The Bolton Guild of Help

What The Bolton Guild of Help does

The Bolton Guild of Help is a registered UK charity (Charity No: 1183115), founded in 1905 in Bolton, Greater Manchester, that delivers face-to-face welfare support to residents of the Bolton Borough suffering financial hardship. Its service portfolio comprises five core offerings: Benefits Support (entitlement checks and claims for PIP, Attendance Allowance, and Universal Credit), Debt Support (drop-in sessions, form completion, and referrals to Bolton Council Moneyskills), Grants for Emergency and Essential Household Items (white goods, furniture, carpet for one essential room, school uniform, food vouchers, and fuel top-ups), the Bolton Military Family (veterans drop-ins with referrals to SSAFA and the Royal British Legion), and the Schools Project (in-school outreach coordinated by the Operations Manager). All services are provided free of charge to Bolton residents who pay Council Tax to Bolton Council.

The organization operates from three physical sites: the main office at Scott House on Silverwell Street (Monday–Wednesday), the Bridge Coffee Shop drop-in in Haulgh (Thursday), and the Bridge Church drop-in in Horwich opened in June 2025 (Wednesday). It is staffed by four named employees (Charity Manager, Operations Manager, Grant Assessor, Veterans Champion) and governed by twelve trustees meeting five times per year, with the incumbent Mayor of Bolton traditionally serving as President. Underlying technology is limited to a WordPress website, basic back-office systems installed in 2024 for social value measurement, and standard social media accounts — there is no proprietary platform or software product.

The business model is a charitable funding model: services are free at the point of delivery, with income derived from donations (including via PayPal), grants from charitable foundations and lottery funders (Veterans Foundation, Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, National Lottery, Bolton's Fund, Growing the Good Work), legacy bequests (including the Phil Gibbs Fund), and targeted fundraising for projects such as the Schools Project. Distribution is community-led, with referrals from Social Prescribers, school pastoral teams, partner charities, and self-referral through drop-in sessions. The organization reports a social value contribution to the Borough of Bolton exceeding £1,000,000 in 2024.

Name

The Bolton Guild of Help

Legal name

The Bolton Guild of Help

Website

https://boltonguildofhelp.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Bolton Guild of Help is a registered charity, founded in 1905, that delivers free face-to-face benefits advice, debt support, and emergency household grants to residents of the Bolton Borough suffering financial distress.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Housing Services (62422), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Welfare assistance services
• Charitable debt support
• Benefits advice services
• Emergency household grants
• Community welfare charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: The organization receives funding from various grant-making bodies, charitable foundations, and donations. They are custodians of legacies entrusted to them over 120 years, enabling them to provide support.
2. Legacies and Bequests: The charity receives legacy gifts from individuals who include the organization in their wills, providing long-term sustainable funding.
3. Fundraising: External fundraising supports specific projects such as the Schools Project, enabling provision of emergency items to families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Bolton Guild of Help is a registered charity that provides free face-to-face social welfare support to residents of Bolton, including benefits entitlement checks and claims assistance, debt advice and referrals, emergency grants for essential household items (white goods, furniture, carpets, school uniforms, food vouchers, fuel top-ups), and dedicated support for veterans and military families. All services are delivered at no charge to eligible Bolton residents who pay Council Tax to Bolton Council, with funding drawn from donations, legacies, and grants.

Product overview

The Bolton Guild of Help is a charitable organization offering a unified portfolio of support services to residents of Bolton suffering financial and emotional distress. The core offerings include Benefits Support (entitlement checks, claims assistance), Debt Support (drop-in service, referrals), Grants for Emergency and Essential Household Items (white goods, furniture, carpet, school uniform, food vouchers, fuel), The Bolton Military Family support (veteran drop-ins, referrals to military charities), the Schools Project (in-school family support), and Legacies (bequest program). All services are delivered through face-to-face appointments at the main office or outreach drop-ins, providing holistic and ongoing support without turning anyone away.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Benefits Support

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £1,000,000 in social value contribution to Bolton in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SSAFA (The Armed Forces Charity)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild historically administered local requirements of SSAFA and continues to refer clients to SSAFA for further veteran-specific assistance. Long-standing partnership dating back to the organization's founding.
• Royal British LegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferrals to Royal British Legion for additional veteran support services. The Guild has historical connections with military charities including the British Legion dating back to the 1920s.
• Bolton CVSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal infrastructure organization for the voluntary and community sector in Bolton, supporting the Guild's community work.
• Bolton Council Moneyskills Debt Advice ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guild refers clients with unmanageable debt to this council service and supports them through the process by accompanying them to appointments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Age UK: National charity supporting older people with benefits claims, Attendance Allowance, and welfare services. Directly comparable on benefits navigation (e.g., Attendance Allowance claims for elderly clients) but operates as a much broader national incumbent.
• Shelter: National housing and homelessness charity. Overlaps with The Bolton Guild of Help on housing-related emergency support (beds, carpets, essential items for those in housing distress), but operates at much greater scale and scope.
• Citizens Advice: The UK's largest independent advice network, providing free benefits, debt, and welfare support. Directly comparable in service mix to The Bolton Guild of Help but operates nationally with thousands of staff, making it a much broader incumbent in the same advice category.

Direct peers

• Trussell Trust: UK's largest food bank network, providing emergency food parcels and support. Directly comparable in delivering emergency relief (food vouchers) to households in financial crisis, though The Bolton Guild of Help complements rather than directly competes with food banks in Bolton.
• Turn2us: National charity helping people in financial hardship access benefits, grants, and support. Directly comparable on benefits entitlement checks, grant navigation, and emergency financial assistance, but operates as a digital-first national platform rather than a face-to-face local charity.
• Royal British Legion: UK's leading Armed Forces charity, providing financial, welfare, and social support to veterans and their families. Directly comparable on veteran support, benefits help, and grant provision, with which The Bolton Guild of Help has had referrals since the 1920s.
• SSAFA – the Armed Forces Charity: National charity providing welfare support to veterans, serving personnel, and their families. The Bolton Guild of Help historically administered SSAFA's Bolton branch and continues to refer clients to SSAFA, making it a directly comparable military family support peer.
• StepChange Debt Charity: UK's leading debt advice charity providing free, confidential debt advice and solutions. Directly comparable on the debt support service line offered by The Bolton Guild of Help, with which it shares referral pathways (e.g., Bolton Council Moneyskills).
• Bolton Council Moneyskills Debt Advice Service: Local-government-run debt advice service in Bolton. Direct peer on debt support — The Bolton Guild of Help refers clients to and accompanies them to this service, indicating overlapping clientele and complementary delivery.

Others

• Money Advice Trust: UK charity that runs Business Debtline and National Debtline. Adjacent to The Bolton Guild of Help on debt advice capability, providing the broader infrastructure (e.g., training, resources) that local advice charities like the Guild draw upon.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BoltonGuildofHelp
• Instagraminstagram.com/boltonguildofhelp
• Xx.com/BoltonHelp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bolton-guild-of-help

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Bolton Guild of Help