The founders of a charity in Bolton were celebrated finally receiving MBE’s for their charitable work.

David and Christine Bagley founded Urban Outreach in Bolton from their attic in 1990 and set out to help young people in difficulty in Bolton, providing them safe homes.

Their work has led them to help over 22,000 people in just one year, providing everything from offender support, homelessness aid and food and cold weather provisions.

The couple chose to receive their MBE’s in Bolton instead of London and were praised by the Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Linda Thomas.

She said: “At Bolton Parish church on Saturday, the investiture of Dave and Chris Bagley of Urban Outreach MBE's took place.

“Sadly, the High Sheriff of GM Mrs Diane Hawkins JP DL who was supposed to award them their MBE's in person contracted COVID, but undeterred she managed it via zoom and I presented and pinned them to them both.

“Friends and family were there to see them duly awarded.

“They could have gone down to London to receive them but chose to have the investiture done in their hometown surrounded by friends and family. Truly well deserved.”

In 2020 at the start of the lockdown, the couple got busy to help those affected and struggling during the challenging time.

David said: ““We’re absolutely over the moon.

“It’s not something you get every day especially after such a difficult year.

“It’s not really about us though - it’s about the thousands of people who donate, and the hundreds of volunteers who have kept it going. In a funny sort of way this is their MBE not ours.”

They helped over 16,000 people, including 6,000 children who were fed over the summer holidays who would otherwise have had free school meals.

David said: “You don’t get involved with charitable work for recognition, but it is lovely for both Chris and I to be recognised together.

“We’ve both been involved for 30 years, and we have been married for 30 years this year so the whole thing is a celebration of something we have been working on together.