Connecting Futures in Farnworth: Building Hope and Opportunity for Bolton’s Young People
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Sometimes the best connections happen by chance. What started as a simple cold call turned into an inspiring and meaningful meeting at The Well Centre in Farnworth — a place full of warmth, community spirit, and opportunity.
We were welcomed with open arms by Tracy Wilkinson, Communications and Engagement Manager at The Well Centre, alongside Sandra and Jim from Bid Factors. Their genuine passion for helping local people and supporting community initiatives set the tone for an incredible conversation about collaboration and change in Bolton.
Empowering Young People in Farnworth through Boss Your Future Bolton
Our visit to The Well Centre was part of promoting the Boss Your Future Bolton programme — an initiative by Genuine Futures CIC that supports young people aged 15–24 who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). Through enterprise, mentoring, and social action, the programme helps young people gain employability skills, confidence, and purpose.
We were joined by Mo, one of the young people we’re supporting through our partnership with Backup Charity, which helps young people who are homeless to transition into independence through supported housing, personal development, and life skills training. You can learn more about their amazing work at backup-charity.org.uk.
Mo really enjoyed the visit — proof that when community spaces like The Well Centre open their doors, young people feel seen, valued, and inspired to build a better future.
Across Farnworth and Bolton, we see the same challenges — isolation, lack of opportunity, and low confidence — but we also see enormous potential. Through Boss Your Future Bolton, we’re turning that potential into progress, helping young people take their next steps into work, training, or self-employment.
We Shine Any Car – A Youth-Led Social Enterprise Changing Lives
We also invited Tracy, Sandra, and Jim to visit We Shine Any Car, our youth-led social enterprise based at The Scrappers in Bolton. It’s more than just a car wash — it’s a place where young people learn, earn, and grow.
At We Shine Any Car, young people gain hands-on experience in valeting, customer service, teamwork, and business operations while learning essential life skills such as budgeting, communication, and marketing. It’s part of a growing movement led by Genuine Futures CIC to create enterprising pathways out of disadvantage.
Projects like We Shine Any Car, We Polish Any Car, and Boss Your Future Bolton all link together through our Young Futures Hub, where young people find hope, trust, purpose, and belonging — and discover what’s possible when they’re given the chance to shine.
Collaboration and Connection: Together We Are Bolton
A special thank you to Jim from Bid Factors for his fantastic presentation on bid writing — full of insight, encouragement, and practical advice for grassroots organisations. It’s clear that when professionals like Jim share their expertise, it strengthens the entire ecosystem of community development in Bolton.
We’re grateful to Tracy Wilkinson and the team at The Well Centre in Farnworth for the warm welcome and for the brilliant work they do connecting residents to local services, wellbeing programmes, and community opportunities.
Our message is simple: 
We can achieve more when we work together.
We’re inviting businesses, schools, charities, and community organisations across Bolton to connect, collaborate, and start the conversation about how we can empower young people together. Whether it’s offering placements, sponsoring equipment, volunteering time, or visiting our Young Futures Hub, every partnership helps to build a stronger, fairer Bolton.
Together, we are Bolton — and together, we can help young people shine.
Join the Movement
If you’re a Bolton business, community leader, or educator, we’d love to hear from you. Let’s work together to support young people through enterprise, mentoring, and social action.
Visit us at We Shine Any Car, The Scrappers, Bolton
Learn more: www.genuinefutures.co.uk
Email: hello@genuinefutures.co.uk
Because when communities stand together, futures shine brighter.