Bolton Wanderers Community Trust calls on supporters to join The 2.6 Challenge from Sunday 26 April 2020

The UK’s charities need your help. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic effect with the cancellation of thousands of events and the loss of billions in income through fundraising events.

The Virgin Money London Marathon alone, which should have taken place on Sunday 26 April, is the world’s biggest one-day fundraising event, which raised more than £66.4 million for thousands of charities in 2019.

As it cannot take place as planned, its organisers have created a”lockdown-friendly event” which is easy for anyone to join in and make a difference, especially for smaller local charities.

Bolton Wanderers Community Trust, like so many charities across the UK, has been impacted by COVID-19. The Community Trust is a registered charity that uses sport and positive engagement provide quality experiences to the wider community, focusing on narrowing the gap of disadvantage in Health, Education, Disability and Inclusion in Bolton.

We run over 30 different programmes across Bolton, all which use sport and other activities as positive engagement tools in order to enhance people’s lives and assist in narrowing the gap of disadvantage in our community. Those we work with are often come from the most disadvantaged groups and deprived areas of Bolton. Some of those groups we work with includes children in the care system, disabled children and adults, those suffering from poor mental health, older isolated and lonely adults, BAME, the unemployed and those from low income families/backgrounds.

During this uncertain period the Community Trust has continued to operate to help those most at risk. Calling and speaking to Bolton Wanderers Football Club’s 1000+ over 70 year old season ticket holders, arranging food parcels when necessary and maintaining weekly phone calls to those who request them. Our staff have volunteered with Bolton’s community and voluntary response team, helping with food shops, walking dogs of elderly residents and general welfare phone calls. We continue to promote ways for the Bolton community to stay healthy and active during this lockdown period. Sharing physical activity content and ideas to our participants and supporters.

Covid-19 has resulted in the Community Trust losing an estimated £200,000 in income through fundraising events and project work. We hope that supporters of Bolton Wanderers Football Club will join the 2.6 Challenge to help Bolton Wanderers Community Trust and our Bolton community.

From Sunday 26 April 2020, the challenge is to dream up an activity based around the numbers 2.6 or 26 and fundraise by donating on our Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/bwct . Then share your efforts with us on social media; Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - @officialbwct.

Taking up the 2.6 Challenge can be something as simple as walking or running 2.6 miles, 2.6 kms - or 26 press-ups, 26 minutes walking round the garden. It can be a sponsored activity, or a donation - £2.60 or £26 – or whatever is affordable - it all adds up and will make a difference for our charity and the Bolton community.

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