A service which provides young people of Bolton a safe space to speak about any concerns they have celebrates its 20th birthday.

The Parallel opened its doors in October 2003 in a groundbreaking move to improve the welfare and wellbeing of children and young people across the borough.

No subject was or is off the table at the centre, situated off Churchgate.

Services, include sexual health screening and contraception, substance misuse assessment, harm reduction, intervention and support, general health, and wellbeing with weekly GP sessions, PHSE in schools and colleges and signposting to other services such as the Emergency Department, maternity, and mental health services.

Margaret Clugston, Matron of the Adolescent Health and Wellbeing team joined The Parallel twenty years ago on the day it opened.

She has seen the service evolve to reflect changes in the lives of young people.

She said: “I’m so proud of what we have been able to achieve over the past two decades.

“The knowledge and skills of the team has ensured we consistently provide high quality care for young people in Bolton.

“Every day is different as you never know what each young person will need support with, and being able to work with young people for their experiences helps us to shape our services so they’re the best they can be.”

The Parallel has also recently been inspected by Bee Counted, a group of young people from Greater Manchester who have trained to become health inspectors, rated the service green.

Overall feedback from the inspectors described the team as being “passionate about helping young people”.

In 2019, The Parallel merged with the 360° Substance Misuse Service to create a more specialised adolescent health and wellbeing service, sitting within the 0-19 Health and Wellbeing service managed by Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Charlotte Mackinnon, GP, started working for the service on the day it opened, she said: “I’m passionate about ensuring children have a good start in life. Young people can sometimes be ‘unseen’ with their stories not being heard.

“I remember the challenges of being a teenager and transitioning from childhood to being a ‘grown up’, so I feel if we can help in a small way then we have made a difference.

“Everyone you meet has a different story and The Parallel is there for them every step of the way.

“We provide holistic care and part of the joy of the job is feeling as though you are sharing someone’s future by keeping them safe and well.”

To find out more about The Parallel, including how to contact the team, visit Bolton NHS Foundation Trust’s website.

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno.