BUDDING entrepreneurs from ao.com have transformed a Bolton shelter for vulnerable young people.

They carried out the refurb as part of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), which requires each participant to complete 72 hours of voluntary work.

Castle House, in Castle Street, operated by the Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme (BYPHS), is an emergency overnight accommodation for 16 to 21-year olds.

Providing vulnerable young people with a room for the night, the centre makes sure tenants are well fed, with an evening meal, supper and breakfast the following morning.

Adam Thomas, Amy Boff, Heather Wood, Jess Litherland, Jose Malaspina, Kay Bowes, Lauren Bullock, Natalie Jackson and Natalie Hendry worked together to decorate and furnish a relaxation area for tenants to enjoy.

The first group from ao.com to participate in the prestigious Gold DofE Business Award, the team took just nine hours to clear out the room, repaint and wallpaper it.

Using a budget provided by BYPHS fundraising, they updated the soft furnishing including new curtains, a new sofa and tables and chairs to create an inviting communal living area for the young people using the shelter.

Ms Bowes said: “Giving the young people in the shelter somewhere cool and relaxing to socialise was an extremely rewarding experience. Seeing the faces of the Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme charity workers when they saw the transformation was worth it.

“I can’t wait for our next project, and another opportunity to help those in need.”

Talent development co-ordinator and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme leader at ao.com, Chris Havard, oversaw the day’s events and was overwhelmed by the results,” he said.

“Our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award group volunteered to do this in their own time, threw themselves into the project and Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme are absolutely over the moon with the outcome.”

Castle House manager Diane Gilmore hailed the work of the volunteers.

“I thank the ao.com team on behalf of the residents and staff at Castle House for their hard work and dedication in transforming our lounge from a dark and very tired looking room to a one that’s bright, modern and homely,” she said.

“The young people spend most of their evenings in the lounge and they now have a lovely room where they can relax and are comfortable doing so.

“The ao.com team were great. They were both very professional and passionate about what they were were doing while keeping us informed all the way.

“They all worked very hard to achieve what they did in just one