A YEAR 2000 party will mark celebrations of a multi-million Lottery grant to Bolton Lads and Girls club.

The BEN broke the news that £3.7 million had been awarded to the 110 year old club, to fund the majority of a proposed new club HQ.

It means the youth club will be able to move from its Bark Street premises which are too small to cope with its 1,500 members.

The Sport England windfall follows a three-year campaign to win Lottery approval for the planned sports centre earmarked for the former Nevada roller rink site. Now final touches are being put to a "knees up" to celebrate the cash injection and to thank business leaders and community groups who have already given cash aid.

Collected

The club has got to raise £ million itself for the new centre. Fundraising in 1997 has already pulled in £300,000 but £200,000 still needs to be collected by March 2000.

And the celebrations on January 20 at Bolton's Moat House Hotel will provide the club with the launch pad for the last phase of their fundraising drive. Manager Jerry Glover said: "This will allow us to achieve two things - to celebrate what has been a massive achievement and to thank all those people who have supported us so far.

"There are a lot of people who were brave enough to stick their hands in their pockets and give us money when we needed it. Without that support we would not be where we're at now."

The club's chairman Laura Nuttall will also make a formal presentation to business people about the new centre on the night.

And Mr Glover revealed that one of the town's leading businessmen - Ross Warburton, who is set to stand down as chairman of his family's bakery firm - will give a key-note speech.

Mr Warburton has agreed to lend his support and give the speech following the sudden death of influential Bolton industrialist Tony Rink who was the club's president.

Mr Glover added: "We're thrilled that Ross has agreed to step in and help out. His speech will get over the message to the business community that this project is worthwhile for the town and for the children."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.