The purpose made ‘Volunteer Vaults’ are being installed by Bolton Council in ten locations across the town, with the first one already in place at Leverhulme Park.
The tough cabinets are designed to protect tools and deter vandals, and are made of steel, securely locked and firmly fixed to paths and walls.
Each one is located close to where volunteer groups regularly work, making it easier for them to pick up litter, tidy paths and improve green spaces in their communities.
The installation has been facilitated by Gareth Pike, Bolton Council’s Volunteer Coordinator for the Love Bolton, Hate Litter project, with funding from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Gareth’s job is to support environmental volunteers by supplying tools and equipment and organising for bags of freshly picked litter to be collected by the council’s Neighbourhood Services team.
About 130 groups with over 1,000 volunteers help to restore and improve parks and green spaces across Bolton.
Since last September, they have collected over 15,500 bags of litter.
Gareth said:
“Bolton is incredibly lucky to be blessed with so many enthusiastic volunteers and it’s a pleasure for me to work with them.
“The fact that they are prepared to give up some of their spare time for the benefit of everyone shows how committed they are to their neighbourhoods and communities.
“We wanted to make things a bit easier for them by making sure they have the equipment they need readily to hand.”
Bolton Council’s Executive Member for Climate Change and Environment, Cllr Richard Silvester, said:
“Volunteer Vaults are an excellent idea and I fully support anything we can do to help our fantastic volunteers.
“It’s now well established that tidy neighbourhoods and local green spaces do much to improve our wellbeing and quality of life, and the council will continue to wholeheartedly support our volunteers who do such a valuable job.”
