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September 2026 Page 13 AD SALES 01204 478812 STUDENTS from the University of Greater Manchester in Bolton helped to break two world records and raise thousands of pounds for charity. Led by physiotherapy lecturer Sarah Bailey, two groups of students volunteered to make sure the longest ever continu- ous games of men’s and women’s rugby sevens was played. Hundreds of players, volunteers, officials, phys- ios, partners and support- ers came together and set a provisional new Guin- ness World Records of 28 hours for both the men’s and women’s games, surpassing the previous men’s benchmark of 24 hours and 30 minutes. The students from the university’s BSc Phys- iotherapy programme and Masters, as well as a Sport Rehab student, gave much-needed treat- ment to the players dur- ing the stamina-sapping record attempt. Sarah said: “It was a fantastic event for our students to be involved in because it exposed them to a huge variety of musculoskeletal issues and they had to dive in and perform therapy as soon as the players came off the pitch. “They were chal- lenged to provide assess- ments and hands-on BURY Council has issued six fur- ther fines on people who illegally dumpedwaste in the borough. Four fixed penalty notices of £400 were issued for fly-tippingoffences at Eton Hill Road, Radcliffe, Walmersley Road and CheshamFold, Bury. A Commercial Duty of Care fixed penaltynoticeof£300wasalsoissued at CheshamFold. And a further litter- ing fixed penalty notice of £75, was issued at Rochdale Road, Bury. Over the last several months the council has issued 19 fly tipping fixed penalty notices and six relating to littering. A council spokesperson said: “Working in partnership with Bury’s Control Room, Housing, Environmental Services and Neighbourhoods teams, our Environmental Enforcement Officers use intelligence gathered across services to identify offend- ers, collect evidence and assist with investigations.” MEMBERS of the team that makes the East Lancashire Railway’s wheels continue to go round have been thanked at a special event. More than 150 staff and vol- unteers, including friends and partners, attended the evening featuring food and music. Since its earliest days in the 1980s, the Bury headquar- tered heritage railway has relied on the passion and ded- ication of volunteers, as well as a small number of paid staff, to keep the doors open and things on track. A spokesperson said: “With- out their hard work and their sacrifices, often giving up weekends or working early mornings and late nights, the ELR could not exist.” The gathering at the Stables Country Club in Bury was such a hit, organisers are now looking to make it an annual event. Chairman of the ELR Mike Kelly said: “These are chal- lenging times for heritage railways, and we are deeply grateful for the ongoing support from very commit- ted people.” Stables Country Club managing director Jonathan Butterworth said: “It was an absolute pleasure to support such an important visitor attraction for Bury and its surrounding communities. “The East Lancashire Rail- way plays a vital role in bring- ing visitors to our area, and we are incredibly proud to have such a jewel in our crown right on our doorstep.” THESE ‘fun guys’ were among thou- sands of people who descended on Ast- ley Park in Chorley to enjoy a colour- ful event which has become one of the highlights of the summer. Chorl ey F l ower show, in its eleventh year, attracted around 15,000 people who trav- elled from near and far to enjoy special guests, spectacular floral dis- plays, expert gardening advice, live demonstra- tions and a packed programme of entertain- ment over three days. The sun shone on those special guests, who included renowned tele- vision gardeners Char- lie Dimmock and David Domoney, alongside Jon- athan Moseley, Martin and Jill Fish. Highlights included stunning show gardens created by professional designers alongside imaginative displays from community groups, exhibits from award-win- ning growers, floral artists and amateur competition entrants. MORE than 30 new signs have been erected around Bolton town centre to help people find their way around and encour- age walking, cycling and wheeling. The 34 circular signs are in key locations like Victoria Square, Brad- shawgate, Churchgate, Knowsley Street and out- side the railway station, where people are most likely to see them. They point the way to popular destinations like the Parish church, library and Queens Park, and tell people how long it should take to walk there. The new signs also highlight the town hall, Bolton Market, Bolton Lads and Girls Club and the university and colleges. Some signs also feature motivational messages aimed at encouraging people to get around the town centre on foot, by bike or on scooters. Bolton Council says the idea is to help people get the health benefits of keeping active, while also reducing traffic conges- tion by having fewer cars on the road. Nadeem Ayub, the council’s executive mem- ber for transport and highways, said:“The signs are a simple improvement with multi- ple benefits, helping peo- ple get around and stay active while also reducing traffic congestion.” Big ‘thank you’ is on the right lines IT’S BLOOMING MARVELLOUS! Photo credit: Chorley Council New signs point the way Rugby physios’ trying task Team effort: The students who supported the world-record breaking game (Photo credit: UGM) therapies as the rolling substitutions were made in real-time. “We were present for two sessions – one before the games started until late afternoon and then another group arrived very early the next morn- ing to relieve the other physios who had been working through the night. They were very glad of that!” More than £71,000 has already been raised from the event to sup- port LooseHeadz’s, a rugby mental health charity, whose mission is to place a mental health champion in every rugby club in the world, helping ensure that no player, coach, volunteer or supporter has to strug- gle alone. Forty-eight players pushed themselves through day and night, supported by an army of volunteers, match officials, medics, phys- ios and supporters who kept the event in Sand- bach, Cheshire, mov- ing every minute of the 28-hour challenge. LooseHeadz co-founder Rob Shotton said: “Attempting two new world records is an incredible achievement, but what stands out most is the collective effort it took to get there.” Crackdown on fly-tippers continues