Bolton Lads and Girls Club was established in 1889 in Bark Street, Bolton, during a time of great industrial and social change, by two church leaders and three industrialists, who decided they needed to help improve the lives of young people in Bolton. The club was open every evening from 7 pm to 9:30 pm and provided a place to wash and eat, as well as a reading room, gymnasium and a games room that offered football, cricket, swimming, harriers, chess club, and wood turning. The club also ran an annual camping holiday. In June 1890, the club was officially opened by the Bishop of Manchester, Dr Moorhouse, and in his opening speech he stated that when he first came to Bolton it struck him that the whole of this part of the country was covered with houses and human beings and that he could not see where there would be any open spaces for breathing or exercising. He commended the club founders saying,
"they could do not a greater service to a youth than to give him opportunities for healthy outdoor exercise." An extract from the 1896 Club Review shows how quickly the club became popular:
"They came in their hundreds, for of all animals, lads are perhaps the most gregarious. They came to meet their fellows under conditions somewhat more comfortable and convenient than their natural meeting place, the street. They initially came for amusement and for games and for nothing else, and if we had told them it was our intention to improve them they would certainly not have come. But it is interesting how quickly their attitude to the Club has changed, it is no longer our Club, it is theirs, and we merely manage it for them. It is no longer a mere place of amusement, but is a place which plays a real part in their lives, it is a place for honour and for success." In 2002, Bolton Lads and Girls Club opened a purpose-built, state of the art youth facility in the town centre from where they provide a range of universal and targeted services that are fully accessible and affordable at 50 pence per session. The Prime Minister
David Cameron visited the Lads and Girls Club in 2010. In July 2012, David Cameron gave the club's Chief Executive, Karen Edwards OBE a number of tickets to the
2012 Summer Olympics in response to the
2011 England riots, and to specific people who had contributed to their communities and the "
Big Society" policy. In 2014, the club celebrated its 125th year with the creation of an Alumni society formed of former members, volunteers, mentors and supporters. A new chief executive Emma Hutchinson was appointed in June 2023. In 2023 the club officially changed its brand name to BLGC as part of a modern evolution of its brand. In November 2023, Home Security
Suella Braverman spoke to volunteers about the recent conflict in the Middle East during a visit to Bolton Lads and Girls Club. ==Mission statement==