HideOut Youth Zone: How a club for young people is breathing new life into a Manchester neighbourhood
When the beautiful HideOut building was completed on Queens Road in early 2020, it looked and felt like an oasis in a deeply troubled area. But one year later, there’s evidence that its good vibes are rippling beyond the centre’s four walls into the wider community.
“It’s notorious here. There have been a lot of high-profile incidents over the years.”
Adam Farricker is gazing out onto Gorton Park from the refuge of a sports cage; pointing towards the green space in the distance.
“Violence, drugs, assault… stuff like that. It’s all happened.
“But since we’ve been here, numbers of reports have actually gone right down.”
The fact that Gorton Park is a statistically safer space nowadays is no coincidence. It’s because it has a rather impressive new neighbour: HideOut Youth Zone.
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When the beautiful HideOut building was completed on Queens Road in early 2020, it looked and felt like an oasis in a deeply troubled area. But one year later, there’s evidence that its good vibes are rippling beyond the centre’s four walls into the wider community.
Crime in the region has dipped since HideOut opened its doors – and local pride probably has a lot to do with it.
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“We’ve not done anything – I think people just see there’s something important here, now,” Adam clarifies.
Fellow HideOut worker Joe Amos chimes in.
“The kids have already got ideas of how to improve the park, whether it’s painting the play area or planting trees,” he explains
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“It all comes back to bringing the community together. That’s what we do here.”
Connecting people is what youth centres have always been about, of course – giving local kids something to do outside of school and tightening bonds in the area.
But traditionally, there’s never been much resource allocated to achieve these aims. Most youth centres are run on shoestrings – with kids paying a quid to play ping-pong on scuffed tables in stuffy community halls or kick a tattered football against the wall outside.
HideOut, however, isn’t so much a step-up from these old-fashioned youth centres but rather a rocket launch into a new realm.
The £6.6 million venue in Gorton – one of 14 HideOut locations nationwide – is jaw-droppingly impressive; home to a dozen doors behind each of which lies its own mini world.
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Rooms include a fully-equipped gym, music room, recording suite, dance studio, training kitchen, arts and crafts space, health and wellbeing centre, chillout room, hair salon, brainstorming area, and a specially-allocated table for a ‘brew and a chat’.
A colossal indoor climbing centre scales the back wall, with a gigantic four-court sports hall in one corner and a 3G all-weather pitch in the other.
Games tables deck out the bottom floor, with televisions, consoles and a cafe in the periphery.
There’s even a patch round the back where kids plant their own veg and use it for cooking later; learning about environmental sustainability in the process.
The cost of accessing all this? 50p per visit, or – if you really want to push the boat out – £5 per year.
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The sheer scale and calibre of HideOut would turn heads in any community. But in one of Greater Manchester’s most underprivileged neighborhoods, it’s a stunning standout.
Adam explains: “Gorton and the surrounding neighbourhoods such as Longsight and Ardwick are some of the most deprived areas in the UK, with disproportionately higher rates of child poverty than the rest of the country.
“This puts local young people here at a significant disadvantage in terms of life chances in comparison to their peers growing up in more affluent areas.
“Having access to universal youth services and the chance to build relationships with a trusted adult is critically important for young people to be able to have the opportunity to raise their aspirations and develop themselves personally and socially.”
HideOut’s completion was naturally big news.
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The magnificent venue piqued curiosity – both locally and from afar.
COVID-19 struck just as HideOut was due to launch, delaying the official opening ceremony by six months until September 2020. And, unsurprisingly, running a youth centre during a lockdown has come with more than a few caveats.
As Adam and Joe prepare to show off the second floor of the sprawling facility, one of the kids bursts through the door behind us and attempts to scamper upstairs.
Joe gently raises a palm.
“Not yet, mate,” he tells him.
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“Few more minutes.”
The kid nods knowingly and disappears behind the doors again.
Whilst HideOut has been permitted to stay open during lockdown, it has to follow rules and regulations to keep people safe – like closing off certain areas at particular times.
Groups attend the Youth Zone in ‘bubbles’, with limitations on the number of people allowed in one part of the building.
Attendance limits will be lifted steadily along with restrictions in the coming weeks and months.
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One of the biggest challenges for the likes of Adam and Joe has been assessing and mitigating this ongoing risk.
The other big hurdle is finding new ways to keep the centre firing on all cylinders.
HideOut is funded by patrons and private companies – all of whom contribute to running costs which topple £1.35 million per year.
“We have been able to remain open 7 days per week providing group support work, one-to-one support, welfare calls food provisions and street-based outreach,” Adam explains.
“But another critical challenge for us is securing the ongoing revenue funding needed to sustain our critical services now and post-COVID.
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“We are committed to that but need all of Manchester’s support across the private and public sectors to keep this going.
“We are extremely grateful to our patrons and supporters that have committed financial support to our cause at this early stage but we still have some way to go to reach our target.”
For local businesses, HideOut is a cause worth supporting.
