A group which is working to help people and families in crisis needs the help of local people to move into a base.
Westhoughton Assist Service is a community project which aims to tackle food poverty through a foodbank and provide aid to people in Westhoughton and surrounding areas.
The group is run by volunteers from the community and was originally set up in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to help those in crisis.
The project identified that many people in Westhoughton were suffering financial difficulties as a result of loss of income, delayed benefit claims and increasing family pressures.
The group has been given an old building on St James' Street, but the floor on the building needs work as it is rundown and falling through.
Janet Colley of the Westhoughton Assist said: “It used to be a dance school, but over time the floor has rotted and now fallen through.
“Nobody has been in it for a while and we’ve being looking for two years but the work is more than we can afford to do on our own.”
“That is going to cost up to £25000 to fix but then it’s ours for free and for good, we just need the money to fix it and continue with our work.”
Initially, the group used a community room during Covid but when the restrictions ended, the rent was more than they could afford and things looked bleak.
Janet said: “Many people were also suffering the adverse effects of shielding or self-isolation.
“We found that there was increasing need within our area that had no appropriate services in place to offer support.
“Westhoughton and Bolton West has very little in the way of support services and getting any help proved very difficult.”
Determined not to give up, the community group rented two portacabins and site them on a car park on Central Drive as a temporary measure but need a permanent base.
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Janet said: “To secure this service and to offer life skills learning to our community we desperately need a home.
“But we now need the money to be able to fix the floor and operate out of it.”
Donate https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/westhoughtonAssistnewhome?
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