CHURCH volunteers determined to spread a little love have spent a day offering acts of kindness to Bolton people.

More than 160 volunteers from Kings Church each paid £10 to take part, offering free gifts or doing good deeds for people in the community.

A total of 30 different projects, ranging from children singing for the elderly in care homes, to baking cakes for firemen and policemen and handing out children's books in the town centre, were undertaken.

The project was part of the Breightmet church's month-long #LOVEDOES campaign, the brainchild of senior pastor Derek Smith who wanted to counter bad news from around the world by bringing some good news to people's lives locally.

"These are the kind of things we have been doing for 10 years but we wanted to highlight it," said church operations manager Chris Case.

The enthusiastic volunteers involved themselves in activities including litter picking and tidying school gardens, washing cars, giving toys to children at the Royal Bolton Hospital and tents to homeless people as well as cookies, balloons, flowers, mugs filled with chocolates and flowers to shoppers in the town centre.

"A lot of people would say, 'what's the catch?' It was great to see the reaction on people's faces when we said there wasn't one," said Mr Case.

The day finished with the volunteers returning to the church building excited by their achievements and having handed out a total of 1,500 free gifts.

"By the end there was a real buzz. It finished on a total high," said Mr Case.

The success of "#LOVEDOES month has resulted in the church deciding to make it an annual event each June.

"It is the start of something that will continue for years," said Mr Case.

In the meantime, the church is on the lookout for other ways they can help people in the community.

"Wherever we see the need we are going to try and fulfill that need," said Mr Case.