Westhoughton Community Network

group for and run by community groups in Westhoughton

Greater Manchester Police serving Bolton and Westhoughton Greater Manchester Police - Westhoughton Policing Team

Local policing teams are groups of officers dedicated to serving the community. Westhoughton is currently served by a team of 4 Police Constables and 3 Pcsos reporting to Sergeant Mark Robertson with a dedicated Inspector. Teams are made up of officers based in the area, supported by additional officers from the wider area; they work closely with local authorities, organisations, partners and residents to decide policing priorities. This helps teams find long-term solutions to local problems to help make our area safer and a good neighbourhood.

Pcso Michelle with Pippa Panda at the Washacre FM 2014 Showcase Day at the John Holt Centre, WesthoughtonMany local residents will be familiar with the Pcsos (Police Community Support Officers) whose role is to work with and within communities offering support, advice and a friendly presence. As part of their work they will often be seen at community events, community centres and visiting local schools. (Crime Prevention Advice | Useful Contacts). They organise regular PACT meetings at community venues to meet and hear from local residents. They are an integral part of effective neighbourhood policing as they provide reassurance by high visibility patrolling in the community, often being the first port of call for residents. They will deal with anti-social behaviour such as youths causing annoyance, neighbour disputes to other low level crimes. The uniform is a cap with a mid-blue band and GMP badge; blue t-shirt; combat trousers and standard issue body armour.

Pcsos at the Westhoughton Big Fun Day meeting the local communityA Pcso is also a good source for the collection of intelligence which will often lead to arrests and the convictions of offenders. They also attend schools to interact with children on their areas; advising on how to keep themselves safe, along with doing talks such as: 'Safe for summer,' 'Safe for Autumn,' 'Operation Tinsel' - the December to January operation that tackles shop lifting offences and theft from person.

PACT Meetings

Following the closure of the Police Post on Pavilion Square in 2016, officers are now based at Middlebrook, but as well as being out and about the police hold regular drop-in sessions at the John Holt Centre (BL5 2NR) and The Hub at Westhoughton (BL5 3DS).

Greater Manchester Police - Non-emergency enquiries - Call 101PACT meetings (Police And Community Together) are held in the local area with the police, councillors and the community. The aim is to bring everyone together to discuss issues within the communities to try and resolve any problems arising from this meeting. They are held regularly and open to everyone. Pcsos will usually be present at Area Forum meetings, which begin with a drop-in session just before the main meeting. This forum is undergoing a change of format - last Westhoughton meeting was in 2019. The dates for the meetings are advertised around Westhoughton, on the GMP website (GM Police - WH North | WH South) and also on Twitter.

If you have an issue and concern about crime and anti-social behaviour, a chance to talk to police in an informal and confidential manner.

The next PACT meeting is Tuesday 19th March 2024 (6:00pm - 7:30pm) at The John Holt Community Centre.


Programme Challenger - 'Westhoughton You Decide' (2015)

Greater Manchester Police as part of a community-involvement initiative have available £15,000 of funding to be allocated to groups/projects in Westhoughton which 'have contact with the community and help build better relations within their community.' Pcsos are liaising with WCN and others to develop and promote what will be a special 'Westhoughton You Decide' event on Saturday afternoon, January 24th at Westhoughton High School, where bidders are invited to give a presentation to the room for bids and grant award to be voted on by the local community.

Application Forms and Guidance Notes have been made available. Applications for groups big and small, new and established encouraged. The deadline for return was Wednesday, 10th December. Grants of up to maximum of £1,500 could be applied for. Forms will be vetted, then applicants invited to pitch their idea/project at the 'Westhoughton You Decide' event - a 3-minute, non-Powerpoint presentation to the room. The public will then decide and vote on the day who gets what and how much.

There will be an accompanying publicity campaign in January to both promote the police in the community and the work of local groups.

Westhoughton You Decide Event 24th January 2015 Update (25/1/15): There was a phenomenal response to this initiative with 23 local projects applying for funding benefiting the Westhoughton community. Projects/groups applying for funding with summaries The 'Westhoughton You Decide' Decision Day was a great success - both interesting and entertaining. A celebration of the good work going on in the community.

Doors at Westhoughton High School opened before noon on Saturday, 24th January. The event was opened by the Town Mayor, Kevan Jones, with groups stepping forward to present their case from 12:30pm with short 3-minute presentations and some more theatrical displays. From 2:00pm, the public cast their votes - each resident present allowed to vote for up to 5 groups. During the count there was a break for refreshments (pasties donated by Greenhalghs and Waterfields), and some mingling. Back in the main hall there was some entertainment with a sing-a-long set from The Travellin' Strings, which had the whole room joining in. Prizes donated by the many sponsors were given out in the free raffle. The event concluded with the announcement of the public vote winners with opportunities for photos. 12 groups were awarded funding from the Westhoughton You Decide event 2015 - it is hoped to repeat this event in future years.

