CHILDCARE has received a boost in Bolton thanks to a £160,577 injection.

The New Opportunities Fund grant will be used by Bolton Council to create 24 after-school, 16 before-school, 216 before and after places, and 40 all-year round places for children aged four to 14. Four projects will be created for 13-year-olds as well as the extension of two existing initiatives.

The money is part of a £2.4 million grant for 31 projects in the North-west which will create 3,500 childcare places.

New Opportunities Fund chief executive Stephen Dunmore stressed the importance of good childcare for families.

He said: "This grant programme brings peace of mind to many parents across the UK whose need to take up work, training or education opportunities is matched by their concern to ensure that their children are properly looked after while away from home.

"Out-of-school hours childcare provision plays a vital role in the lives of children and their families today and is certainly not an optional extra."