BOLTON TOGETHER
Registered charity 1163466 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BETTER BOLTON
Advancement of education in the subject of service provision for children,young perople and families with a view to improving their care and quality of life.
Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity incurred a net expenditure of £129,797 for the year, which was covered by funds brought forward from the previous financial year. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted free reserves stood at £116,871, which is below the stated policy target of £150,000. The trustees confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £117k; policy: a minimum of £150,000)
“At the 31 March 2025, unrestricted free reserves were £116,871.” — page 17
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: N Hutchinson (Trustee) is the Managing Director of Bolton Middlebrook Leisure Trust who received grants from the charity for the delivery of services. The value of these grants in the year was £18,400
“N Hutchinson (Trustee) is the Managing Director of Bolton Middlebrook Leisure Trust who received grants from the charity for the delivery of services. The value of these grants in the year was £18,400 (2024: £12,275), see note 4.” — page 36
“G Smallwood (Trustee) is the Chief Executive of Fortalice who received grants from the charity for the delivery of services. The value of these grants in the year was £107,577 (2024: £144,395), see note 4.” — page 36
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: G Smallwood (Trustee) is the Chief Executive of Fortalice who received grants from the charity for the delivery of services. The value of these grants in the year was £107,577
“N Hutchinson (Trustee) is the Managing Director of Bolton Middlebrook Leisure Trust who received grants from the charity for the delivery of services. The value of these grants in the year was £18,400 (2024: £12,275), see note 4.” — page 36
“G Smallwood (Trustee) is the Chief Executive of Fortalice who received grants from the charity for the delivery of services. The value of these grants in the year was £107,577 (2024: £144,395), see note 4.” — page 36
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: E Hutchinson (Trustee) and J Robinson (Trustee) are the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Finance, respectively, at Bolton Lads and Girls Club who received grants from the charity for the delivery of services. The value of these grant in the year were £112,618
“N Hutchinson (Trustee) is the Managing Director of Bolton Middlebrook Leisure Trust who received grants from the charity for the delivery of services. The value of these grants in the year was £18,400 (2024: £12,275), see note 4.” — page 36
“G Smallwood (Trustee) is the Chief Executive of Fortalice who received grants from the charity for the delivery of services. The value of these grants in the year was £107,577 (2024: £144,395), see note 4.” — page 36
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Bolton Solidarity Community Association receive grants from the charity for the delivery of services. During the year the value of the grant was £12,000
“N Hutchinson (Trustee) is the Managing Director of Bolton Middlebrook Leisure Trust who received grants from the charity for the delivery of services. The value of these grants in the year was £18,400 (2024: £12,275), see note 4.” — page 36
“G Smallwood (Trustee) is the Chief Executive of Fortalice who received grants from the charity for the delivery of services. The value of these grants in the year was £107,577 (2024: £144,395), see note 4.” — page 36
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by SCCA Ltd T/A Stafford & Co.. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.
Corporate structure
Company officers (Companies House)
Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.
- SHAHBAZ, Wahab — director, appointed 17/03/2026on trustee list
- ARMSTRONG, Elliot John — director, appointed 12/09/2025on trustee list
- MCFARLANE, Philip John — director, appointed 09/01/2025on trustee list
- HUTCHINSON, Emma Louise — director, appointed 22/01/2024on trustee list
- AIDEED, Bashir Jama — director, appointed 24/05/2023not on trustee list
- NEEDHAM, Martin Antony — director, appointed 03/04/2023on trustee list
- DARLEY, Lindsey Jane — director, appointed 15/04/2021on trustee list
- MATTA, Beverley Clare — director, appointed 11/02/2021on trustee list
- SMALLWOOD, Gill — director, appointed 09/09/2015not on trustee list
Official officers record.
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Reported reserves equal ~1.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (100% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.3% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
- Beverley Clare Matta
- Dr GILL SMALLWOOD MBE · trustee of 1 other charity
- Elliot Armstrong
- Emma Hutchinson
- Lindsey Darley
- Martin Needham
- Philip John McFarlane
- Wahab Shahbaz
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Bolton · Lancashire
Income and spending
Common questions
Is BOLTON TOGETHER financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity incurred a net expenditure of £129,797 for the year, which was covered by funds brought forward from the previous financial year. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted free reserves stood at £116,871, which is below the stated policy target of £150,000. The trustees confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by SCCA Ltd T/A Stafford & Co..
Who funds BOLTON TOGETHER?
Funders whose own accounts filings name BOLTON TOGETHER as a grant recipient include BOLTON COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY SERVICES.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
Funders of similar charities
Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BOLTON COMMUNITY LEISURE.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.