A good day with a mix of fun and information sharing - some winners, and some who missed out this time (these groups signposted to other avenues for funding). A high profile event for the town, and a boost to both the community and the work of the police within that community. Police representatives particularly impressed with the community spirit and co-operation within Westhoughton.

Winning Bids (2015)

Westhoughton You Decide Event Winners - 24th January 2015

Bethel Crowd Amateur Dramatic Society
Friday Night Fever Youth Group
Friends of Eatock Lodge
Rainbow Crafts Group
St Bartholomew's CE Primary School
Washacre FM
Washacre Primary School
Tots and Toddlers
Westhoughton Age Support Project (WASP)
Westhoughton Community Queens Association
Westhoughton Methodist Church
Westhoughton Rotary Club

**Official Photos**.

Schemes, Campaigns and Successes

There are numerous operation run throughout the year. Including 'Operation Cracker,' 'Treacle' and 'Safe for Summer.' These are to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime issues. There has been a significant drop in crime over the past few years in Westhoughton, although we do have small pockets of crime that happen throughout the year. The Pscos have crime reduction advice and leaflets available to read and keep.

Warnings will be posted from time to time if crime-related issues become a problem: For example, there has been a slight rise in theft from sheds and garages where push bikes have been stolen. The advice is that advice all sheds and garages be kept locked and secure.

GM Police initiative supporting victims of crimeGreater Manchester Victims Services

New website for victims and survivors of crime in Greater Manchester 'Greater Manchester Victims Services' brings together information about victims' services and the criminal justice system under one roof. People can call a helpline, read practical advice and information, or search an online directory to find details of a local support service. All at a time that suits them and regardless of when the crime took place or whether it was reported to police.

See also: Facebook page and Twitter (@gmvictims | #victimcare).


Contact and Useful links

If you need to contact the Policing Team the please ring 101 and ask for the Officer you wish to speak to - if officer is not in then an e-mail will be sent. In an emergency the number to ring is 999.

Alternatively, your Neighbourhood Policing Team can be contacted as follows:
Westhoughton North - 0161 85 65687 | 13401@gmp.police.uk
Westhoughton South - 0161 85 65310 | 15537@gmp.police.uk
In addition, a new Live Chat service is available online giving direct contact with police link at bottom-right of GMP website.

You can follow the Policing Team on Twitter and Facebook where news and updates are posted:

Twitter Washacre FM 2011@GMPBoltonSouth (Twitter) | Facebook Greater Manchester Police Bolton SouthGMP Bolton South (Facebook).

Useful Contact Numbers

  • Crimestoppers 0800 555 111
  • Police non-emergency 101
  • Greater Manchester Victims' Services 0161 200 1950
  • Bolton Council 01204 333333
  • Contour Housing 0345 602 1120
  • Environmental Services 01204 336632
  • Neighbourhood Nuisance ASB 01204 328143
  • Age Concern 01204 382411
  • Citizens Advice 0344 488 9622

Simple But Effective Crime Prevention Advice

VEHICLES

Take care of your vehicles; by far the most prevalent offence of theft from motor vehicles is where the owner leaves the doors unlocked. Criminals will literally walk around trying car doors knowing that they will find one unlocked, this means they do not have to break glass causing noise or carry implements for which they can be arrested.

  1. Remove belongings, if there is nothing on view in the vehicle to tempt a thief it is more than likely that they will move on to another more attractive target, and if this is adopted by all your neighbours, thieves tend to target a more productive area.
  2. Car keys, please put your car keys in a safe place in your home, do not leave them by the front door as these can be reached by use of a hook and cane, also don't leave them in view of a window, as this allows thieves to make a quick entry without having to search for the keys.

HOUSES AND SHEDS

  1. Please ensure that you lock all exterior doors AND windows, many crimes take place due to insecurities, try to get yourself into a routine of checking that your doors and windows are locked, this will prevent them from being forgotten about.
  2. As with your cars please put house keys in a safe place out of view, leaving them in a door makes it easy for them to get in if a window is nearby. It's also easy for them to get out and remove larger items from the house.
  3. Don't allow thieves to window shop, when you retire for the night close curtains or remove things like laptops, purses and the like from view, again don't make a tempting target.
  4. Sometimes garages and sheds are forgotten about, as if you are like me you will have various tools and the like which cost a lot to replace, again keep sheds and garages closed and locked when not in use, I know It can be a pain but not as much as arguing with your house insurer to replace them.
  5. Now the dark evenings are upon us if possible leave a light on in the house if you are going out. Or use a timer switch so if there is a criminal walking around they will think that you are at home and will try somewhere else.
  6. Please use the attached sheet for recording your property. This could be helpful when property is recovered by the police and it can be returned to you.

