events – Monton Matters

Monton locals unite to reimburse clown’s stolen Easter donations

Children’s entertainer Louby Lou held an Easter event for children at Monton Unitarian Church on Thursday 17 April
Money from the donations pot appeared to have been stolen when it was recovered at the end of the event
Members of the Monton Chat Facebook group sought to restore Louby Lou’s lost earnings via online donations

Monton locals have been left shocked after learning that a children’s clown and entertainer had her donations stolen during an Easter-themed event for children at Monton Unitarian Church on Thursday.

Lucy Wilkinson, 44, who performs for children as clown ‘Louby Lou’ at local events, said she was ‘blown away’ by the generosity of the Monton community after the news of the theft was posted in the Monton Chat group on Facebook.

The event invited children and parents from the local area into the church for some Easter-themed fun, and a donation pot positioned by the entrance had collected an estimated £20 in notes and coins for the performer.

However, when Church Secretary Pam Ward-Speers arrived to lock up the church at the end of the event and return the pot to Wilkinson, it was discovered that most of the donations had been stolen.

“I was quite shocked, but I was quite upset as well,” Pam said. “It’s not the sort of thing that we want to happen when they’re coming to our church.

“We want people to feel safe at church, and we don’t want to think that there are people around, especially when there are young children around, that might not be honest, so it was upsetting for us as well.”

Louby Lou also expressed her disbelief: “I love Monton, I love all the people here. I was more gobsmacked that it had happened in a church. I was just like, wow.”

In her upset, Pam took to Facebook to alert the local community of what had happened, writing: “The children had a lovely time with [Louby Lou] and the Easter Bunny – it was such a shame for it to end this way.”

Soon after posting, offers of donations started being made in the comments, and it became clear that Monton locals were keen to show their support in the wake of an upsetting situation.

One commenter wrote: “How can we help? Let us know if a fund is set up,” while several others agreed that they were ‘happy to contribute’.

Upon seeing the offers of help, Pam approached Rev. Anna Jarvis who suggested that donations could be made via the church’s website and subsequently passed on to Louby Lou.

“I’m blown away by it. I really am,” said Louby Lou. “The comments that I saw, I was like, wow, this is just melting my heart of people who have come together and contributed. There are good people around, there really are.

“Mine and Rev. Anna’s mantra to each other is ‘love always wins’, and it does. It really, really does, and it’s proved it here. So there’s always a positive twist that comes out of everything, every day.”

Pam added: “In times of need and in times of crisis, we come together as a community, and it’s just amazing. It is just a beauty. It’s just a beautiful thing to be part of that community.

Pam has since confirmed that the online contributions have more than reimbursed Louby Lou’s lost donations, and that the ordeal has underscored the Monton community’s resilience and generosity.

She said: “Thank you to everybody who commented and donated, and just for all the encouragement and the love and support that people gave. It meant so much.”

Monton Runners ‘take over’ Worsley Woods parkrun

Monton Runners members volunteered at Worsley Woods parkrun on 19 October
The group wanted to give back to the local running community
New members of all abilities are welcome, say the group’s leadership

Local running group Monton Runners held a parkrun takeover at yesterday’s (19 October) Worsley Woods event, with 20 members volunteering in a bid to give back to the running community.

Organised by one of Monton Runners’ leaders, Chris Pickering, the volunteers helped 390 runners, joggers, and walkers cross the finish line.

Of 33 total volunteers, 16 were first timers, and took on roles such as barcode scanning, funnel management, dispensing finish tokens, and course marshalling.

Chris, 36, who has been running for around 15 years, said: “There are quite a few of us from Monton Runners who go to parkrun fairly religiously, and even though some have volunteered before, a lot of us hadn’t.

“I thought it was time to give back to a community which serves us so well. We also run regularly on the loopline – it’s our local parkrun, so it had to be Worsley Woods that we chose.”

Monton Runners was established in December 2023 by Joel Shelvin, who wanted to create a ‘fun, free, and friendly’ running club that was accessible to all, regardless of ability.

Now, there are nine leaders who help to organise runs, with over 60 active members. “Anyone is welcome any week.” Chris added.

