Team Bolton Together

Louise has 20 years’ experience in the community and voluntary sector and joined Bolton Together as The Strategic Lead in August 2020. Louise is passionate about collaboration and co-design and delivering person-centred services for Bolton residents.

Prior to this role Louise worked for Bolton CVS for 11 years leading on several health, engagement and inclusion programmes and held a secondment with Bolton NHS Foundation Trust striving towards increasing understanding and awareness of the fantastic voluntary sector offer in Bolton.

Louise has vast experience in project management, partnership work, strategic representation and co-designing services with a range of statutory and voluntary sector partners and those accessing support.

Louise is a Trustee for Senior Solutions and a proud Mum of two teenage boys and Poppy the Cavapoo.

Louise is the Lead for the Continuity of Care for the GM VCSE Mental Health Leadership Group.

Katrina is passionate about the VCSE sector and has spent over a decade working with communities to improve outcomes for children, young people, and families. An experienced project manager, Katrina has led initiatives ranging from Child Criminal Exploitation awareness programmes in Greater Manchester schools to the design and delivery of consultation and wellbeing projects. A Trustee on the board of two charities, Katrina is committed to championing equity, the best outcomes for families, and amplifying community voices.

Rimsha’s background is in retail operations and marketing, where she spent over six years building customer relationships, leading campaigns and driving team performance. She holds a degree in Sociology, which fuels her interest in people, communities and how they connect. Rimsha brings that passion into the charity sector, working to strengthen member engagement and support meaningful impact.

Emma is a graduate from the University of Liverpool with a BSc in Psychology. She has previously worked in a SEND primary school, supporting children aged 4-11 who have Autism, ADHD, severe language difficulties, and severe learning difficulties. This role supported children in their engagement with classroom/lesson activities, as well as supporting their emotional regulation, environmental awareness and understanding of themselves.

She brings some personal insight to her role as she has a younger brother who has Tourette’s Syndrome and anxiety. She continues to strive to support and advocate for those who deserve to have their voice heard. Outside of work she loves to read and bake for her family.

Sam has a background in supporting families through peer support. She previously worked closely with parents to ensure the family had emotional support and provided signposting for other services. Drawing on both her professional background and her experience as a parent of two, she is committed to helping families to improve their mental wellbeing. Sam strongly advocates for the role of physical activity and the outdoors in supporting mental health.

Lindsey is Director of Transformation and Delivery at Bury Local Care Organisation, a partnership of seven organisations including NHS Trusts, primary care, voluntary sector and social care. Since starting out as an Occupational Therapist she has worked in a variety of fields including mental health and social care before specialising in community health services. She is particularly passionate about the benefits integrated care across different sectors can bring to people and their families.

In her current role, Lindsey works to develop and deliver big programmes of change across partner organisations in areas such as integrated neighbourhood teams, palliative and end of life care, and hospital and community based urgent care. In addition, she is responsible for developing the workforce strategy for integrated care. Using improvement methods and co-producing work with staff groups and people and their families is a key part of her approach to her work, and this has resulted in Lindsey being an AQUA Improvement Fellow and presenting her work at national conferences.

Lindsey is a mum to twins born prematurely which gives her insight into the ongoing challenges faced by families experiencing the need to access services. Her spare time is spent walking her dog in the local countryside.

Gill worked in education for 28 years and moved into the voluntary sector 9 years ago and now works as Chief Executive for Fortalice, Gill is passionate about her work in this sector. Gill is a founding Director of 1Point, an organisation providing a gateway to talking therapies, a Director of Bolton Together and a Director for Fresh as a Daisy.

Gill is still heavily involved in education and is a Governor for a primary and secondary school in Bolton. Being involved in a diverse range of partnership working and sitting on Boards gives Gill an opportunity to help shape local and national policies on domestic abuse, education and safeguarding. Gill has been instrumental in leading and developing a range of accredited domestic abuse training which will be delivered locally and nationally.

Gill likes to give something back, so still does some voluntary counselling sessions and clinical supervisions to ensure she is up to date with current practice and is able to help others when needed. In the spare time Gill has, she loves spending time with her family and friends and is always up for a challenge.

After 15 years working in FMCG across Europe and another 13 years within the construction industry, it wasn’t until I started working in the charitable sector that I understood what job satisfaction meant.

From the start of the pandemic to 2024, I ran a small charity helping young people who presented as LGBTQI+ or who lived with neurodivergent issues; this changed how I look at the world. and although I have stepped away from the charity, I still look to help my community and give something back.

By working as a Trustee & Board member for Bolton Together, I am able to continue to support the amazing projects and community groups that work together to build a better tomorrow

My name is Emma Hutchinson, I am the CEO of Bolton Lads & Girls Club established 135 years ago to provide positive activities and safe spaces for young people in Bolton and the surrounding areas. I have 22 years experience of working across the public and third sectors providing services and opportunities for children, young people and their families. Many of these delivered in partnership with other like-minded organisations. 12 of my 22 years have been within Senior Leadership roles.

BLGC’s vision is to ensure that every young person in Bolton has the opportunity to be the best that they can be. Our mission is to provide great places to go, positive things to do and people that care. Our values are:

Driven – we are focused, we don’t give up and we do whatever it takes
Caring – genuine people make the difference, you cannot pay people to care
Exellence – We aim to deliver the highest standards of service and continuously improve improve through robust quality assurance and innovation
Empowering – we enable people to be the best they can be and go above and beyond conventional limits
Fun – If you enjoy what you do, you do it better! Work is serious and we do it with a smile on our face

By working as a Trustee & Board member for Bolton Together, I am able to continue to support the amazing projects and community groups that work together to build a better tomorrow

Elliot has over a decade of experience working with local NHS Trusts to improve quality and performance. His early life was influenced in part by the positive impact that Bolton Together and its partners has on young people, inspiring his commitment to join the Board. Elliot joins with a clear intent: to support Bolton Together in continuing to thrive and to offer a unique perspective on decision-making.

Outside of work, he has several hobbies but prefers nothing more than hiking adventures with his wife and their dog.

Wahab is Bolton Together’s Youth Trustee. Wahab has an unwavering dedication and commitment to helping children and young people excel academically and personally through his tutoring company ensuring they have the confidence needed for the next step of their journey. With nearly a decade of experience in teaching and mentoring, Wahab works with a wide range of people from all backgrounds, ensuring that everyone is heard and acknowledged.

Educated at the University of Cambridge, Wahab combines the rigour expected in high-performing environments with a compassionate and practical approach to education, building trust with students, families, and communities alike. Wahab is passionate about creating inclusive opportunities that cater to every young person, enabling them to reach their true potential.