Club and council join forces for youth

It has been launched with a £200,000 grant from the Football Foundation.

The Jigsaw Project will try to prevent young people getting involved in drugs and anti-social behaviour by involving them in football.

Volunteers in community groups will be trained as coaches and soccer sessions will be organised in schools and clubs.

The scheme is a unique partnership between Bolton Council's Sport, Health and Inclusion Unit and the Bolton Wanderers Football in the Community Programme.

It is the first time a council and Premiership football club have come together in this way.

Sam Allardyce, manager of Bolton Wanderers, said: "To receive an investment of £200,000 from the Football Foundation is terrific news.

"The Jigsaw Project is set to lead the way for the development of the game in Bolton and will encourage thousands of young people and adults to develop their social skills and gain the benefits of an active lifestyle."

The initiative will be funded by the Football Foundation over the next five years. A Community Football Development Officer will be appointed over the next couple of months to oversee the project.

Cllr Roger Hayes, deputy leader of Bolton Council, said: "By using the common interest of football, we want to improve health, education, learning and skills in the community.

"We will be pulling together all the various pieces of the local football jigsaw and supporting the overall infrastructure of football in Bolton."

Funded by the Premier League, the Football Association and the Government, the Football Foundation is the nation's largest sports charity with over £200m already invested into the heart of football. Peter Lee, chief executive of the Football Foundation, said: "This outstanding project will bring football to thousands more young people in and around Bolton. It is essential for the future of sport that this investment continues to revolutionise football in our communities."