Wigan Borough Business Awards are only possible thanks to the expertise, dedication, and integrity of our independent judging panel. This incredible group of business leaders and industry experts have spent hours reviewing, discussing, and debating an outstanding set of entries, and this year, the calibre has been higher than ever.
We’ve been blown away by the sheer volume of entries and the inspiring stories behind them. From innovative start-ups to long-established businesses making a real difference in the community, our judges have had the incredibly tough task of narrowing it down to our 2025 finalists.
Meet the Panel
Steve Critchley – Former Business Owner and Entrepreneur
Louise Brown FCIPD – Vice Principal – Corporate Services at Wigan & Leigh College and University Centre
Alan Bowers – Senior Credit Partner, NEXA Finance
Andrea Glasspell – Assistant Director, Wigan Council
Every single judge has gone above and beyond to ensure the process is fair, transparent, and representative of the very best our borough has to offer. A huge thank you to you all for your incredible support throughout!
We’d also like to extend a huge thank you to Anthony Baldwin, Patricia Evans, and Jo Bohan for their valued support in this year’s judging process. Every single judge has gone above and beyond to ensure the process is fair, transparent, and representative of the very best our borough has to offer.
The standard of entries this year has been exceptional,” said Steve Critchley, Head Judge for 2025. “We’ve seen such passion, creativity, and resilience from businesses right across the borough. As an independent judging panel, we review every entry thoroughly and meet with shortlisted businesses face‑to‑face to ensure a fair, transparent process that truly reflects the breadth of talent we have here in the borough. Congratulations to all our finalists. You should be incredibly proud of what you’ve achieved, and we look forward to celebrating with you on awards night!”
With the hard work now done, our judges are looking forward to swapping score sheets for champagne glasses as they join us at our sell-out Awards Evening on Saturday 27th September 2025 – where we’ll reveal this year’s winners in style.