A comprehensive overview of the club's community work during the month of April
In line with the club’s Bolton at Home designated matchday against Blackpool on April 4, Liam Feeney made a special presentation to two teenagers who have turned their lives around with help from the organisation.
In recognition of their hard work, Wanderers fans Tom Coen, 16, and 14-year-old Harry Ollerton were chosen by Bolton at Home to be presented with tickets to the game against the Seasiders by Feeney himself alongside Community Ambassador Tony Kelly.
Bolton at Home wanted to reward the youngsters who, after struggling with mainstream education, have performed exceptionally well at Bolton’s Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) and are focused on their futures.
Wanderers also donated 1,000 tickets for the match to Bolton at Home customers who are active in their communities.
The community match was the latest initiative from the partnership, which has encouraged hundreds of young people to get involved in sport, education and volunteering opportunities – for more information, please visit www.boltonathome.org.uk.
Elsewhere, with the Easter holidays in full swing, four of Bolton’s first team squad attended the club’s half term football courses at Wanderers’ Lostock academy base
Held during each school holiday, the courses offer youngsters aged between five and 13 the opportunity to play football and learn new skills with skilled coaches on hand to offer advice.
And in line with the popular scheme, Matt Mills, Tom Walker, Neil Danns and Filip Twardzik took time out of their schedules to take questions from the youngsters present as well as participate in a number of small sided games.
For more details on the holiday courses, please visit www.bwfcjuniors.co.uk, while a video of Mills and Walker's visit can be found by CLICKING HERE.
On the very same day meanwhile, Craig Davies and Adam Bogdan visited the Match Attax Swap and Play tour event where the pair signed autographs and posed for photos at the national event, held inside Macron Stadium’s Premier Suite.
The Swap and Play event is one of a number to take place up and down the country, allowing collectors of the Match Attax cards to trade and play off against one another – find more information on similar events by CLICKING HERE.
Prior to the club’s Sky Bet Championship clash with Norwich City on April 11 – a game which also saw Wanderers show their support for Prostate Cancer UK - Julian Lodge became the fifth recipient of the club’s George Warburton Outstanding Service award.
An accolade which is awarded in appreciation of those who have given remarkable service and dedication to Bolton Wanderers Football Club, Julian’s name has been added to the awards board on the wall in Macron Stadium’s main reception dedicated to the memory of George Warburton.
Having worked as a volunteer for the Bolton Wanderers Community Trust for over eleven years, he has come into the club each week to offer support in the office since July 21, 2003.
This award has previously been given to Nat Lofthouse OBE (posthumously) and Eddie Davies CBE, while subsequently it has been awarded Joe McGlynn who has worked in the club’s facilities department for over 47 years and also to Ruth Crawshaw, a dedicated support who has followed the Whites for over 58 years.
Outside of the general day-to-day action at the football club, Neil Lennon and a selection of first team players were on hand to thank the club’s commercial partners in a special golf day at Bolton Golf Club.
With representatives from FibrLec, Bolton at Home, Franking Sense and many more of the club’s partners lining up alongside Lennon and his backroom staff, Tim Ream, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Ross Fitzsimons were also present as well as the club’s goalkeeping coach Lee Turner and Head of Sports Performance Mark Leather.
A number of individual prizes awarded for achievements on a selection of the holes were handed out, with Ream and goalkeeping coach Turner picking up a nearest to the pin and a longest drive award respectively.
Overall, the team event was won by representatives from Boss Office and Richard Threlfall Group, Myerscough College came in second place, whilst a team consisting of Lennon, Johan Mjallby, Garry Parker and Leather claimed third.
Finally, as the season entered its final weeks, a host of Wanderers first team players were in attendance at the BWFC Juniors End of Season Party in late April with around 300 members and their parents and family were in attendance at the annual event.
Held inside the stadium’s Premier Suite, Matt Mills, Darren Pratley, Craig Davies, David Wheater, Kevin McNaughton, Max Clayton, Zach Clough, Josh Vela and Saidy Janko were all on hand to meet and greet the young fans, before posing for photographs and signing autographs.
The BWFC Juniors end of season awards, voted for by its members, were also handed out on the night, with Josh Vela claiming the BWFC Juniors Player of the Season award, whilst Zach Clough won Young Player of the Season.
Finally, Saidy Janko won the Goal of the Season accolade for his strike against Fulham back in February.
For more information on BWFC Juniors and how to join the scheme, please visit www.bwfcjuniors.co.uk.