Bolton Council has received national acclaim by winning the Community Focus Award at the prestigious Public Sector Transformation Awards.
The awards were announced last week at a ceremony in London, with Bolton’s public health efforts being recognised for the initiative that did the most to reinvigorate the local community.
As with neighbouring authorities in the north west of England, Bolton experienced pandemic variants earlier than the rest of the country.
The approach to developing a community social movement as part of the response efforts became the model for other areas to follow.
Bolton Council’s public health team generated authentic partnerships with residents, the voluntary community, faith organisations, the army, and partner agencies.
We could not have won with this award without the incredible people of Bolton.
Pandemic volunteers and community champions were involved throughout, ensuring the efforts were motivating, encouraging, and culturally appropriate.
Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, Cllr Sue Baines, said:
“We could not have won with this award without the incredible people of Bolton.
“Bolton has always had a strong community spirit and an outstanding volunteer sector, and this formed a vital part of our response to the pandemic.
“Where Bolton lead the way, others followed, and it is testament to our collective efforts that other areas adopted the same community based approached based on our example.”
Dr Helen Lowey, Director of Public Health, said:
“We are amazingly proud of Team Bolton, and the community ethos that has guided our response to Covid-19.
“I am delighted that Bolton Council has been nationally recognised for our pro-active approach to working with the community.
“This award also acknowledges the combined effort of all the community and organisations involved in our response.
“The whole team are proud of this project, and the long-term, positive impact this will have on our as we support our residents out of this pandemic.”
For more information on the awards, visit Public Sector Transformation Awards 2022.