“It’s really important to us at Monton Runners that everyone is included, so although we have some really experienced and fast runners, we also make sure that every run has a tail runner to ensure that everyone feels welcome, no matter their ability or experience.”

“Monton Runners is continuously growing, and letting everyone at parkrun know that we are here was another reason for wanting to do the takeover.”
Chris Pickering

Monton Runners member and first-time parkrun volunteer Imogen Mayo, 24, said that for her, it was important to ‘do her bit’ and give back to the running community.

After getting into long-distance running during COVID, Imogen said: “Moving to Manchester from Liverpool, I didn’t really know anyone in the area so used the club as a way to meet people.

“I’ve been made to feel really welcome and included. I love the diversity of ages and abilities and always leave a session feeling fulfilled.”

George Frewer, 48, started running at 40 and explained that for him, running long distances is about peace and headspace.

He said: “I’m an occasional parkrunner and have done Worsley Woods a good number of times, as well as occasionally volunteering. I wanted to be part of the takeover as it’s very important to me to give back my time, and doing it with the gang is the perfect opportunity.”

George added that, as a leader of Monton Runners who joined the group in February, he has found the other runners to be ‘really supportive’ on runs when he hasn’t felt at is best physically or mentally.

“On days when I don’t really fancy it, the motivation to help others and run with those who are at the start of their running journey makes it worthwhile. I didn’t know I needed a running club in my life, but I am so thankful that I do.”

Another volunteer was Jess Pounder, 33, who grew up in Monton before moving to Bolton at 25. After completing Couch to 5K last year, she joined Monton Runners in Summer.

“I always thank the parkrun volunteers and the events couldn’t go ahead without them,” Jess said. “I wanted to give back.”

She described her experience with Monton Runners as being ‘very supportive’, and enjoys being able to talk to people on runs, meet people of different fitness levels, as well as feeling encouraged to continue in her running journey.

“Monton Runners has improved my running and my social life!”
Jess Pounder

Now, the leaders of Monton Runners are keen to welcome more members to the club for their runs, hikes, and social outings.

The group meets every Monday at 19:15 for a 5k run, starting and ending at Malt Dog on Monton Road, where many of the runners stay for a social drink afterwards.

Longer runs are held on Thursday evenings at 19:00, with the option to run a faster-paced 10k, or a shorter route often between 6-8k at a more relaxed pace.

Many of the runners have also signed up to complete the Great Manchester Run in May 2025, which for many of the members will be their first half marathon. On the run up to the event, the group will be supporting with training and getting up to distance.

Chris concluded: “Organisations like Parkrun and Monton Runners are so important in local communities. There are obvious benefits for your health, but the thing that has stood out for me since I joined the group in March is the social aspect.

“Although I’ve ran for years, I’ve never enjoyed it more and that is because of the supportive network we have curated. I knew no one when I started, and now I have a huge number of people motivating and supporting me – not just with running but in every aspect of my life!”

To get in touch with Monton Runners, they are contactable on Facebook or Instagram.

[VIDEO] “Monton, keep supporting events like this!”: The Monton Summer Mingle proves hit amongst locals

The Monton Summer Mingle was hosted by the MVCA and Monton Unitarian Church on Saturday 6 July
Monton locals enjoyed market stalls, fairground rides, and entertainment throughout the day
The community is urged to keep supporting future events

The Monton Summer Mingle welcomed locals for a day of festivities on Saturday 6 July.

The event, which was hosted jointly by the Monton Village Community Association (MVCA) and Monton Unitarian Church, opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony with Reverend Anna Jarvis, before locals were welcomed onto the church grounds.

A fairground on the site of the former Boddan Lodge proved a hit amongst the community, as did numerous market stalls selling handmade crafts, local produce, and refreshments.

Following the success of the event, Marie Hargreaves’s, Monton Mingle Lead at the MVCA, urged locals to keep supporting these events and the local businesses in Monton.

Debbie Reeves, owner of the Garden Bar, headline sponsor of the event, also praised Monton for its community spirit, and alluded to the possibility of market-style events in the restaurant in future.

