and celebrate the success we’ve shared together.
1)80’s Disco Night
In February, we hosted our first-ever 80’s disco-themed event night in our Banqueting Suite, which was a complete sell-out with over 200 attendees. Our guests danced the night away to hits from Rick Astley, Madonna, and Depeche Mode, reliving the iconic music era. Everyone enjoyed a two-course meal featuring chicken in a basket and black forest gateau for dessert. Some of our guests really got into the spirit of the evening by appearing in iconic 80’s fancy dress, a real highlight to our year. We are so excited to be able to host this event again next February.
2) Leigh Youth Hub Celebrate their 1st Birthday
In February, Leigh Youth Hub celebrated its first birthday, marking a year since the official ribbon cutting by Wigan Council’s Executive Leader, David Molyneux MBE. This milestone allowed our staff, visitors, and young people to come together and reflect on everything the Hub offers. The Hub has provided countless opportunities for young people and has become a versatile and successful space for our town.
3) The Hide Coffee House celebrates their 1st Birthday
In March, The Hide celebrated its first official birthday since opening its doors in 2023. Nestled in the heart of Pennington Flash Nature Reserve, The Hide offers barista-made coffee, a variety of hot and cold drinks, toasted sandwiches, pastries, and locally made cakes, along with other delightful treats. The Hide is dog-friendly, so it’s always a delight to see so many furry friends enjoying the surroundings. Whether you’re stopping by for a quick coffee or spending a leisurely afternoon, The Hide offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
4) Mental Health Awareness Week
In May, we highlighted the importance of Mental Health Awareness Week with a variety of engaging activities across our site. Our staff participated in mindfulness art therapy sessions at Leigh Youth Hub, a team quiz and ‘Wear It Green Day’ at the stadium, and a football skills session at Leigh Sports Village Arena. We are incredibly proud of our staff for their dedication to these initiatives and the funds they have raised for various charities throughout the year. This week was a particularly special highlight for us.
5) Manchester United Women win the FA Cup
The 2023/2024 season was a historic one for Manchester United Women, as they secured their first major cup win at Wembley Stadium. On May 12th, 2024, they secured a 4-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur Women in the FA Cup Final. This incredible achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and talent of the entire team and coaching staff. The atmosphere at Wembley was electric, with fans cheering on every goal and celebrating this monumental win. We are still bursting with pride over this fantastic achievement and look forward to many more successes in the future. Go United!
6) Our Pitch Renovation
This summer, LSV underwent an impressive pitch renovation, installing a new hybrid stitched pitch. This extensive project took several months to complete and was crucial for providing the necessary reinforcement to accommodate three different professional sporting teams on our field. A huge well done to the entire team for coordinating this project, and a big thank you to all the suppliers and contractors who made it happen.
7) Women’s Tour of Britain Event
Leigh Sports Village were so proud to host the finishing line of the British Cycling Women’s Tour of Britain event on Sunday 9th June. This was another fantastic world class international sporting event brought to our borough, which was planned and delivered in less than 90 days, incredible! All teams worked so well in collaboration with one another to make this event a huge success for our town, once again putting Leigh on the map. Thank you to everyone who came and cheered on the women as they made their way across the finish line, it was such a lovely day despite the wet weather.
8) Stadium Experience Awards:
For the first time ever, our team attended the Stadium Experience Awards at Elland Road Stadium, Leeds on 4th July. This was a remarkable achievement as we have never participated in this prestigious event before. These awards recognise and raise the profile of the fantastic commitment of the specialist event teams and match day hospitality at stadium venues across the UK. We were nominated for 4 awards:
The Non-Match Day Sales Team of the Year Award
Match day Hospitality Award (for a small stadium)
Match day Hospitality Award (Overall)
Visiting Rugby Director’s Award
This was such an amazing opportunity to be considered alongside some of the best stadiums in the United Kingdom.
9) Leigh Leopards progress to the Playoff Semi Final:
September saw the end of the Rugby League Season at Leigh Sports Village, as the playoff fixtures and the race to the Grand Final at Old Trafford began. We would like to extend our congratulations to Leigh Leopards once again for their amazing performance as they progressed to the semi-final of the playoffs. Our team have enjoyed cheering them on in the hospitality suites at the Salford playoff, as well as the semi-final at The Brick Community Stadium. Unfortunately, the Leopards were defeated 38-0 by the reigning champions Wigan Warriors in the biggest battle of the borough yet but they should be so proud of their performance. We can’t wait to see what the team achieve in their 2025 season.
10) Angry Ginge, Mark Howard and Chris MD visit LSV Arena:
In October, LSV Arena was thrilled to host Wrexham goalkeeper Mark Howard and his surprise guest, Angry Ginge, who used our 3G artificial pitch facilities for their latest YouTube video and recorded an episode of Mark’s podcast, ‘Yours, Mine, Away!’ Mark generously paid for the use of our facilities and gave us a shout out on all his social media platforms. Be sure to check out his post on our Instagram! We look forward to welcoming him back soon.
Shortly after, we were also visited by internet celebrity Chris MD, who has over 6 million subscribers on YouTube. Chris filmed an episode with Angry Ginge, so keep an eye out for it on his channel!
We can’t wait for what 2025 holds, thank you to everyone who has been a part of our 2024!
