"A state of the art facility offering young people across Bolton a safe, fun and exciting place to be"

Volunteers

Bolton Lads and Girls Club is a registered charity and the biggest youth centre in the UK. The club is based right in the heart of the town centre and open 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. It welcomes all young people between the ages of 8 and 21 years old.

Bolton Lads Club was originally founded in 1889 by a group of local businessmen who wanted to provide somewhere safe for young mill workers to spend their free time. The club has since grown to employ over 50 staff and is supported by over 400 volunteers, all of whom have made Bolton Lads and Girls Club the leading youth centre in the country.

The club moved to its state of the art new home on Spa Road in 2002, a facility that cost £5 million. The building is fresh, modern, exciting and above all, fit for purpose. As well as offering a 7 night a week youth club service, the club now provides dozens of new projects for Bolton's young people including mentoring, sport, Pathways 2 Success, residentials and outreach.

Youth Club

As the biggest youth centre in the UK, Bolton Lads and Girls Club's youth club is at the centre of everything they do. The youth club is open 7 nights a week and welcomes any young person between the ages of 8 and 21.

The youth club has over 3000 members and is split into four different sessions: senior club, junior club, deaf group and independence group.

Every session is staffed by a team of highly professional, experienced youth workers and volunteers. These members of staff are passionate about providing a safe, friendly and positive environment for all members of the club.

The Mentoring Project

The Mentoring Project has been one of the most successful services provided by Bolton Lads and Girls Club. It was awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Services, the Cabinet Office "Gold Star" status and "Approved Provider" status by the National Mentoring and Befriending Foundation.

The project's aim is to link young people who are classed as vulnerable and at risk with a volunteer mentor who will befriend, support and build a trusting relationship with them. The mentor will be a positive role model and somebody that the young person can turn to in total confidence.

Mentoring can offer a real solution to a number of issues that young people face today, from not attending school to experimenting with drugs or getting involved in criminal activity. Mentors meet with their young person around once a week for 12 months, during which time they will offer motivation and encouragement as as well as boosting self-confidence.

Outreach and Detached Work

Bolton Lads and Girls Club undertakes estate-based work in some of Bolton's most deprived communities, hitting the streets every evening of the week and during school holidays.

Young people can often be unwilling or reluctant to access the fantastic facilities available in the Bolton area, due to a lack of social skills and difficulties participating in a structured environment. This results in large numbers of young peple congregating on the streets with nothing positive to do, which can cause stress for local residents and even lead to anti-social behaviour.

To tackle this problem, a team of experienced youth workers from Bolton Lads and Girls Club go out onto the streets to engage with these young people. This environment is an informal setting to offer positive activities and opportunities such as residentials, drugs and alcohol awareness, sexual health education and support with further education and job skills.

Fundraising

Whilst Bolton Lads and Girls Club is an outstanding facility that offers superb services for young people across the area, it's also important to remember that it is also a registered charity.

It costs over £2.5 million to keep the club open for a year and this money is raised in a number of ways, from large funding bids to the 40p charge per visit for members.

There are a variety of ways that you can get involved with fundraising for Bolton Lads and Girls Club, from grants and trusts to organising your own event! For more information about fundraising please call Bolton Lads and Girls Club using the details below.

Contact Details

18 Spa Road,
Bolton
BL1 4AG

(01204) 540100