Horwich Advertiser Issue 635

May 2026 Page 17 AD SALES 01204 478812 T: 01204 303939 • 0800 3896 795 W: www.boltonsunblindcentre.co.uk BOLTON AND WIGAN S U N B L I N D C E N T R E W: www.boltonsunblindcentre.co.uk T: 01942 254011 • Free phone: 0800 389675 • Velux • Awnings • Rollers • Venetians • Romans • Verticals • Plantation shutters • Velux • Rollers • Venetians • Romans • Vertical • Plantation Shutters We are a family run business that has been Established Over 50 Years and 90% of people who use us are recommended By You. We offer a FREE measuring and fitting service with a no obligation quote and a FIVE YEAR GUARANTEE. BOLTON AND WIGAN S U N B L I N D C E N T R E W: www.boltonsunblindcentre.co.uk T: 01942 254011 • Free phone: 0800 389675 • Velux • Awnings • Rollers • Venetians • Romans • Verticals • Plantation shutters A NEW healthcare hub dedi- cated to helping people return home from hospital sooner is set to open at Royal Bol- ton Hospital. The Integrated Transfer of Care Hub will be open seven days a week to improve patient experi- ence by increasing flow through the hospital, reducing the amount of time they spend in hospital and creating tailored plans to support people home. Health chiefs say the hub will allow hospital and community services to work together to iden- tify what additional support is needed for people once they have been discharged. Key features of the new operation include a seven-day service that brings together health, social care and housing. They will take a ‘home first’ approach. Dedicated ‘triage teams’ will be in place to support people to the place they call home. The hub team will work with voluntary organisations, includ- ing Age UK Bolton and armed forces charities. And patients who require addi- tional support after leaving hospital will arrive in the hub to receive a full assessment to make sure that they’re being discharged to the place that best meet their needs. For these patients it means fewer handovers between differ- ent clinical services, meaning less duplication of assessments. The aim is that they spend less time spent in hospital and as a result, less time away from their own bed. Work to create the hub is under- way and is planned to be finished by September this year. Rae Wheatcroft, chief operating officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We know that once patients are well enough to go home safely, staying in hospital longer than they need can end up slowing down their recovery. “Connecting services together in this way means our patients will spend less time in hospital whilst at the same time freeing up bed capacity for other patients who need our help too.” Hospital hub makes important connections Rivington bus returns A SEASONAL bus service link- ing Chorley, Adlington and Rivington is back on the road. The service resumed on Sunday May 3 to help people travel to Rivington on Sundays and BankHolidays. Lancashire County Council has reintroducing service 125R, utilising Lancashire Combined County Authority’s Bus Grant funding fromthe government. The service will operate on Sundays and Bank Holidays until November 1 Buses run hourly between Chorley Interchange and Rivington Village Hall, with stops in Adlington and a new link to Adlington Railway Station, allowing passengers to connect easily with rail services. The service is being operated by Pilkingtonbus. Lancashire County Council’s day tickets are valid on the route, along with the discounted Sunday sin- gle fare. Andrew Varley, Head of Service for Passenger and Fleet Transport at Lancashire County Council, said: “This seasonal service provides a practical way for people to reach Rivington without needing to drive, par- ticularly at busy weekends and BankHolidays. “The addition of a stop at Adlington Railway Station also makes it easier for passengers to combine bus and rail travel when visiting the area.” YOUNG people in Greater Manchester are being encour- aged to use a real-time service to report crime, antisocial behaviour or suspicious activ- ity on the Bee Network. TravelSafe LiveChat allows the public to discreetly contact trained police call handlers to report anti- social behaviour, suspicious activ- ity, welfare concerns or crime. Transport chiefs say the service allows officers to respond quickly, reassure passengers and often stop situations escalating. Reports can be made through the Bee Network app or by scanning LiveChat QR codes which can now been found on every bus and tram. A new campaign has been launched in a bid to boost young people’s confidence to report inci- dents using the service. Two thirds of young people sur- veyed by the TravelSafe Partner- ship as part of its school outreach programme – which engaged with 19,106 young people between Sep- tember 2025 and January 2026 – said they would report antiso- cial behaviour. Around a quarter said they would make reports using TravelSafe LiveChat, but 23 per cent of young people surveyed say they don’t know how to use the service, and some often don’t know what is classed as inappro- priate behaviour. Anyone caught vaping, throwing things, playing music loudly, acti- vating emergency door handles on trams, and being noisy or abusive in groups, can have action taken against them. While incidents of crime and antisocial behaviour on the net- work are rare at one in 20,000 passenger journeys across bus and tram, the TravelSafe Part- nership – jointly led by Trans- port for Greater Manchester and Greater Manchester Police – will act swiftly when they do occur. Vernon Everitt, transport com- missioner for Greater Manchester, said: “We want everyone who trav- els on the Bee Network to be, and feel, safe at all times. This is true for our young people for whom pub- lic transport is their key way of get- ting around Greater Manchester. “Through TravelSafe Live- Chat we’re building confidence among passengers young and older to report concerns, with the reassurance that they are not alone and will be discreetly connected to a real person within seconds.” Since the launch in October 2025, 811 reports have been made using the TravelSafe LiveChat as people are becoming more aware and confident in using it. These reports have led to “significant joint interventions” by TfGM and GMP. They include a man being charged with being drunk and disorderly after he was reported for harassing women on the Bury Metrolink line, with the tram being held at Prestwich so officers could arrest him. Greter Manchester Police Chief Superintendent Suzanne Downey said: “We want every young per- son to feel safe and confident when travelling across Greater Man- chester. Public transport plays a huge role in young people’s lives and we’re committed to supporting them every time they use it. “With our new transport unit soon to be increasing patrols, young people will play a key part in helping us make Greater Man- chester one of the safest and best transport networks in the country.” Youngsters urged to use live-chat as a safety tool