A review is underway into centres which provide advice and training to local residents - with one pop-up service to shut immediately.

Bolton at Home is conducting a review into its UCAN Centres, including reducing the number of hours they operate over summer.

The social housing provide say the review is as a result of financial challenges facing the sector  - but a new one could open in the town centre.

It added the centres would focus on the services users needed the most,

Changes in hours would allow teams to support free holiday activities for children and families and the BL Lunches project, which provides packed lunches for school-age children over the summer break.

A number of UCAN centres have closed recently  Johnson Fold and Halliwell.

And bosses say that the changes will help them prioritise repairing and improving homes, building new homes, and bringing empty homes back into use.

Potential changes to way services are offered could come in from September.

From July 1 to August 30, UCAN centres will have new opening hours.

  • Deane UCAN Centre: Tuesday, 9.30am to 3pm, and Wednesday morning only, 9.30am to 12pm.
  • New Bury UCAN Centre: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 9.30am to 3pm.
  • Tonge Moor UCAN Centre: Monday and Thursday, 9.30am to 3pm.
  • Withins UCAN Centre: Tuesday, 9.30am to 3pm, and Thursday morning only, 9.30am to 12pm.

All centres will be closed for lunch between 12pm and 12.30pm.

Low footfall was the main reason Bolton at Home decided to close the Johnson Fold UCAN Centre earlier this year, and it’s also why they have decided to close the Brazley Pop-Up UCAN Centre with immediate effect.

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A Bolton at Home spokesperson has explained what might change following the review.

They said: “Our aim is to make sure our support is where it’s needed most and that our tenants get the most benefit from our UCAN service.

“Some of our venues are used frequently by people who aren’t our tenants, and while we’re still open to this, we want to make sure we’re meeting our tenants’ needs first and foremost.

“As we go through our review, there are still decisions to be made. It’s possible that our current network of UCAN centres and Pop-Up centres might change a bit in terms of when and where we’re open.

“We’re also considering expanding our network by opening a new UCAN centre in Bolton town centre, which could be a convenient location for many of our tenants.

“We want to reassure you that our main goal is to ensure our services are accessible and beneficial to our tenants.

“We promise to keep you informed of any changes and explain why they’re happening.”

Bolton at Home added it remains dedicated to providing residents with a warm welcome at the UCAN centres and personalised support.

There are currently four UCAN centres still in existence, these include Tonge Moor, Withins, New Bury and Deane.

There are also some pop-up UCAN centres still in existence, these include Breightmet at the Deepdale Community Centre, Great Lever at the Great Holme Housing Hub, Great Lever at the Slaterfield Centre, Little Lever Library, Kearsley and Westhoughton.

UCAN centres provide a range of services including help in finding employment, free use of the internet and computers, and phone, training courses, access to social activities and community groups, assistance with housing issues and benefits, health and wellbeing support and advice and support with money matters.

For more information about the UCAN centres, go to: www.boltonathome.org.uk/ucan.

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 X @chloewjourno.