Many vulnerable people in the Bolton area will be able to keep warm whengoing out this winter thanks to the successful project ran recently by the six Rotary clubs in the Bolton area. As part of the national Wrap Up campaign they collected and distributed winter coats to those who couldn’t afford to buy one.

During October and November over 1000 coats were donated to Rotary by generous members of the public and found their way to people in need via seventeen local charities and community groups.

The six Rotary clubs from around Bolton (Bolton with Le Moors, Bolton Lever, Bolton Daybreak, Horwich, Turton and Westhoughton) decided to join forces back in September to repeat a successful project undertaken in the town two years ago (the pandemic prevented anything happening last year). Members of the public were asked to drop off their surplus winter coats at collection points, after which they were sorted and checked at a Safestore in Bolton prior
to sending on to local charities. The Safestore gave their facilities free of charge.

A wide range of organisations offered collection points, including numerous churches, the Beaumont Hospital, the Barlow Edgworth, TESCO, ASDA and the Crown Inn at Horwich, as well as local schools and a post office.

After checking, the coats were distributed via the Fortalice Women’s Refuge, Urban Outreach Bolton, the Bolton Community Kitchen, Sunshine House in Wigan, the Duke Street Night Shelter in Bolton and many similar organisations.

Grace Wood, the Fundraising Manager at Fortalice, the women and children’s refuge said “The rotary team have worked so hard collecting and organising the coats to ensure we had the correct sizes. Thank you to all involved with ‘Wrap up’ a fantastic campaign. It’s so lovely to see our children in the refuge wearing the coats which have been generously donated, thank you”.

Nick Haworth, Manager with Adullam Homes (who manage four hostels in Bolton) said “The donations you have given have been invaluable in supporting the homeless; the donations have come at the right time as we have opened up the service at night to provide accommodation for those who are sleeping rough. The coats have been shared out between different projects housing men and women separately. Smaller coats will be taken to partner agencies who deal with young people. Thank you on behalf of staff and residents for your
kind donations”.

It was decided not to distribute the coats to those in need directly, because Rotary wanted to help other charities to create lasting links with the people they aim to help. When a vulnerable person reaches out to a charity for a coat this winter, they will also discover the other help and support which is available to them.

BACKGROUND
The charities and other organisations which distributed the coats are: -
 Fortalice (women's refuge), Bolton
 Urban Outreach, Bolton
 Homeless Aid UK, Bolton
 Bolton Community Kitchen
 Duke Street Night Shelter, Bolton
 The Destitution Project, Bolton
 BRASS (refugees), Bolton
 St James, Breightmet, Bolton
 Christchurch, Harwood, Bolton
 St Barnabas, Leigh
 The Brick, Wigan
 Sunshine House, Wigan
 Red Door, Bury
 Back of the Moss (community centre), Heywood
 International Aid Trust, Chorley
 Cornerstone, Greenheys, Manchester
 Riverside Women's Hostel, Fallowfield, Manchester

SOME OF THE CHARITY PARTNERS
Homeless Aid UK is an organisation established and operated by a group of friends from across the UK. Their team of volunteers are dedicated to ending homelessness, by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. They work at grass root levels with the homeless in the Bolton, Manchester, Liverpool, and Wigan areas, across the UK and globally. Additionally they supply food hampers and clothing to the growing number of people living in poverty. They rely solely on donations and the support of the local community.

Visit their website for more information: http://homelessaid.co.uk/

Urban Outreach is a Christian charity providing food for households in crisis; and person-centred support for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable adults and young people in Bolton. Established in 1990 their core aim is to be consistently dependable, creative, challenging and inspirational in the support and care they provide across the town.

Visit their website: https://www.urbanoutreach.co.uk/
Fortalice are a Bolton based charity providing frontline services for people who are, or have been, affected by domestic abuse and violence. Their support includes refuge accommodation, local community services, education and accredited training for professionals. In their refuges they offer wraparound support to the women and children who stay with them.
Visit their website: https://fortalice.org.uk/