Clear Futures helps Bolton weather the storm
A recovery effort, spearheaded by Clear Futures, helped bring the Bolton Food & Drink Festival back from disaster after heavy winds and gusts of up to 60 mph threatened to cancel the event.
Traders had been setting up stalls all week for the country’s biggest foodie festival, which attracts more than 500,000 over four days at the end of August. Approximately 90% of the event is outside, with around 120 gazebos installed throughout the town centre.
Overnight and early on the morning of the first day of the event, on Friday August 23rd, Storm Lilian severely damaged or significantly displaced gazebos, tents and other events infrastructure causing Bolton Council to postpone the start of the festival.
An extensive clean-up operation was required before the site would be safe for public and traders. Clear Futures has been working with Bolton Council since 2019 as a strategic partner for buildings, infrastructure and services, and offered support to help make the festival happen.
Calling on delivery partners Robertson Facilities Management, Robertson Construction North West, Seddon and Leisure Guard, Clear Futures organised over 40 people to put right the damage to the festival site.
The team re-erected gazebos and signs, righted barriers, cleared debris and assisted traders to set up their stalls.
By the Friday evening, the clean-up and recovery operation was complete and the Festival went ahead as scheduled for the final three days.
Keith Edwards, Clear Futures’ Partnership Director said:
“Friday demonstrated the principles that drive Clear Futures, particularly ‘What’s important to you, is important to us’. I’m incredibly proud of how our supply chain came together to show that principle in action.
“Bolton is one of the best examples of partnership working I have experienced. It takes a 360-degree attitude, time, and understanding to achieve this, and how we seamlessly came together on Friday and worked as one team showed what a true partnership is capable of.”
Sue Johnson, Chief Executive – Bolton Council said:
“I want to commend Clear Futures for adapting so quickly and going the extra mile when we needed it. The members of the supply chain worked incredibly hard so our visitors could enjoy a weekend full of live music, family entertainment and great food.
“We received so much positive feedback from the traders that were heavily impacted by Storm Lillian on how we turned the site around to be back operational on Saturday.
“Without your support we would have found this difficult to achieve.
“Bolton is known for running successful events and this weekend, with the support of our staff and our partners, we proved beyond any doubt that this reputation is entirely justified.”
Jon Dyson, Director of Place – Bolton Council commented:
“The formal and informal partnerships that we have in place with Clear Futures are second to none and it was great to see so many people respond so quickly and with such enthusiasm. “You would never have known that Storm Lilian had caused so much damage.”
Find out more: our strategic partnership with Bolton Council
Clear Futures and Bolton Council have been working in partnership since 2019 to boost the town centre’s role as a key player in the Greater Manchester economy. This is coupled with a wider aspiration to attract more high-growth companies that will create the additional jobs, knowledge, skills and technology needed to compete in a global economy.
See what we’ve achieved