Manchester, February 2025 – Following the recent announcement of Manchester Building Society’s North West revival, Empower Youth Zones have confirmed the building society as their latest patron donor, supporting the charity’s new site, Salford Youth Zone (SYZ), which is set to open in summer 2025.
As part of its commitment, Manchester Building Society will donate £100,000 over the next four years to support the development of SYZ. It joins the growing Empower patron community, funding vital programmes and services for young people, including sports clubs, music facilities, and art and craft classes.
Following its merger with Newcastle Building Society, Manchester Building Society has announced it will open a flagship branch on King Street later this year. This will be followed by further branches opening across the Greater Manchester region with accessible financial advice, market-leading customer service and the provision of free community space at the heart of the Society’s offer.
Its commitment to supporting SYZ follows Newcastle Building Society’s decades-long track record of community investment and support in the North East. Manchester Building Society also plans to work with the Youth Zone to promote financial literacy and employability skills for its young people, equipping them with the skills to make informed financial decisions and build long-term stability.
Once open this summer, SYZ will support thousands of young people across the city, giving them access to hundreds of activities within its state-of-the-art facilities, following the success of the first Empower site, HideOut Youth Zone, in Gorton.
To support the launch and continued development of Salford Youth Zone, Manchester Building Society joins patrons such as Salix Homes, Muse, Assura, and Sandywood Property.
Representing Manchester Building Society, Andrew Haigh, chief executive of the Newcastle Building Society Group, said: “It’s an exciting time for us as we relaunch in Manchester this year and deepen our roots in the city by committing to initiatives that unlock the potential of individuals, families, and communities in the City Region. We intend to focus our powerful partnership with Salford Youth Zone on developing the financial and personal empowerment of young people in Salford.”
Adam Farricker, CEO of Empower Youth Zones, said: “Every young person deserves access to a youth worker and the support they provide. Patrons like Manchester Building Society play a crucial role in helping us deliver on that vision. Financial literacy remains a significant challenge, and addressing it is crucial to creating equal opportunities for young people across Greater Manchester. We’re looking forward to working closely with the Manchester Building Society team as they get embedded and contribute to the wider community.”
ENDS
Press contacts
Alesha Sinclair, MC2
Jo de Koning/Dan Sheridan, Duo Consulting (for Manchester Building Society)
jo@duo.consulting / dan@duo.consulting
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.
About Manchester Building Society and Newcastle Building Society
Manchester Building Society merged with Newcastle Building Society in 2023.
Manchester Building Society is a brand of Newcastle Building Society. Its focus is on building a better financial future for the people, communities, towns and cities across the ten boroughs represented by Greater Manchester.
It is committed to investing in a physical branch network and believes that branches are key to vibrant local communities and healthy highstreets. Alongside the accessibility of a physical presence, the Society provides a comprehensive digital offering, believing customers should be able to choose how they conduct their financial affairs.
As a building society for Manchester, membership will give people a place to have a voice as part of empowering individuals, families and communities to build a brighter future together.
Manchester Building Society’s current office is at 125 Portland Street, Manchester.
Newcastle Building Society is the biggest building society in the North East, with a network of 32 branches and assets of more than £6.2bn. It has been there for its members for over 160 years. Financial Advice is provided through its Newcastle Financial Advisers Limited subsidiary. Newcastle Financial Advisers has been awarded Top Rated Firm status by VouchedFor – the UK’s leading review site for Financial Advisers.
Newcastle Building Society’s Principal Office is 1 Cobalt Park Way, Cobalt Business Park, NE28 9EJ.
Newcastle Building Society is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Newcastle Building Society is entered in the Financial Services Register under number 156058. You can check this on the Financial Services Register or by contacting the Financial Conduct Authority on 0800 111 6768.
FSCS: Combined eligible savings deposits for customers of Newcastle Building Society and Manchester Building Society are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the UK’s deposit guarantee scheme. Any deposits above the limit are unlikely to be covered.
Newcastle Building Society Group is Headquartered in North Tyneside and employs more than 1700 people across multiple brands and subsidiaries. They include Newcastle Building Society, Manchester Building Society, Newcastle Strategic Solutions – the UK’s leading provider of outsourced savings management – and Newcastle Financial Advisers Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Newcastle Building Society which provides financial advice on the high street and in workplace locations.
