12

Looking forward...

Looking forward ... Alison is about to take a 3 months sab-

batical but don’t worry our work will continue!

Generation Re-United have a team of volunteers who will

continue to oversee and develop this burgeoning group.

In January Dramatic Action will start rehearsals for our

community performance on the 18th of March of a play

which will help us to consider Hate Crime and how it can

affect young people. This is being developed in partner-

ship with Dramatic Action another grassroots community

group.

When Alison returns more projects will develop so remember:

Each time a man (or woman) stands up for an ideal, or acts to

improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he

(she) sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other

from a million different centres of energy and daring, those

ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls

of oppression and resistance. Robert Kenney

We hope you feel this is an apt celebration of some

of the ways we have, and continue, to stand up for

the aims and ideals of the Building Bridges Project?

We can’t do anything without

you!

1

Building Bridges

Annual Report 2016

Working in partnership, and committed to

supporting community development in

Tonge Moor

In this annual report, we would like to celebrate all we

have achieved together this year , thank you!

We hope we can work with you in the future,

if this report inspires you to get involved please

contact Alison on :07908110121 or email her on :

alison.dalton@bolton.gov,uk

2

Hi all,

How time has

flown, or so it

seems to me! It

seems impossible that Dave and I

have only been here for 18 months

as so much has happened!

As you can see in the photo

above, Dave and I have had fun

with our new granddaughter who

was born in July.

Reading through this annual

report you will see that we have,

and are continuing to develop our

Raising awareness of hate crime

project.

Whilst Tonge Lunch and leisure

had a great fun on their outing

recently.

Fusion are continuing with their

wonderful work and have

supported church to develop their

Christmas story bags.

Or as Mother Theresa said

“I alone cannot change the world,

but I can cast a stone across the

waters to create many ripples.”

We hope this report helps you to

value some of the ripples being

spread by volunteers within Tonge

Moor, and beyond Thank you

Alison Dalton

The aims of the Building

Bridges Project:

To foster mutual respect,

trust, support and kindness

between generations, faiths

and cultures.

To help develop Tonge

Children’s Centre into a hub

for the community.

By working with others, to

support other community

activities which address

needs in the area.

That (by 2020) everyone

in the local community will

feel that Church at the

Centre is available for them.

Contents

Tonge Lunch and Leisure 3

Celebrating The Changing Face Of

Our Community 4

Generation Re—United 5

Our Café Displays 6

Working with other organisations or

groups 7

Big Local 8

Our Christmas Story Bags 9

Church at the Centre Events 10

Finance- 11

Looking ahead 12

11

Our Finances

£1,713

£1,346

£363

£40

£826

£120

£840

Building Bridges Expenditure Jan - Nov 2016

Expenses

Council Tax

Water Rates

Web Subs

HateCrimeAwareness

Conference Fees

EM3

£41

£108

£22£92

£2,906

£350

Building Bridges Income Jan - Nov 2016

Contra

Raffles

Tombola

Donations

Grants

EM3

10

Church at The Centre Events

During 2016 Building Bridges has supported Church at the Centre to

coordinate a variety of events at the Children’s

Centre. The first was our successful 10th

birthday celebration. This was

a community event developed

in partnership with the

Children’s Centre to celebrate

the opening of the building and our partnership which

has made such a difference in the area. We had

great fun together with over 150 people from Tonge

Moor.

In September Alison, with the help of Daleen

our ministerial student, helped two Church

Members, Joan and Alan, renew their wedding

vows. What a wonderful celebration! It was

a privilege to be involved.

Then a few weeks ago Church at the Centre

hosted an Autumn or Harvest Tea when we

had a pie and pea supper and tested our memory as we answered

questions in our family quiz based on traditional fairy tales. Maybe

we’ll see you at Church at the Centre’s Advent Tea in early Decem-

ber?

In October Church at the Centre

coordinated a tour of the local primary

schools by the Bethany Choir as they

were visiting from Tanzania.

Look out for more events next year!

3

Tonge Lunch and Leisure

Age UK, Church at the Centre

and Tonge Children’s Centre

welcome 25-30 people each

week where the over 50’s to

exercise, eat a meal and play

together. Building Bridges is there

to support this great project when

required.

During 2016 we have welcomed

the children from Moorgate

Community Primary school,

heard about Bolton Carer’s

Support, celebrated the

Queen’s birthday visited Smithills Hall

and so

much

more!

Being part of Tonge Lunch

and Leisure is great, it gives

me company!

I love listening to the others

talking!

4

Celebrating the changing

face of our community!

During 2016 Building Bridges has developed our

project to raise awareness of hate crime and cele-

brate the changing face of our community.

In January we held a poster competition

with the support of our local primary

schools. Look out for the poster and

pop up display during Hate Crime

Awareness Week 2017!

