Your Local Independent 189

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AFFORDABLE CHOICE . . . DIRECT CREMATIONS . . . Pre Paid Funeral Plans Available - Ask for details. A TIME capsule has been buried on RivingtonGreen by parish council leader David Jones. It now sits under the flagpole’s commemorative stone and contains historical information on Rivington and Horwich, the 1902 Lever Park Act which established thepark andaUSB stick con- taining parish council documents. A donation to the parish council from the estate of the late Dennis Wallace, fromHorwich,madetheprojectpossible. A parish council spokesperson said: “It was a very generous gesture from Mr Wallace, who made the donation becauseof his loveof Rivington, andone much appreciated.” BOLTON’S highest civic honour will be awarded to a self- less campaigner for bereavement support, a pioneering business- man, a remarkable community leader and a tireless cham- pion for young adults. Andy Morgan, the bor- ough’s mayor, announced the reintroduction of the Bolton Civic Medal last month. After receiving doz- ens of nominations, the four recipients cho- sen by an independent panel were announced at a full council meet- ing. Jane Dixon, Dee Luczka, Ken Heathcote and Ganshyam Patel will receive their medals at a special private ceremony in the Mayor’s Parlour this month. Inspired by personal experience, Jane Dixon established ‘The Bereave- ment Café’ to support families and young people dealing with the death of a loved one. Adamant that grief should not be a taboo subject, Jane organises community workshops, works directly with schools and gives support training to teachers. When Ken Heathcote finished his national ser- vice with the parachute regiment, he co-founded Bolton Health Studio – a multi-fitness gym and the first of its kind any- where in the country. Known as the ‘Father of Fitness’, Ken has raised a fortune for var- ious charities by com- pleting marathons, cold water swims and many other impressive physi- cal feats. Dee Luczka is chief executive of Sapphire It’s civic awards time Vital space: The RMI ground hosts the Festival of Horwich ‘Local heroes’ receive highest civic honour Presentation: Bolton mayor Andy Morgan with one of the civic medals RMI ground sale plan moves forward HORWICH Town Council is set to for- mally approve bor- rowing from Bolton Council in advance of its public consultation on the purchase of the RMI cricket ground. The loan will be dis- cussed at the next meet- ing of the council, which has been working with Horwich RMI Social Club on the possibility of buying the ground. Horwich councillor David Grant has been working with the bor- ough council to progress the loan agreement. He saiys the aim is to preserve this “vital open space” in the heart of Horwich for its commu- nity in perpetuity. He said: “It is impor- tant that the town proactively starts to pro- tect its assets, ensuring community facilities are brought under the protec- tion of the town council and kept on behalf of the public in perpetuity. “The grounds will remain the home of Horwich Cricket under lease which will allow them to apply for exter- nal funding and Horwich Town Council can utilise the site for other events and fixtures.” The ground has been the home of cricket in Horwich since 1892 as well as a hub for rec- reational and sporting activities and community events. including the Fes- tival of Horwich. Partnerships, a charity that supports vulnerable young adults with neuro diverse needs and dis- abilities, creating safe spaces and supporting them to develop essential life skills. As vice chair of the Voluntary Community Sector Forum, Dee is described as a “bold and energetic champion” of Bolton’s outstanding charity sector. Arriving in the UK in the 1970s, Ganshyam Patel started his life in Bolton with little more than a determi- nation to succeed and to help others. He has supported many people to settle and feel a sense of belonging in Bolton, not least in his role as chairman of Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Art and Cul- ture Centre. Andy Morgan, mayor of Bolton, said: “Reading through the dozens of nominations was a wel- come reminder of how A SNAPSHOT IN TIME Historical: Parish Council leader David Jones puts the time capsule in place (Photo credit: Rivington Parish Council) PEOPLE in Horwich are being urged to put forward the people in the community they think should receive civic awards. The town council will award two civic medals next year from the sug- gestions they received from the public. Nominees must have provided at least 20 years’ service to Horwich in either one or a combination of areas such as sport, entertainment, politics, voluntary and community groups, children and young people. Applicants do not have to be res- idents of Horwich but must have served the community. Serving councillors are not eligible and former councillors must provide an undertaking that they will not stand for re-election. Civic medals are not awarded posthumously. Nominations will be accepted for individuals who have been nominated previously but have not received an award. Awards will be presented in 2025 by the townmayor at a time and loca- tion of the recipient’s choice. The closing date for applications is January 31, 2025. Application forms are available on www.horwich.gov.uk or by emailing townclerk@horwich. gov.uk The town council says that all nominations will be treated in the strictest confidence. lucky we are to have so many truly outstanding and dedicated individu- als here in Bolton. “Selecting just four worthy recipients was tough, but I feel these four are a great rep- resentation of our sup- portive, diverse and caring community. “I am so proud to be mayor in the year this great tradition has been revived and I look forward to seeing many more civic medals awarded into the future.” The Bolton Civic Medal is the highest civic honour the borough can award, recognising out- standing achievement or distinguished service. Awarding the bronze- cast medals will become an annual celebration of those who have made a major contribution to life in the borough. NEWS IN BRIEF HORWICH’S iconic signpost, which has stood for many years at the Crown Roundabout, has been badly damaged after being knocked over by a car. The rare, vintage post has been moved to a place of safety by Horwich Heritage but it is feared it may not be possible to repair it. THE Horwich First Community Litter Pickers’ December painting and litter pick has been cancelled. The group will resume its work in January.