Front Row: Secretary of State, Ruth Kelly together with Bolton Wanderers' Community Cohesion Officer, Abdul Basit
Back Row: Youngsters from Starting Point School, Astley Bridge
ON THE back of Bolton Wanderers' highly-acclaimed Unity in Diversity Project, Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government, visited the Reebok Stadium on Friday to meet members of the Unity in Diversity Steering Group - comprising of Club officials, community cohesion officers and business leaders - and children from Starting Point School, Astley Bridge.
Wanderers are one of the first top-flight clubs in the country to introduce a scheme with the aim to unite the diverse communities, through the stronghold of the Wanderers brand, that make-up the town of Bolton.
Through the power of football and its standing in the community, Wanderers has recognised Bolton as one of the country's most diverse towns, and has become the catalyst at developing harmony and unity amongst the many communities that make the Borough such an exciting place to live and work.
Since its inception four months ago, the Unity in Diversity project has gone from strength to strength developing a Community Cohesion Strategy which is being championed by the Club but with the full support of Bolton Council, along with the faith groups and communities themselves, and have recently appointed Abdul Basit as football's first Community Cohesion Officer, who will be responsible for the implementation of the Club's cohesion strategy across the town.
Commenting on the work carried in the community by the Club, Ruth Kelly MP was keen to praise the efforts of the Wanderers, she said:
"I am delighted to have this opportunity to commend the work Bolton Wanderers, in partnership with other local groups, is doing with Bolton's diverse communities. Creating a common vision and sense of belonging for all communities is a vital element in building a cohesive society and football clubs are, clearly, ideally placed to play an active role in this process. It is heartening that Bolton Wanderers takes its responsibilities to its local communities so seriously and I wish this ambitious project all the best for the future."
Abdul Basit, the Club's Community Cohesion Officer, added:
"It is really good for the Club, the project and the town. It's quite fantastic to get somebody who is involved in communities, to the level like Ruth Kelly is, to come and recognise the importance of Unity in Diversity. She's a local Member of Parliament and has got great investment in the town of Bolton and wants to show what Bolton is doing ahead of everybody else. But from a government ministerial point of view, to actually recognise that this is what building communities is about and to see it happening at grassroots level, working with people from diverse communities and a diverse range of nationalities, cultures and religions, really makes a difference."
