How Empower Youth Zones are changing young lives in Manchester

In parts of Manchester, times are tough for kids growing up.

Behind closed doors, families are facing impossible choices — heating or eating, rent or dinner, survival or stability. For thousands of children and young people growing up in the city’s most deprived neighbourhoods, poverty isn’t a headline — it’s a daily reality.

It’s missed meals, cramped housing, and long hours with nothing to do and nowhere safe to go. But in the middle of this crisis, something powerful is happening.

Empower Youth Zones

Empower Youth Zones — a youth work charity based in Manchester — is creating real, lasting change for young people through purpose-built spaces, warm meals, and meaningful relationships.

At the centre of the organisation is Adam Farricker, who leads the team behind HideOut Youth Zone in Gorton and the soon-to-launch Youth Zone in Salford. Together, they’re rewriting the story for thousands of young people across the region — not with big promises, but with consistency, care, and community.

This is the frontline of one of Manchester’s most underreported crises: child poverty. And it’s where Adam Farricker and his team at Empower Youth Zones are working every single day to meet children’s basic needs, restore dignity, and create opportunity where very little once existed.

“The poverty that we’re seeing, especially in the areas we serve, is beyond what most people would believe,” Adam said, seated in his office at HideOut.

“Nearly 90% of our members are from the most deprived 20% of communities in the UK. And we’re not just talking about no holidays or treats — we’re talking about children going hungry, parents skipping meals so their kids can eat, and families having to decide between putting food on the table or turning the heating on.”

Nationally, around 29% of children under 18 live below the poverty line. In Manchester, that figure is an alarming 47%, and in Salford, it’s 43%.

But drill down into the specific neighbourhoods around HideOut in Gorton and the soon-to-open Youth Zone in Salford, and the number spikes even higher. “In some wards, it’s as high as 70%,” Adam said. “That’s almost three out of four kids living in poverty — and it’s happening right here on our doorstep.”

Tackling holiday hunger

And yet, these are statistics that rarely make the front pages. Hunger in the school holidays — sometimes referred to as “holiday hunger” — entered the public consciousness during the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to high-profile campaigns from figures like Marcus Rashford.

But the reality, Adam said, is that hunger doesn’t stop when school starts again. “We’ve seen that it’s not just a holiday issue anymore. It’s year-round. There are families who are working, doing everything right, and still can’t afford to keep their children fed.”

Youth Centres in Manchester

To meet this need, Empower Youth Zones run all-day holiday clubs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. During term time, they stay open evenings and weekends. On an average day in the holidays, they serve 75 children, at least 50 of whom are from families facing serious financial hardship. Each child receives three nutritious meals, has access to over 20 different activities, and is supported by trained youth workers, mentors and coaches.

“We make sure every child who walks through our doors gets breakfast, lunch and tea. But we also make sure they get stimulation, joy, and connection,” Adam said. “It’s not just about feeding people — it’s about feeding the whole child.”

That distinction is crucial. The charity, which supports children aged 8 to 19 — or up to 25 for those with additional needs — is built around more than just sustenance. The spaces are world-class: a full gym suite, a climbing wall, football pitches, dance studios, a training kitchen, enterprise zones, and even a sensory room for neurodiverse children.

But it’s not just the quality of the facilities that makes the difference — it’s the philosophy behind them. “We never approach our work from a place of pity,” Adam explained. “We don’t see these kids as victims. We see them as full of potential, and our job is to create an environment where that potential can be realised.”

The team is also deeply aware of how shame can be a barrier to access. Food insecurity, Adam explained, is often “hidden,” especially among working families who don’t qualify for benefits but are still barely scraping by. “People assume that if you’re not on free school meals, you’re fine. But that’s just not true anymore. The cost of living has outpaced wages for so many. We see families who can’t claim benefits under the current system but are still struggling to put food on the table. That kind of poverty doesn’t always show up in statistics, but it’s very real.”

To ensure that no child feels stigmatised, Empower’s food is always free — and always high-quality. “We’re not just handing out a sandwich and calling it done,” Adam said. “We take pride in what we serve. It’s nutritious, culturally appropriate, and it reflects the communities we serve. Some days it might be jerk chicken and rice, another it might be jollof or a veggie lasagne. We make sure there are halal, vegetarian and culturally sensitive options. Just because someone is struggling doesn’t mean they should have to settle for whatever’s going.”

Empower is also part of the government-backed Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, funded by the Department for Education. But Adam says that while this support is welcome, it isn’t nearly enough. “We’re grateful for the HAF funding, but the truth is we could fill these 50 free spaces ten times over. The need is enormous. We have over 8,500 members at HideOut alone.”

In the absence of sufficient public investment, Empower leans heavily on private sector support. Over 35 Manchester-based businesses form the charity’s “patron family,” offering not just funding, but hands-on involvement. “We do these brilliant ‘Takeover Days’ where employees from local companies come in and run sessions with the kids. It could be anything from coding workshops to fitness bootcamps. And the impact is massive — it builds relationships, opens kids’ eyes to what’s out there, and gives them real-life role models.”

Bridging the poverty gap

The idea is to close not just the poverty gap, but the opportunity gap. “So many of the young people we work with don’t feel like Manchester city centre is for them,” Adam explained. “They don’t know what jobs are out there. They don’t see themselves in that future. We’re trying to change that — not just by telling them it’s possible, but by showing them.”

Still, the team is under no illusions about the scale of the problem. “The economy might be growing,” Adam said, “but the gap between those who benefit and those who don’t is getting wider. And if local and central government don’t invest more in services like ours — services that are embedded in communities, that know the families, that can respond quickly — then we’re only ever going to be putting out fires.”

Empower is trying to do beat that. With the upcoming opening of Youth Zone in Salford this July, the charity is expanding its reach significantly. Membership is free, and entry costs just 50p per visit. Young people can stay as long as they want, take part in as many activities as they like, and enjoy a hot meal each time they come — also free.

“We want to make sure every young person in Salford knows we’re here for them,” Adam said. “We’ve just launched our volunteer recruitment campaign and we’re calling on people from all walks of life to get involved.”

That invitation, he insists, is open to everyone — not just youth workers or educators. “You don’t need a qualification to make a difference,” he says. “The best youth worker I ever had wasn’t from my background, wasn’t local, wasn’t trained — but they saw me. They believed in me. That’s what we’re looking for.”

Ultimately, Empower’s work is about believing in children, in communities, and in the power of human connection. It’s about saying to every young person who walks through the door: you matter.

In the last 12 months alone, HideOut Youth Zone has served over 31,000 free meals. And behind every one of those meals is a story of a child who felt full, warm, and safe, even if just for a few hours. A child who was seen, heard, and supported.

“We can’t fix everything,” Adam admitted. “But we can show up. We can be there. And sometimes, that’s enough to change a life.”

Support from JD Sports

How to donate to Empower Youth Zones

If you’d like to support Empower Youth Zones — by donating, volunteering, or simply spreading the word — you can find more information on their website here

Because when we invest in our young people, we invest in the future of our communities.

And Manchester, no matter how tough things get, has always been a city that looks out for its own.