See more about how the day unfolded below:

Monton’s Summer Mingle is on Saturday July 6th

Organised by Monton Unitarian Church in partnership with Monton Village Community Association (MVCA), the event will include market stalls, children’s entertainment, food and confectionary, a floral workshop and community art installation, live entertainment and a two-day fun fair.

Most of the event, which runs from 11am until 7pm, will take place in the grounds of Monton Unitarian Church and there is something of interest for everyone in the community. The headline sponsor is The Garden Bar.

For foodies, there’s local honey, cakes & biscuits and cream teas alongside a range of wellbeing products. Blossom by La Turka will mixing up delicious mock-tails, Common Ground Coffee will be providing hot drinks and the Monton Van will be offering a range of tasty food and snacks.

Live entertainment will include live music throughout the day plus the Blue Bell will be running live music events during the day and into the evening.

For younger family members there will be plenty of games and entertainment including appearances from Louby Lou the clown, a Disney Princess meet and greet and special guests, Paw Patrol’s Chase and Marshall who will be attending between 1-4pm.

The fun fair includes tea cups and a waltzer and will be open on both Saturday 6^th and Sunday 7^th July from 11am-7pm.

MVCA will be hosting a raffle with fantastic prizes from local businesses. Volunteers will be wearing yellow t-shirts and visitors can buy tickets from allocated sellers and the event information stall.

Marie Hargraves, Director of Monton Summer Mingle is impressed by the involvement and support of local businesses, and is encouraged by so many different community groups coming together to make this event one to remember.

She says: “We are lucky to have so many thriving businesses here in Monton and we’re delighted that so many of them are keen to get involved either by having their own stalls at the event or through sponsorship and promotion of the event.

“Platinum sponsor The Garden Bar has played a pivotal role in this event coming together alongside Blossom by La Turka and The Blue Bell.

“The Summer Mingle isn’t just about raising funds for the Unitarian Church and MVCA to help the wider community; we want to benefit local businesses by bringing more people into Monton to enjoy everything they have to offer and bring our community closer.”

Victoria Smith, Volunteer Manager, said: “Everyone has worked so hard bring this wonderful summer event to life over many months. We’d like to pay a special thanks to our volunteers as we couldn’t do anything without them.

“We have a great team of people who give back to their community and we’ll be looking to repay them with a fun experience and lots of snacks throughout the day to keep them going. La Turka is also very kindly hosting a wrap party for all our volunteers.”

Local businesses supporting the event include The Garden Bar, Blossom Bistro by La Turka, Blue Bell, The Bread Club, Edison Bar, Twig, Clear Clutter Now, Access Lock & Safe, Emma Evans Studio, Monton Village Bakery, The Gatsby Salon, Everything but the Cake, Ashley Tree Services and more.

[VIDEO] ‘Monton in Bloom’: Emma Evans Art Gallery exhibits Monton-inspired art

Monton locals were invited to Emma Evans Art Gallery for the ‘Monton in Bloom’ art preview
The collection takes inspiration from the cherry blossom trees on Monton Green
Violinist Elijah Chan played for guests in his UK performance debut

Emma Evans invited Monton locals along to preview her newest art collection, ‘Monton in Bloom’, in her Art Gallery above Wandering Palate last Monday evening.

The pieces, many of which are inspired by Monton’s cherry blossom trees, featured lots of bright colours and uplifting messages.

The Leeds-born artist expressed a love for Monton, where she and husband Will now call home and run their wine and charcuterie shop, Wandering Palate.

“A lot of my work is bright and colourful and that really represents the community in Monton.”

In her quest to bring more creativity to Monton, Emma also hosts life drawing sessions in the gallery space on the first Tuesday of every month.

The artist also invited Hong-Kong-born Elijah Chan to play violin as guests perused the collection.

His first performance in the UK, Elijah described the event as ‘relaxing’, and the ‘perfect’ opportunity for musicians.

Looking to the future, Emma plans to open up the gallery space to more local artists to showcase their work.

She said: “I want the walls to be a collective space so there’s going to be a call-out for artists very soon.”

Learn more about the ‘Monton in Bloom’ below: