BOLTON'S movers and shakers are meeting today to plan for spending £12.2 million in the next year.

Business leaders, town hall chiefs and voluntary groups will gather to discuss plans for the future.

Bolton is receiving the cash from the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal Fund to help the most deprived areas. The group will look at how the money can best be spent.

The annual Vision Conference will discuss the direction the borough will be taking, the launch of the Annual Plan 2001 -- which sets out the achievements and targets of the 12 partnerships -- and how to develop Bolton's new Community Strategy.

A record turn-out is expected with more people attending from the voluntary and community sector.

"Bolton was one of the first areas in the country to bring everybody together who has a stake in the borough, long before it became fashionable," said Richard Hurst, chairman of the Vision Initiative.

"We are already seeing the benefits of working together. For example, our Learning Town Partnership has improved education standards in all the key areas. Standards in English at Key Stage 2 have jumped from 57 per cent in 1996 to 75 per cent last year."

There will be an interactive audience participation session on a range of issues and how to tackle them.

The Vision Conference is being held at the Reebok Stadium.