A CHARITY which supports more than 1,000 voluntary, community and social enterprise groups in Bolton is celebrating two landmark occasions.

Bolton Community and Voluntary Services (CVS) is marking a milestone 25 years of helping community groups since it formed in 1990.

This October will also see the retirement of Bolton CVS’ chief executive Karen Minnitt after 11 years at the helm.

Ms Minnitt, aged 63, says the launch of the Bolton Hub in Bold Street – currently the base of the CVS and nine other groups – was one of the proudest moments of her tenure.

The mother-of-one, who grew up in north Nottinghamshire, said: “The Bolton Hub was the longest project of my working life, and is something I feel particularly proud of.

“I hope the hub will go on for the next 100 years and more.

“The project was handed over to me when I started in 1999 and initially the plan was to take over the Trinity Church.

“It was eight years until the hub in Bold Street came to fruition in 2007.

“It provides sustainable offices for charities, training rooms and meeting space and is a great town centre meeting point – there is always something happening here.”

Ms Minnitt has worked for Bolton CVS for 16 years after becoming deputy chief officer in 1999 before moving to chief executive in 2004.

She moved to Greater Manchester in 1978 after voluntarily running a refuge for unmarried mothers in Dublin in her twenties.

Ms Minnitt worked with the probation service in Little Hulton, completed a degree in social sciences at the University of Salford and worked at Salford CVS before moving to Bolton.

The 63-year-old plans to spend her retirement travelling and volunteering, and wants to spend more time looking after her elderly parents who live in Wendsleydale.

Ms Minnitt added: “Bolton is home to some of the liveliest and most diverse voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise groups that I have ever met throughout my 40 years of volunteering and working within charities.

“These groups – more than 1,000 of them – make a huge difference to the everyday lives of people in Bolton and they actively complement the work of our partners in the public sector.”

Last year Bolton CVS gave out 288 grants worth £213,974.56 to groups across the borough as part of its BIG Bolton Fund.

Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Cliff Morris, said: “With Karen at the helm Bolton CVS has gone from strength to strength.

“She has always championed the cause of the smaller groups and was instrumental in setting up The Hub as a town centre base for community organisations.

“She has also been a vital member of Bolton Council’s Vision Partnership and over the years has made a valuable contribution to many projects in the borough.”

The public are invited to its 25th AGM on October 1 between 12pm and 3pm.

Community groups who are involved with the CVS are asked to email photos of their activities to jumbo@boltoncvs.org.uk by Monday, September 14 to be used to create a display for the AGM.

Any charities and groups in Bolton not currently in touch with Bolton CVS can email admin@boltoncvs.org.uk or call 01204 546010 or go to boltoncvs.org.uk