Bolton: 55 businesses that pay the living wage

The living wage is a voluntary minimum level of pay, which is at a higher rate than the government’s mandatory minimum wage.

Not all employers opt in to pay the living wage, which is £9.90 an hour across the UK and £11.05 in London for those aged 18 and over.

Comparatively, the national minimum wage for people aged 23 and over is £9.50 per hours and £9.18 for over 21s.

A range of independent businesses in Bolton are living wage accredited according to the Living Wage Foundation’s Living Wage Map.

If a business is living wage accredited, it means it has been certified by the Living Wage Foundation as paying the living wage.

Living wage accredited businesses include Bolton Lads and Girls Club, Octagon Theatre and Carrs Pasties among others.

Barclays Bank, which has five branches in borough, Lloyds Bank, which have four Bolton outlets and Age UK, are living wage accredited among others too.

Urban Outreach Bolton is another organisation which pays the living wage, and believe it is important to do so.

Urban Outreach chief executive Dave Bagley said: “It’s about reflecting and recognising people that are working should have a decent supply to be able to live on.

“It’s always been our people don’t work for us, they work with us, and it’s about respecting that people should be paid.

“Paying a living wage is just one way of being able to respect those who work for us as a charity and for the borough.”

Octagon Theatre chief executive, Roddy Gault, said: “The Octagon is proud to be a Living Wage Employer, we want the people we work with to be well, to be motivated and to stick with us – so paying a fair wage is just common sense and can make a big difference to people.

"As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, it’s even more urgent that employers do what they can to tackle in-work poverty.”

Cllr Adele Warren, cabinet portfolio holder for regeneration at the council, said: “It’s important residents have the best income they can achieve for what they’re doing and if we can get employers paying a living wage then it makes them more attractive.

“At the moment there are a lot of vacancies across the borough.

"If we can get businesses paying a real living wage rather than a minimum wage, they’re going to attract staff.

“From a businesses’ point of view it’s better, and from residents’ point of view it’s better. We want everyone to have the best standard of living possible.”

Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said the cost-of-living crisis has made increasing wages for the low-paid "more important than ever".

She said paying the living wage is not only "the right thing to do for struggling workers and families, but it’s also good for businesses, with employers benefitting from greater staff morale and productivity, and reduced staff absenteeism and turnover".

Here is our list of businesses that pay the living wage in Bolton, according to the Living Wage Foundation:

Astley Bridge

EZee Cleaning Company – Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge

Oxfam – Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge

Starts With You – Waters Meeting Road, Astley Bridge

Bolton At Home – Waters Meeting Road, Astley Bridge

Bolton Town Centre

Age UK – Victoria Square, Bolton

Barclays Bank – Market Street, Bolton

Beacon Bolton Counselling Service – Bold Street, Bolton

Bolton CVS – Bold Street, Bolton

Bolton Lads & Girls Club – Spa Road, Bolton

Bolton Security – Breightmet Street, Bolton

Boo Coaching and Consulting – All Saints Street, Bolton

Co-operative Bank – Knowsley Street, Bolton

CreateBolton – St George’s Road, Bolton

Fieldings Porter Solicitors – Silverwell Street, Bolton

Hilton Smythe – Wood Street, Bolton

Ingeus – St George’s Road, Bolton

Lloyds Bank – Hotel Street, Bolton

My Medical Mask – Bark Street, Bolton

Nationwide Building Society – Deansgate, Bolton

NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group – Silverwell Street, Bolton

NowSkills – Churchgate, Bolton

Octagon Theatre – Howell Croft South, Bolton

Pearson – Queensbrook, Bolton

QuestGates – Folds Point, Bolton

Royal College of Nursing – St George’s Square, Bolton

Santander Bank – Deansgate, Bolton

Tao Digital Marketing – Knowsley Street, Bolton

Thornton and Lowe – Higher Bridge Street, Bolton

Urban Outreach Bolton – Salop Street, Bolton

University of Bolton – Deane Road, Bolton

Breightmet

Crossroads Together – Deepdale Road, Breightmet

Burnden

Bolton Advocacy Hub – Manchester Road, Burnden

Carrs Pasties – Manchester Road, Burnden

Deane

Barclays Bank – St Helens Road, Deane

Egerton/Turton

BrokerDirect – Deakins Park, Egerton

HR and You – Dunscar Business Park, Egerton

Ladderstore – Bradshaw Brow, Turton

Farnworth

Ageing Well Centre – Cross Street, Farnworth

Barclays Bank – Market Street, Farnworth

Cocktails At Home UK – Stone Hill Road, Farnworth

Jangro Ltd – Worsley Road, Farnworth

Lloyds Bank – Market Street, Farnworth

Seddon – Plodder Lane, Farnworth

Halliwell

Lloyds Bank – Halliwell Road, Halliwell

Heaton

Home Instead Senior Care – Chorley New Road, Heaton

Jessamy Staffing Solutions – Chorley New Road, Heaton

Le Bar De Cheveux – Westgate Avenue, Heaton

Horwich/Lostock

Barclays Bank – Winter Hey Lane, Horwich

ISS Facility Services – Futura Park, Horwich

Southerns Broadstock – Cranfield Road, Lostock

Top Cashback – Aspinall Close, Horwich

Westhoughton

Barclays Bank – Market Street, Westhoughton

Lloyds Bank – Market Street, Westhoughton

The Aspire Hub – Leigh Road, Westhoughton

The Training Co – Sandalwood, Westhoughton