Accessible bathrooms behind the scenes: Wigan Warriors visit PROCare
- kirstiekalonji
- 15 hours ago
- 4 min read
Wigan has a long reputation for hard work, consistency and doing things properly, values that sit at the heart of both Wigan Warriors and local business PROCare.
Founded in Wigan in 2001, PROCare supports the housing sector with accessible and inclusive bathrooms and kitchens across the UK. When a few of the Warriors lads recently visited the business, it wasn’t for photos or promotion. Instead, they were invited to see behind the scenes and understand the work, people and attention to detail involved in creating homes that work for real lives.
Everything we do starts with the product.
Before anything is sold, picked or delivered, it has to work for real people in real homes. That’s why the showroom matters. It’s where we look past brochures and specs and focus on how things actually feel and function.
We test products for:
ease of use for different abilities
comfort and dignity in everyday routines
durability once they’re installed and in constant use
how straightforward they are to fit and maintain
In rugby, you don’t build a team from one type of player. Wigan Warriors bring together people with different strengths and backgrounds to create a balanced squad.
We take the same approach with products. We source proven equipment from trusted brands like Mira, Whale Pumps, Geberit, Gerflor and Closomat because they’re reliable and do the job properly. But when something on the market doesn’t quite work for the realities of installation or day-to-day use, we don’t just accept it.
That’s where our manufacturing team comes in.
Based in Manchester, they focus on the small but important details that make a big difference on site and in people’s homes. Tweaks that make installs quicker. Adjustments that improve strength and longevity. Design changes that stop problems appearing months down the line. It’s not about reinventing everything. It’s about fixing what needs fixing.
Between Wigan and Manchester, PROCare employs around 80 local people across manufacturing, sales, warehousing and delivery. People who understand the work because they’re close to it, and because they listen when something isn’t working as it should.
Getting the solution right behind the phone
Our sales team deals with real conversations every day. Accessible bathrooms and kitchens that don’t fit neatly into a brochure. Tight spaces. Fixed budgets. Homes where the solution has to work first time. This isn’t about talking fast or listing part numbers. It’s about listening, asking the right questions and pulling together a complete accessible bathroom or kitchen solution that actually works for the person using it.
In rugby, a wrong call costs metres or points. In our world, a wrong call can mean an adaptation that doesn’t do what it’s meant to do. Our sales team does this work quietly and carefully, so installers and housing teams can get on with their jobs without unnecessary problems later.
Next comes the warehouse.
Picking and packing crates of accessible bathroom products isn’t about lifting heavy boxes and hoping for the best. It’s about knowing exactly what belongs in that crate and why. With a 99% picking rate and next day delivery, there’s no room for shortcuts or guesswork.
Most orders form part of a complete accessible bathroom or kitchen supply, often for social housing. One wrong item doesn’t just slow things down. It affects installers, programmes and the people waiting for their home to be usable.
Our warehouse team works to that standard every day, under pressure and without drama. That consistency is what makes next-day delivery possible.
Finally, it’s over to the delivery teams.
Routes to plan. Loads to manage. Drops that aren’t always straightforward. Everything needs to arrive when it’s meant to, exactly as expected.
Much like match day, the work is done long before you arrive on site. Miss something earlier in the process and it shows later. Get it right and no one notices, which is usually the sign you’ve done a good job.
Same mindset, different job
What stood out from the day wasn’t how different rugby and our work are, but how similar the mindset is. Turning up prepared. Doing the basics well. Supporting the team around you. Taking responsibility when it matters.
Wigan Warriors create the right environments for their players to train, recover and perform at their best. At PROCare, we’re doing the same in a different way. Through accessible bathrooms, kitchens and wet rooms, mainly in social housing, we help create homes that support independence, dignity and everyday life.
A big thank you to the Wigan Warriors lads for coming in, getting stuck in and taking the work seriously. In return, they got a look behind the scenes at the people who quietly keep complete accessible bathroom and kitchen solutions moving from showroom to front door.
01942 206004