Bolton Wanderers in the Community nominated for two awards at upcoming 2023 Northwest Football Awards

The Charity has been nominated for Community Club of the Season – All other Leagues, in association with the PFA and are also up for the Community Initiative of the Season, in association with the PFA. The Gala Dinner, hosted by Eilidh Barbour and Dion Dublin, takes place on Monday, 06 November, where the Northwest region’s footballing elite will gather to pay tribute to those from both on and off the pitch, who have excelled in the 2022/23 season.

Last season was an extremely positive one for BWitC, this included releasing their new strategy for 2022-2025, with a key aspect being the development of the community hubs model across Bolton, enabling staff and projects to best support the Bolton community. Through a well-developed partnership with Clarion Housing Group and Clarion Futures the Charity have taken on the management of Sutton Community Centre which has since been utilised to offer a warm space for the residents in response to the rising cost of living and wider support residents around employability, youth work and reducing isolation.

The relationship with Bolton Wanderers Football Club has never been stronger, with the already close working relationship strengthened. This has seen new office space been secured and a commitment from the owners, board, and members of the SLT of the Club to support the Charity through several fundraising initiatives. Chairman and Owner Sharon Brittan lead a group of supporters on a fundraising walk raising £15,000+ and BWFC CEO Neil Hart taking part in our first ever BWFC Sleepout pitch side which raised over £28,000. The Charity has also worked with the Club to develop the Wellbeing Hub, a space to provide support to the community from the Stadium throughout the week and on matchdays. In total the turnover of the Charity has grown from £1,268,242 in 2021/22 to £1,343,514 in the 2022/23 season.

During the last year, BWitC delivered 27 different projects across Bolton, targeting communities and individuals that experience the most inequalities. They engage with Bolton’s rich and diverse community, supporting babies, children and young people all the way through to older adults in their 90s. Their work focuses on themes including disability, mental health, employability, cohesion, equality, diversity and inclusion and wellbeing.

BWitC’s Sutton Community Hub has also been nominated for the Community Initiative of the Season. The Hub’s management was taken on by the Charity in 2022, with the centre not been open since being shut just before the Covid pandemic in March 2020. The area of Platt Hill, where Sutton Community Centre is located, experience several inequalities comparative to other parts of Bolton and nationally and residents face a myriad of challenges. It has a population of 789 people living in the area, of which 34% of children aged 0-19 are in relative low-income families compared with 19% across England. 32% of people have no qualifications compared with 22% across England. 24% of people have a limiting long-term illness compared with 18% across England.

Through undertaking various community engagement initiatives the objectives for the Hub and the project were to provide opportunities and engagement for both young and older people feeling isolated, to improve their general health and wellbeing and to bring a sense of community back to the area.

BWitC quickly set up a weekly family session where free activities were provided for children, alongside free refreshments and food for children and parents, alongside this there was the opportunity for respite and peer to peer support for parents, and mental health and healthy eating workshops were also delivered to the families.

Also delivered from the Hub was a weekly youth club to ensure children and young people had somewhere to go in the evening, this was delivered at times when there was a higher chance of anti-social behaviour occurring. Employability workshops to support residents to improve their skills, confidence, CV support, interview techniques and to support them to be more job ready. There was also a weekly get together for older residents where they could meet for free with refreshments, activities and crucially the opportunity to connect with other members of the community.

Throughout the winter months there was ongoing support to address the cost-of-living crisis, BWitC responded by opening up the Hub as a warm space for local people. It was a place where residents could attend somewhere warm for free so to avoid having their heating on, alongside providing complimentary food and drinks. Advice was provided to residents on energy saving techniques alongside warm clothes provision such as blankets, hand warmers, hats and gloves.