BOLTON Young Persons Housing Scheme recieved another boost this week when it became one of four Bolton groups to receive a share of £29,000 given out by Greater Manchester Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd.

The groups have been selected to receive the money from his Active Citizens Fund which is designed to boost volunteering and help build stronger, safer neighbourhoods.

BYPHS has been granted £4,923 for Positive About Youth, a three-month pilot project providing support and educational activities for vulnerable young people at risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system.

Chief executive, Maura Jackson said: "We are made up with the money. We do a lot of intensive work with people through the housing scheme but some of them end up in a cycle and this is about getting them out of this cycle.

"This is taking what we do way beyond the bricks and mortar it is about giving the equipment for young people to be good citizens."

Bringing Breightmet Together a project run by Heartlift has been given £5,000 to recruit and train voluntary ambassadors to tackle prejudice and hate crime against refugees.

Louise Harwood, funding manager for Heartlift, said: "We are absolutely delighted with the cash. Discrimination against refugees is something that is quite prevalent in the estate at the moment.

"There is a lot of negativity around these things. It’s about changing the mind-set of young people and educating them.

"We are all working together harmoniously to do that with some play sessions and educate them as to why refugees come to the country."

The Sycamore Project, based in Farnworth, will also benefit from £4,980.

They will provide a mentoring scheme for young people at risk of getting involved in anti-social behaviour and risky behaviour.

Matt Moreton, chief executive of The Sycamore Project, said: "It is going to really help us to work with the most disadvantaged people in Bolton and the UK.

"The grant was mainly to get a dedicated youth worker to go out on to the streets to meet the young people who don't access our services to work with them and make sure we are reaching a wider range of people."

Another organisation to benefit is New Bury Vision Group who run the Storehouse Pantry, a volunteer-led community scheme aimed at reducing the number of people needing to use foodbanks.

For a small weekly subscription, families will be able to access weekly shopping with a retail value of around £15 to £18.

Dave Baguley, of Urban Outreach, said: “Urban Outreach is delighted to receive this funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner to develop the theme of 'No Hiding Place' for Modern Slavery in partnership with the Bolton Challenger Group. We will develop a strong 'No Hiding Place' icon for community groups, Churches, businesses and schools to sign up to and display across the town and strong messaging focused on we are a Bolton Family working together to eradicate Modern Slavery in Bolton. We will also organise a series of community awareness sessions to improve understanding around Modern Slavery, build knowledge in 'spotting the signs' and equip communities to know 'how to, where to and what to' report.”

Mr Lloyd said: "Through this funding we are backing our communities and investing in their innovation and enthusiasm to make Bolton's neighbourhoods stronger, safer and more inclusive. "By working with local people and giving our residents a helping hand, we can make a real difference together."