Bolton Wanderers Community Trust has continued to play a pivotal role throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by engaging with vulnerable and isolated groups throughout Bolton.
The Head of Community Trust, Phil Mason, said: “Over the past six months, the pandemic has impacted everybody, and especially the vulnerable members of our community who still require services and support, perhaps more so than ever.
“At the Trust, we have worked with several agencies to deliver vital support in a safe and COVID-secure manner.
“I would like to place on record my thanks and gratitude to all the staff and volunteers who have been involved during these testing times.”
Some of the work the Trust has undertaken is as follows:
Supporting Bolton Council’s response by providing dedicated capacity to help Age UK Bolton in making welfare calls to vulnerable elderly people, supporting the distribution of food and ensuring that food got to those vulnerable people when they needed it at the height of the lockdown.
- Working with Bolton at Home, the Trust has also enabled the distribution of equipment to families who would have otherwise been less active during the pandemic.
- Playing a critical role in promoting volunteer opportunities and helping Bolton’s Urgent Response Volunteering scheme attract over 700 local volunteers.
- Through attending the weekly Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Leaders Group with key Council and Public Health contacts, the Community Trust has influenced the town’s strategic approach to the COVID-19 response and recovery plans.
- Influencing the shaping of the borough-wide communications and engagement strategy and at the same time cascaded key messages to residents and reaching parts of the community that others can’t, through their unique networks.
Away from the pandemic, the Trust has also been delivering other important programmes to support the Bolton community.
‘Tackling Loneliness Together’ is a project that was started in July and is aimed at those aged 70 and over who may be suffering or at risk of suffering from loneliness. Letters, phone calls, online video calls, and garden gate visits are included in this project. Linked into this project is a digital inclusion scheme to purchase tablets to loan to members of the community to help them stay connected with their families and friends.
Letters from the Bolton Wanderers head coach Ian Evatt were delivered to season ticket holders who are aged over 70, which were then followed up by phone calls from members of our dedicated staff.
‘Keep Bolton Moving’ is a new Bolton-wide initiative using wearable fitness devices which tracks users’ physical activity levels and will be commencing over the coming weeks. This is in partnership with Bolton Council and GM Moving.
The Extra Time project continues to operate via online video sessions while a dedicated WhatsApp group is also utilised to keep in contact with participants.
Disability groups are staying in contact with each other through monitored Facebook and WhatsApp groups, and the Trust has delivered four weeks of provision with Rumworth school over the summer holidays with a group of their pupils.
For more information and details on how you can support the Bolton Wanderers Community Trust, please visit www.bwct.org.uk