Your Local Independent 203

January 2026 Page 17 AD SALES 01204 478812 Helping the young Lions roar A WESTHOUGHTON sports club has been given a cash boost to support its new under-sevens rugby league tea. Westhoughton Lions received the £500 grant from the town council and mayor Gillian Wroe visited the club to hand over the cheque. The Lions, formed as a club more than 25 years ago, is run by volunteers. Coun Wroe said: “The council has a grant fund to support volun- tary groups who do so much for our community. “We are especially com- mitted to promote activities which give children and young people the oppor- tunity to develop their skills, personal wellbeing and confidence. “Thank you to all the vol- unteers at this club and the other organisations around Westhoughton who enrich the lives of so many in our community.” CHARITIES and com- munity groups across the borough of Bolton are being urged to bid for a share of cash claimed back from criminals. Money seized from crim- inals and distributed to police forces through the Asset Recovery Incentivisa- tion Scheme (ARIS) is being invested into communities in the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) area – and the latest bidding window is open through January. Previous successful bids have been given to commu- nity initiatives such as Pure Insight, a peer-led project supporting 175 care leavers aged 16–28 across Greater Manchester, and First Kick Foundation, which works with primary schools in Bury to deliver youth engagement and empowerment programmes. Detective Superintendent Andrew Buckthorpe, who leads GMP’s Economic and Cyber Crime Unit, said: “It is fitting that the money we seize from proceeds of crime is being used to help fight, prevent and reduce crime, keep people safe, and care for victims, which ultimately makes Greater Manchester a better place to live, work and visit. “Keeping the people of Greater Manchester safe from crime is our main pri- ority, and this is a way we can give back, through officers’ hard work, we are in a really Presentation: Mayor GillianWroe presents the cash to club secretary Helen Mewes (Photo credit: Westhoughton Town Council) How criminals’ cash is helping communities Boxing club benefits from police’s initiative Boxing clever: Elite Community Hub is making a di!erence (Photo credit: GMP) THERE are three vacan- cies on Horwich Town Council following the resignations of two mem- bers and the removal of another councillor for non-attendance. The moves mean there are vacancies for the Bridge, Church and Claypool wards, which the town council says will be filled by co-option – unless the required numbers of electors trigger by-elections. The departing councillors are Samantha Williamson, Jillian Walton and Ryan Bamforth, who was removed after having not attended a meeting for six months. Samantha Williamson, who will remain a Bolton council- lor, has stepped away from the town council over what she has described as a ‘lack of understanding and respect’ in the chamber. Ryan Bamforth, who also remains a Bolton councillor, has also complained about the way he was treated at meet- ings, which he said caused him stress and made himnot want to attend, according to reports. In a statement in response to the claims, Horwich Town Council reaffirmed its com- mitment to “transparency, governance and commu- nity delivery”. It said: “Horwich Town Council is aware of recent alle- gations concerning conduct and decision-making within the council and wishes to pro- vide reassurance to residents. “The council operates fully in accordance with all legal requirements, maintains political balance, and adheres to established governance policies and procedures. All complaints are handled through the appropriate and lawful channels. “The Proper Officer of the council, whose statutory role requires impartiality, ensures that all council business is conducted in line with legis- lation, properly recorded in public minutes, and imple- mented effectively. “With regard to councillor attendance, the council acts in accordance with the six-month non-attendance rule (Local Government Act 1972, s85(1)). “This provides that a councillor may submit a formal request for approval of absence, including the expected duration, for consid- eration by the council. Where no such request is submitted or approved, responsibility for attendance rests with the individual councillor.” It added: “Horwich Town Council remains firmly focused on delivering positive outcomes for local residents. This includes supporting community groups, protect- ing green spaces, funding youth activities, managing a thriving community centre, and working to secure the RMI cricket ground from future development. “The council wishes to reassure residents of its continued commitment to transparency, fairness, and the highest standards of conduct. These standards are reinforced through the council’s adoption of the Civility and Respect Pledge and the Members’ Code of Conduct, which applies to all councillors.” A trio of council vacancies strong position where we continue to strip criminals of their finances which are often used to further crime in our communities.” The latest funding pro- gramme saw 12 groups benefit in September, includ- ing a community boxing and sports club in Bolton. Elite Community Hub CIC on Wordsworth Street pro- vides free boxing training for more than 350 children and teenagers a week, free veterans’ fitness classes, over-50s wellbeing sessions, and SEN-inclusive boxing to support all members of the community. It also puts on free half- term holiday clubs for children, including meals and activities during school breaks. The club plans to use the cash to build a new kitchen and music room to attract more youngsters to take part in their outreach activities. Project manager Kallum Wallbank said: “We have worked with ARIS and GMP, and many of the youngsters who come to the club were referred in that way as well through youth agencies. “We work with young offenders and want to attract those who may not want to be part of the boxing club. “That is why we want to focus on music and educating young people on nutrition.” Scott Mitchell, director and head coach, added: “Our ethos has always been about taking young people who are often labelled as ‘uncoacha- ble’ and helping them become employable adults. “We do what we do because many of us were once those young people ourselves. “Boxing gave us struc- ture, discipline and direc- tion, and we’re committed to making sure that same diversion is there for the next generation.” Inspector Nicholas Bonson of GMP said: “Kallum and The Elite Community Hub gave a passionate account of their history of positive engagement and diversion with young people of Bolton. “They articulated their future plans and demon- strated how ARIS funds would sustain these in future years. “The new projects include offering music and cooking provisions and lessons, as well as resources to access educational materials. “These will be free and use both new and established referral pathways from key partners. “The provision of mean- ingful diversion, life skills and mentorship will a valu- able asset to both individuals and local communities in the spirit of the ARIS principles.” The latest bidding window for charities and community groups is open until Janu- ary 25.