Bolton, UK – Children and families visiting Bolton Lads and Girls Club are enjoying a newly revitalised space thanks to the dedication and hard work of 25 Virgin Media O2 volunteers. What began as a simple garden tidy-up quickly evolved into a full-scale transformation of the club’s facilities, bringing new life to one of the UK’s most historic youth organisations.
Led by Chris Buggie, Director of Core and IT Infrastructure at Virgin Media O2, the project grew with the support of the local community. The team raised additional funds and secured donations from local businesses to help reimagine the club’s outside space.
The volunteers built a new benched seating area, creating a welcoming space for families to relax and enjoy refreshments while watching their children play. They also rebuilt the dugouts, replaced worn plexiglass, laid new paving stones, repaired goal nets and landscaped the grounds. Much of the work was supported by generous donations and hard work from the local community including Menton Unique building company, which provided six volunteers to support with joinery and transforming the seating area.
This transformation will benefit the thousands of young people and families who visit the club each year. Founded in 1889, Bolton Lads and Girls Club is the UK’s first youth club and remains one of the largest, operating 51 weeks a year, seven days a week, in the heart of Bolton.
Steven Stringer, Head of Sport at the club, commented: “The impact of Virgin Media O2’s support has been phenomenal. We now have a beautiful communal space where families can come together. Everything looks crisp, clean, and freshly painted—it’s just stunning. The new lounge area offers a warm, dry space during bad weather, and the quality of work and dedication from the team was exceptional. We’re incredibly grateful.”
The volunteers were able to take part thanks to Virgin Media O2’s ‘Take Five’ initiative, which offers all staff five paid leave volunteering days a year. These can be used to support projects either in-person or digitally, helping employees give back and support their local community.
With around 16,000 employees working for the company nationwide, Virgin Media O2 staff are committed to offering their time to charities, community groups, and schools throughout the UK. The business is aiming to help 1 million people through volunteering by 2025.
Chris Buggie shared: “When you’re in a position to give back, the difference you can make is incredible. It’s deeply rewarding to use the skills I’ve developed over my career to support others. Through initiatives like Take Five, we’re creating real, lasting impact in our communities.”
Nicola Green, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2 said: “We launched ‘Take Five’ to make it easier than ever for all of our people to support their local communities and volunteer for causes that matter to them.
“Each month, our people volunteer in locations right across the UK and it’s wonderful to see how their hard work and dedication is making a difference to the communities we serve – including Bolton Lads and Girls club.”
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