Manchester has one of the highest rates of child poverty by local authority area with 35.5% of children under 16 living in poverty.

We aim to address and positively affect marginalisation and engage with children and young people who are facing barriers such as economic, educational, emotional, physical and social. In an area where there is no other universal play and youth provision, no other youth project or youth club.

The funding will further develop our sessions specifically to: engage young people in their community and combat poverty through positive relationships, activities, play and issue based emotional health and wellbeing work. Young people tell us that the project has enabled them to mix with one another which, given that they are from different races and cultures, would, in their view, not otherwise have happened. In addition, the funding will allow us to continue to focus on providing opportunities for actively involving more young people in the running of the sessions.