Manchester, June 2025 – The youth work charity Empower Youth Zones (EMPOWER) has announced that Aldermore, a leading specialist lending and savings bank, has joined its roster of patron donors.
The partnership will see Aldermore support the maintenance and development of HideOut Youth Zone in Gorton, and Salford Youth Zone (SYZ), the latter set to launch officially in July.
EMPOWER already supports 13,000 young people in Manchester, with the number set to double with the opening of SYZ. Both Youth Zones will create new opportunities for the young people and will ensure they are equipped with the confidence to dream big and achieve their full potential.
As one of the largest employers of youth work in the UK, EMPOWER provides young people with access to world-class youth work, safe spaces and life-enhancing experiences.
With an office in Manchester city centre, Aldermore’s partnership with EMPOWER reflects its commitment to supporting communities and driving down inequality across Greater Manchester.
As part of the partnership, Aldermore will work with the charity to equip young people with the skills needed to improve their financial literacy and enter the rapidly changing banking workforce. This will include volunteering initiatives, such as running Safari days where the Aldermore team will work directly with the young people to provide key financial skills and experiences.
Since its inception in 2020, EMPOWER has overseen HideOut Youth Zone and supported thousands of young people from communities across East Manchester. The completion of its latest site, SYZ, has recently been revealed to the public and will broaden the scale of communities that EMPOWER reaches.
Opening on July 5th, SYZ has world-class facilities including a state-of-the-art gym, an art studio, basketball courts, and music studio, all to help members discover their potential. SYZ will provide up to 70 jobs for the wider Salford community and activities for 150 children seven days a week, all year round.
Adam Farricker, CEO of Empower Youth Zones said: “We’re passionate about creating a future where every young person can grow and succeed. Our patron donors ensure that we can continue to provide world-class facilities and experiences to young people, so we’re thrilled to welcome Aldermore to our roster of donors. The team is dedicated to improving the lives of young people, which is aligned to our ongoing mission of ensuring that every young person has access to a youth worker to help them realise their full potential.”
Lisa Hannah, Chief People and Communications Officer at Aldermore said: “We’re committed to tackling inequality in the communities we serve. We’re proud to back EMPOWER and support their mission to help young people across Greater Manchester thrive. This partnership gives our colleagues the perfect opportunity to provide young people with real-world financial skills – from budgeting basics to saving for the future – empowering them with the skills and confidence to shape their own futures.”
ENDS
Alesha Sinclair, MC2
Georgia Harris, MC2
About Empower Youth Zones:
Empower Youth Zones are purpose-built spaces fizzing with energy and crammed with incredible facilities. These youth centres, called Youth Zones, provide local young people aged between eight and 19, or up to 25 with a disability, affordable access to high-quality sports, arts and leisure facilities and activities, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. They are staffed by skilled and dedicated youth workers who truly believe in young people – helping them see what they could achieve, and giving them the skills, confidence and ambition to go for it.
