Bolton Wanderers Football Club, BWFC

Fieldings Porter Solicitors has long been involved in its community; its work, social and recreational sides. Allied with the charity law advice and assistance we provide, in recent years we have tried to make the most of these combinations.

One of the associations that goes back many years is with Bolton Wanderers Football Club. Following a long working relationship we are delighted to confirm that we have become an official business partner with BWFC. This further strengthens the links between our long standing businesses and allows us both to work together in the local community. Our former Senior Partner, Mr Edward Nally, a lifelong Bolton Wanderers fan says “I am delighted at this exciting new partnership. From our viewpoint it has the advantage of supporting yet further in business our home club to which many of us are completely dedicated as fans. What a fantastic dual outcome!".

Becoming a Business Partner of Bolton Wanderers merely shows the value that we put on the Club and which the Club places upon us. The partnership will continue for a second season in 2017 - 2018.

From 2007 to 2017 we operated a local Reward Scheme at The Reebok Stadium and tried to make full use of the executive box the firm has held since its move from Burnden Park. The Reward Scheme was run in conjunction with BWFC.

We provide the use of the box throughout the season to local schools and charities so that they can invite their students or members as a reward for positive work in which they've been involved. We wanted to have a scheme that rewarded those people who do make a contribution to society, who do change their lives around and who do work hard at school and we are delighted with the reception that the Scheme has received.

The Scheme ran every year until the 2016 - 2017 season and since 2007 we have helped many hundreds of young people at the following Schools/Charities:

• Bolton Lads and Girls Club
• Canon Slade School
• Bolton St Catherine’s Academy
• Smithills Secondary School
• Little Lever High School
• Westhoughton High School
• Rivington & Blackrod High School
• Ladybridge High School
• Birtenshaw School
• Raise The Youth Foundation
• Hardy Mill Primary School
• Church Road Primary School
• Plodder Lane Primary School
• Rathbone
• Derian House
• The Castle Hill Centre

As part of the Reward Scheme the young people who attend are provided with a meal before the match in the comfort of our executive box before they receive a special visit from Lofty the Lion. Lofty presents them all with gift bags provide by BWFC who then joins them in photographs taken by the BWFC photographer. They all then watch the match from the comfort of the private seating area just outside of our box. After the match there is often an opportunity to catch autographs from players.

Here are some quotes from some of those who have attended...

• Thank you for giving our children the opportunity to experience the box at the Reebok. They have come in with their scarves with crowds around them listening to their stories.

• I am always keen to give our children the best experiences, teachers and resources, but Saturday took it to a new level -  They will never forget Saturday.

• I know that Craig and David enjoyed their enthusiasm and energy. I will be writing to them personally to thank them and I particular for their hospitality and relaxed nature with the children.

• Thank you in advance for the photos. We will put one up in out entrance area, with reference to your firm and pass them on to the children.

• I would like to thank Peter Hayes from Fielding Porter Solicitors, for giving the school this opportunity to reward these young people who have worked consistently well or made exceptional progress in mathematics. As a school we appreciate the support and partnership with our local community and businesses, which enables us to offer such wonderful and memorable opportunities to our students.  I hope everyone enjoys the game and that the Wanderers gets a result!
• Can I take this opportunity to say a big thank you for all the arrangements you have made which enabled us to enjoy a superb occasion at the match on Sunday, the children were absolutely thrilled by the whole occasion. The meal was superb and the whole atmosphere in the box was something they will treasure for a long time - the win was an unexpected bonus! They were so excited prior to the game and have been absolutely full of their experiences on returning to school.

• Thank you much for a wonderful day on Saturday.  The kids are back in school today and they are still buzzing about it.

• Martin and Paula (our SLT) are also very appreciative of the opportunities you have provided.

• Please pass on our thanks to your company and I hope we can continue our relationship into the future.

• Just a quick note to say thank-you on behalf of the students who attended Saturday's match at The Reebok. They had a great time even if the team let us down again.

• I am going to use the next game as a whole school initiative, given that we know the date so far in advance, and make it a grand raffle/draw for students behaving well over time.

• On behalf of myself, Ms Cameron and the students who attended Saturday's match, can I say a big thank-you for, once again, giving us the opportunity to enjoy the facilities of Fieldings Porter's executive box. The students really enjoyed the experience and appreciated the reward for their hard work last term.

• Can you also pass on our thanks to Andrew, who was a great host - even serving the soup and sandwiches to us all and using his vast knowledge to win the quiz - and a bottle of bubbly!

• Peter, thanks so much for Saturday , Claire and her dad were excellent hosts, and we all really enjoyed it. It's great to be able to reward our top pupils like that, and I know they really appreciated it. ..... And yet another 3 points!