PERSONAL SAFETY

  1. By far the most important advice is to be aware of your surroundings, avoid walking into dark deserted area's alone.
  2. Don't advertise. Don't leave valuable personal items on show; things like mobile phones, purses and cash make tempting targets.
  3. Do not leave you bags unattended or over the back of chairs when out, the same applies for jackets with wallets and purses in the pockets.
  4. It's also a good idea to separate large amounts of cash from cards, so if the worst happens you don't lose it all.

Please remember that this is just general advice, which covers a wide range of incidents that have occurred in the past, and not particularly in your area. There is no need to worry about any of the above points, however, it is helpful to raise your awareness and pass advice gained from isolated incidents. Greater Manchester Police are working hard to keep your area safe and peaceful, and with your help and support we can continue to achieve our aims. We are running many initiatives to deter and prevent the types of fore-mentioned incidents occurring.

As a result please feel free to contact us with any issues that are affecting you or your neighbours or for further crime prevention advice. We can be reached on the below number or just stop us in the street, alternatively you can visit the GMP web site gmp.police.uk.

Page last updated: 14/2/24.

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Participating Groups

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Useful Links

Community Events

  • Daisy Hill Station Improvements
    March to December 2024
    As part of 'Access for All' improvements station will see changes to ticket hall and installation of a lift and toilet, as well as car park changes. £4m project. Some disruption but services continue. Details at Friends of Daisy Hill Station page -
  • History Group
    Monthly meetings - 3rd Thurs (10:30am)
    Westhoughton Library
    After a busy 2023 including the Wingates Band Story exhibition celebrating the brass bands 150th anniversary (Q323), schedule resumes with speakers and special events for this popular heritage group. Next mtg 21/3 st March - Speaker Ruth Duckworth: My Life in Cricket (Part 2)
  • Rotary Christmas Float 2023
    During December Rotary Club of Westhoughton were out and about visiting local estates and will at Sainsbury's ahead of Christmas. As well as Santa and his Rotary Elves bringing Christmas cheer to young and old, it is an important fundraiser; this year £6,249 was raised to be shared out with local community organisations. £5,640 raised and shared in 2022 - Presentation evening 20/4/23; 19 organisations receiving cheques.
  • Hub at Westhoughton
    The Hub at Westhoughton on Central Drive is home to a range of groups and activities serving the community. Information Leaflet.
  • Westhoughton Library
    Library now open for books, general reading and computer access. With current refurbishment complete, community activities on both ground and upper floor have resumed. Info | Community Plans.
  • Robert Shaw / Book of Quint
    Special event with Ryan Dacko, author of 'The Book of Quint' took place at Wetherspoon's 1st July, celebrating Westhoughton-born Robert Shaw and introducing the backstory of the shark hunter from Jaws. It was a great success with people coming far and wide, leading to Amberley publishing deal.
  • WOW! Women of Westhoughton
    Thursdays from 7:00pm
    John Holt Centre (BL5 2NR)
    Est. 2013, women's group for shared interests, talks, outings & social networking. New meeting venue. Updated programme.
  • Daisy Hill FC Fixtures (Home)
    League Division 1 North
    New Sirs (BL5 2EB)
    Cutters season in full flow. New management, new signings and clubhouse improvements. Support your local team. KO Sat 3pm or Mon 7:45pm. £5 adults / £3 concession / £2 U18s / U12s free w/ adult.
  • Lockdown information (Covid-19)
    For 16 months life and community was disrupted by measures to deal with the pandemic. It has been a long and impactful period, thankfully things are opening up again there is a return to normal. Watch for updates as community re-engages here and on
    Westhoughton.net Facebook Page.
  • Town Centre Masterplan
    Proposals for investment in Town Centre (Market Street focus) were consulted upon in 2019-20 with a Steering Group meeting to discuss plans for £4m investment and significant changes to Market Street, Central Park, Carnegie Hall and Town Hall.
  • Hope Community Centre
    The Central Drive church and community space is currently closed pending refurbishment discussions with Bolton Council. Hope Church services take place in the Hub.
Westhoughton Community Network @wcn_ on Twitter Westhoughton Community Network Facebook Page | westhoughton.net