Bolton’s place as the Town of Culture this year must leave a “lasting legacy” to ensure it is not forgotten, town hall has heard. The borough currently is hosting a year-long programme of events after having been named as the Greater Manchester Town of Culture for 2024. A grant of £50,000 was handed down earlier this year, but a recent meeting of the council’s corporate scrutiny committee heard questions of what long term effects this would have.
Cllr John Walsh, of Astley Bridge, said: “We have a plethora of small grants from the town of culture, what are we aiming to have as the lasting legacy? “What are we going to be able to say, that the 2024 town of culture did achieve X and that is a benchmark of something we can say is that lasting legacy?” Cllr Nadeem Ayub, then Mayor of Bolton Cllr Mohammed Ayub and Bolton Council leader Nick Peel at the Town of Culture launch in May (Image: Henry Lisowski) He added: “Because if we’re not careful funds come and go, events have happened, and nobody remembers it.” The grant was handed down from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority culture fund after it was announced in March this year that Bolton had been chosen for the Town of Culture. The Town of Culture programme was first set up in 2019, with Bury, Stalybridge and Stockport having previously been awarded the accolade.
The year-long programme in Bolton was officially launched in May with an event at the Octagon Theatre , with a grand finale event is set to.