In the summer we had a wonderful fun

event at St Andrew’s Methodist Church.

Look out for more events in 2017!

In the Autumn we coordinated the first

Tonge Community Faith Trail with Bolton

Interfaith Council and the support of the other churches in

the area. Perhaps you'll join us next year!

In January we are developing a drama in partnership with

Dramatic Action. We hope you’ll

come along to our community

performance on the 18th of

March 2017. Look out for the

publicity early in the new year!

Would come again, really fun-lots of activities

Seen things we wouldn’t have seen before

9

Our Christmas

Story Bags

Working with the members of Christine’s

Crafts, staff of the Chilldren’s Centre and

Church at The Centre, we have developed

our Christmas Story Bags project for

the children of Moorgate Primary

School. Members of Church at The

Centre and Christine’s Crafts have

knitted a total of eleven nativity sets, 36

gift lambs and bought 10 picture

books which tell the Christmas story.

Staff at the Children’s Centre and

members of Church at the Centre

have made bags for these travelling

nativity sets.

Two of the nativity sets are larger for

display in class. Whilst the smaller ones

come in two different styles. These

smaller ones are in the story bag, with a

leaflet to explain things, a story book to read and a knitted lamb

to keep. Each of the children in the year 3 classes at Moorgate

Primary School will be able to take one of the story bags home

to read and play with throughout Advent. Helping us all to

remember the traditional story at the heart of Christmas.

8

The Big Local Partnership is a group

of Tonge Moor residents, councillors

and workers who have come together to

develop projects for the benefit of the

Tonge Moor community. This work is

funded by an allocation of £1, 000, 000

to be distributed over 10 years.

After 3 years of consultation and

planning we have finally begun to deliver

some of these projects:

Brush Busters, an oral hygiene

project being delivered in local

schools and childcare settings.

The upgrading of sports

facilities—the MUGGA near

Connaught Square.

Community Chest awards for local groups.

Extra after school provision and

some mobile provision in the area.

We are just publicising our start up

grants - Tonge Dragon’s Den.

Our women’s group to develop a community parade

has just began meeting, look out for more information!

Tonge with the

Haulgh Big Local

Our Vision

“Tonge with The

Haulgh is a place

where people feel

good about them-

selves and their envi-

ronment,

know their neigh-

bours, meet their

friends,

are happy to raise

their children and

work together to

build a future and

enjoy their retire-

ment.”

Get in touch!

Get involved!

Contact us on:-

01204 329839

5

Generation Re—United

Precious Gems

During the summer we have developed a partnership

with two other grassroots community development

groups, Precious Gems and Bolton Community

Development Partnership. This has led to us launching a

new group this autumn, Generation Re—United.

This group meets at the Children’s Centre every

Monday, in term time, between 3,30-5.00pm. It offers

time and space for families, carers

and children to come together with

single adults over 50 to play board

games, have a go at different arts

and crafts.

In our first four weeks we have:

Made a wheatsheaf loaf for the

church’s Harvest festival, and

individual ones to take home

Made Remembrance poppies out

of plastic bottles for display in

ASDA (Blackburn Rd) and then Victoria square

Tried Circle Dance which was lead by volunteers

from a group in Farnworth

We hope to you come along too!

6

I love that I can pick up a book to read as I leave to

go home! It’s so handy!

During this year Building

Bridges has coordinated

the varied displays we in

the cabinets in the Centre’s

Community Café.

With thanks to one of the

members at Tonge Lunch

and Leisure we have al-

so developed our com-

munity bookshelf where

anyone can take a book

or bring a book for others

to read.

Our Community Café Displays

Moorgate Primary School

helps us think about Easter

and Spring time

Tonge Moor Primary School

help us think about summertime

Our Easter displayed which

developed throughout Lent.

Our 10th Birthday

Celebration display Raising Awareness of

Black History Month

Bolton Council of Mosques

helped us to understand more

about Ramadan

Moorgate Primary school

help us to remember the

fallen

Castle Hill

Primary

School help

us think

about

Autumn and

Harvest

7

Working with other

organisations and groups

The third aim of the Building Bridges project asks us to

support other groups as they develop community

activities. Members of the Building Bridges Management

Group achieve this through their work with local

churches, organisations and voluntary groups.

Some of the local groups our members are involved with

are:

Church at the Centre

Entwistle St Residents Association

Fusion

Tonge Lunch and Leisure

St Andrew’s Messy Church and other projects

St Augustine’s in various ways

Alison has represented us within various groups:

Ambition for Ageing

Big Local

Bolton Christian Cohesion

Bolton Community Development Partnership

Bolton Interfaith Council

Moorgate Community School Governing Board

Tonge Children’s Centre Advisory Board