Godel visited the East Manchester Youth Zone on Friday 17th May to see the progress being made towards the new £6.6 million facilities located on Hyde Road in Gorton and the timeline that has been set for completion. There was also an opportunity to speak directly to some of the local young people who will benefit from the new facility.
In attendance was chair of the HideOut Youth Zone, Joanne Whittaker as well as the charity’s funders, supporters and representatives from Manchester City Council and companies like Godel who have donated to the scheme.
Located on Hyde Road in Gorton, HideOut Youth Zone is based on the successful OnSide Youth Zones 21st century youth work model, which aims to provide young people aged 8 to 19 and up to 25 for those with additional needs with somewhere to go, something to and someone to talk to.
Set to open in 2020, the centre will boast a wide array of state-of-the-art facilities including an indoor climbing wall, 3G kick pitch, music room with recording studio, training kitchen, arts and crafts room, dance and drama studio, enterprise suite and much more.
Joanne Whittaker, Chair of HideOut Youth Zone said “Today marks a huge milestone in the journey to making HideOut Youth Zone a reality for the young people of Manchester – and this is all down to the charity’s incredible supporters who together are making a tremendous difference to the lives of thousands of local young people for generations to come.”
Neil McMurdo, CEO, Godel said: “I really can’t wait to see the impact that the HideOut Youth Zone is going to have on the young people of East Manchester and beyond. It’s humbling to see how local government, businesses and philanthropists can deliver something that will make such a positive impact on so many young lives. We’re just thrilled to be a part of it.”
HideOut Youth Zone is being developed in partnership with OnSide Youth Zones, Manchester City Council and the local business community. The Youth Zone’s £6.6million building costs were joint funded by local philanthropist Fred Done and Manchester City Council. The Council is also contributing towards the annual £1.2 million revenue costs alongside the Zone’s Founder Patrons who are an influential group of business leaders.
HideOut will be the second Youth Zone created by OnSide in the city, with Manchester Youth Zone (formerly known as The Factory) opening in Harpurhey in 2012. HideOut Youth Zone aims to reach over 3,000 young people from central and east Manchester within its first year of operation, providing them with new opportunities to enjoy.