The community is invited to celebrate six years of HideOut Youth Zone on 26 September, as the charity reflects on supporting more than 12,340 young people and welcoming over 237,000 visits since opening its doors in 2020.
HideOut Youth Zone is inviting the local community to join a special celebration on 26 September as it marks six years of supporting young people across Greater Manchester.
The free event, taking place from 11am to 3pm, will feature a range of family-friendly activities including a bouncy castle, tote bag and badge making, live performances from young people and much more.
Since opening in September 2020, HideOut has welcomed more than 237,578 visits and supported over 12,340 young people, becoming a vital community hub that provides somewhere safe to go, something positive to do and someone trusted to talk to.
The Youth Zone continues to play a vital role in supporting children and families across Greater Manchester, with 85% of the members live in the top 20% most deprived wards in England. As concerns continue to grow around the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), HideOut is helping young people develop the skills, confidence and motivations needed for their future through employability projects, volunteering opportunities and work experience. Whether preparing for college, exploring career pathways or gaining real-world workplace experience, members are supported to realise their potential and make positive steps towards the future.
Over the past six years it has provided over 125,000+ free hot meals, and hosted nearly 300 days of Holiday Clubs, alongside the everyday running of sessions including art projects, sports programmes, and cooking lessons.
Zephaniah, a senior member of HideOut said: “Coming to the Youth Zone definitely helped because I don’t get that many opportunities to go to events and activities, so it really helped to know that there’s different places around the world and Manchester that can help support your dreams and what you want to do. Coming to the Youth Zone also helps with GCSE’s, finding a job or getting into a good college. And I can learn many different things from the Youth Workers around me.”
TJ, a senior member of HideOut said: “I feel like HideOut gave me a chance to connect with a lot of individuals as much as possible, and I’m in a comfortable place. This has become my second home. I honestly thought that I wasn’t going to connect with anybody, but look where I am now, I’m not scared to express myself, not scared to prove to people who I actually am. I just feel good about myself. This has helped me a lot. I feel very loved.”
HideOut is operated by the award-winning charity – Empower Youth Zones (EMPOWER, which in the last six years, has expanded its reach across Manchester and Salford. Salford Youth Zone (SYZ) celebrated its one-year anniversary earlier this year, further strengthening the charity’s mission to provide safe spaces and opportunities for young people in some of the country’s most disadvantaged communities.
Adam Farricker, CEO of Empower Youth Zones, said:
“The impact HideOut has had over the last six years is something everyone involved should be incredibly proud of. Having grown up in Gorton myself, I understand the challenges many young people and families face, and I’ve seen firsthand how access to positive opportunities, trusted adults and a safe place to belong can transform lives.
“Since opening in 2020, HideOut has become much more than a youth centre. It’s a place where young people can develop new skills, build lasting friendships and gain the confidence to shape their own futures.
“As the needs of young people continue to grow, so does our determination to support them. We’re grateful to our staff, volunteers, funders, donors, partners and the wider community for helping us create opportunities for thousands of young people, and we look forward to building on that impact for many years to come.
“As a charity we are always looking to increase our family of supporters so we can continue our vital work and are working hard to identify new partners and donors from across the business community that share our ambition to make Greater Manchester the best region for our children and young people to grow, learn, live and work.”
To explore ways of supporting the charity, please get in touch with Fundraising@empoweryouthzones.org
The Youth Zone is part of the OnSide Network, the largest provider of centre-based youth work in the UK, providing over 60,000 young people with state-of-the-art facilities and youth work.