Investing in communities
How we’re investing in our communities
We invest in places and people to create safe and healthy neighbourhoods for our tenants and residents. Some examples of the support we’ve delivered in the last 12-months includes:
- Our UCAN centres supported over 6,000 customers with housing, welfare and employment issues.
- We invested in 18 community buildings and 27 outdoor sites in the heart of our neighbourhoods, creating valuable spaces for people to build community connections and action.
- We supported 181 local groups and organisations with grants, training and development.
- We delivered a range of activity in our communities from jubilee celebrations for elderly tenants and family activities in school holidays, to youth groups and English classes for speakers of other languages, with over 13,000 tenants participating throughout the year.
- We continue our proud history of investing in arts and culture opportunities for our tenants and residents, offering theatre tickets, outdoor performances, and creative projects for young people.
Helping people with the cost of living
As the cost of living continues to affect our communities, we’ve invested in initiatives to support those who need it the most. This includes activity like:
Warm spaces: supporting communities to open community hubs during the colder months, offering food, warmth and a friendly welcome.
Christmas dinners: working with Urban Outreach, we supported Christmas Dinner on Jesus, delivering Christmas dinners to 6,146 vulnerable customers across Bolton.
Summer holidays lunches: we run several Bolton Lunches sites in our neighbourhoods, distributing free packed lunches to 1,230 children on free school meals via our Bolton at Home sites.
Pantry food support: we run four Pantry locations, offering vital free food packages to customers, and more importantly wrap around support to access money advice, talking therapies and back to work provision to help people become financially independent. This year 539 people were supported by this provision.
Nurturing community champions
We employ local tenants and residents as Peer Navigators who act as community connectors and champions for their neighbourhoods. In partnership with Bolton Council for Voluntary Service (CVS), we’ve recruited 28 Peer Navigators since the programme started in 2018 and currently employ seven in key neighbourhoods.
Our work in communities is backed up by the support of local volunteers so we must give thanks to all of you who give your time freely to make neighbourhoods better places to live.
We supported the work of 2,612 local volunteers this year. We estimate the financial value of this volunteering to be more than £3m. This year also saw the return of our Stars of the Community Awards where we celebrate the achievements of volunteers in our communities.
Our Community Engagement Team works hard to enhance our service offer by bringing in additional funding to our organisation and to our neighbourhoods. In 2022/23 they brought in £351,414 into Bolton at Home, and £163,063 to the community groups and organisations we support, this amounts to significant additional investment for our communities.
“When I first started seeing Carl three months ago, I was in a bad way but since attending regular appointments I’m now seeing my doctor, going for walks and getting my life in order. I’ve received food and financial support, help with my CV and bus passes to go to hospital appointments.”
“I have to let you guys know how you've helped me get on my feet after things got so tough for me lately. Every one of you at the pantry have been amazing. I've had help with food and travel, but also most importantly encouragement.”
For more information, email ceteam@boltonathome.org.uk or visit your local UCAN centre. Find details of our UCAN centres here: www.boltonathome.org.uk/ucan