BOLTON WANDERERS' 'Unity in Diversity' initiative continues to go from strength to strength with its pioneering efforts to embrace community cohesion across the town of Bolton.

Regarded as one of the most successful schemes developed by a sports organisation in the UK, as a result the Club also appointed Abdul Basit as the Club's first Community Cohesion Officer in January 2007.

The 30-year-old has taken on the responsibility of promoting the programme by engaging the many religious and culturally diverse communities across the Borough using Bolton Wanderers as the vehicle to promote harmony.

Wanderers have made a significant investment to the project and have also successfully secured a mix of public and private funding to enhance its profile with the appointment of Abdul through the Club's successful Football in the Community Programme.

Abdul, a native of Oldham who worked in a similar position at Oldham Athletic Football Club and until this appointment was the Social Inclusion Officer for the Manchester Football Association, has taken a lead role in the planning and development of our Unity and Diversity project, which was launched in 2006.

He is responsible for delivering football coaching, developing an action plan of football activities and setting up procedures to audit and evaluate them. Through these activities, Abdul engenders positive relationships between the community and the football club, working to attract further funding and help win hearts and minds of the religious and culturally diverse communities.

Community Cohesion Officer, Abdul Basit, said:

"As the Community Cohesion Officer for Bolton Wanderers, I am faced with the exciting challenge of promoting harmony within the many different communities that live together using football as a medium.

"Bolton encapsulates such a wide variety of different communities and, therefore, community cohesion is very important in the locality."

Mr Basit, a fully qualified FA Coach, was named Community Coach of the Year during his time at Oldham Athletic, believes that football coaching plays a major part in his role alongside organising tournaments and football festivals.

He added:

"One of my main priorities is to develop and maintain strong relationships with community leaders that will encourage more and more youngsters to use football as part of their development and education needs.

"I also work closely with the grassroots of the game trying to unearth new talent from RCDC communities, who would have never had the opportunity of playing football at a high level in the past.

"Developing new coaches is also be integral part of my role. I want to get some local people interested in the game with the dream of getting these people qualified as coaches and referees in order to put something back into their own communities."

To speak with Abdul about his role or how he can help your community, give him at call on 01204 480 601.