The Youth Zone has given young people a platform to raise their aspirations and realise their full potential like never before – levelling the playing field and offering access to opportunities children never would have ever had otherwise.
In some instances, it’s even diverted young people away from lives of crime.
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But most importantly of all, it’s provided a safe, secure space for young people who are struggling.
Hundreds of thousands have tragically died during the pandemic – with older groups and people with underlying health conditions considered most at risk. But other people who might be considered ‘perfectly healthy’ caught COVID months ago and are still reeling.
Ultimately, the long-term effects of the virus are still poorly understood. But what Adam and Joe know for sure, however, is that the pandemic has severely impacted young people.
Children have shown a capability to fight off the infection rather quickly, meaning the COVID conversation surrounding kids and teenagers has largely revolved around disruption to their school work and education.
But according to Adam and Joe, the past year has hurt youngsters far more than many realise.
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The duo said that kids are fearing for their parents and grandparents’ lives, and that this – combined with the absence of structure and face-to-face education – has taken its toll mentally.
“I am concerned the impact on young people’s lives will be felt for years to come,” Adam admits.
“They have been socially isolated from wider family and peer networks, unable to attend schools or socialise.
“Young people have fed back to us that during this period they have felt lonely, more anxious, depressed and overall, less positive about their emotional health and wellbeing.
“Those from disadvantaged backgrounds have also had to navigate issues of food poverty and inactivity.”
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Interest in the Youth Centre has been big overall. But a bit of recruitment was also required early on.
To drum up interest and assure the young members of the community there was a safe space nearby, Adam and Joe patrolled the Gorton streets and introduced themselves to youngsters skulking around local shops and parks.
With little else to do in lockdown but loiter, the Youth Zone took on a refreshing new appeal – with something as simple as internet access encouraging teens to give the facility a try.
“All the kids have got phones, but they can’t pay the contracts,” Adam explains.
“That’s why you see them sitting in doorways and leaning into windows of GP surgeries just to try and pick up on Wi-Fi.”
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The lure of HideOut is its incredible facilities. But what keeps the kids coming back is the fact they feel respected whenever they visit.
“We’re not teachers, we’re not social workers,” Joe explains.
“We simply give these people the information to make informed decisions.”
At the Youth Zone, kids are treated like adults – and it’s paying off.
According to staff, the children who visit regularly have improved their confidence, self-esteem, communication skills and experienced a stronger sense of connection to their local community.
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“Young Mancunians are proud, passionate, creative, intelligent and resilient,” swells Adam.
“They have so much talent but unfortunately some just don’t have an equal opportunity to reach their potential due to multiple disadvantages.
“[The centre] empowers a generation of young people to improve their own life chances, to be confident and ambitions in their plans for a successful future – creating pathways for young people into sustainable employment.
“The services we provide and the young people themselves will create a sense of pride that the whole City of Manchester can recognise and get behind.”
From the moment it launched, HideOut has aimed to provide young Mancs with “somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.”
Never has that mission statement sounded more important than it does today.
Learn more about the HideOut Youth Zone in Gorton by visiting the official website.
Staff are always happy to answer any questions. You can contact HideOut online.
HideOut Youth Zone currently have a family of Founder Patrons that offer support for up to 4 years through ideas, introductions, time, financial grants and partnering opportunities. HideOut still needs Founder Patrons to meet its annual income targets this year and would welcome anyone interested in getting involved to contact [email protected].
Current supporters include Godel Technologies, Bruntwood, BeautyWorks, The JD Foundation, Lendlease, Open Money, Theo Paphitis Retail Group, Beyond Corporate, This is Manchester Awards, AO World and GCA Altium.
Feature
Frank Turner at Manchester Academy: Keeping the bardic tradition alive one gig at a time
Danny Jones
If there’s one artist we believe has never quite got the credit he deserves, it’s Francis Edward f***ing Turner – Frank to his loyal legions of followers around the world and the roughly 2,600 gig-goers inside Manchester Academy on Saturday, 5 April 2025.
Don’t get us wrong, Frank Turner and his long-standing touring band The Sleeping Souls are no minnow in the music industry: the 43-year-old is now two decades into his solo career and even during his time as the frontman of Million Dead, he had plenty of die hards right out of the gate.
What we mean is that for someone with the longevity, stamina, charisma, commitment to grassroots and such a rich back catalogue, he doesn’t get anywhere near enough the level of recognition he should.
It doesn’t matter which of the 10 albums he pulls from; the connection with those in the crowd is as strong as it’s ever been, if not even more powerful than the last time they saw him and the Souls, mainly because those lot up on the stage put in the same amount of energy as they always have.
Even the most avid fan would admit the Hampshire-born bard of the modern age has such an extensive back catalogue that you can be forgiven for not knowing every B-side and deep cut from back to front.
The man himself joked, “You’ve had a whole year to learn these f***ing songs”, but in all seriousness, that’s not what a Frank Turner gig is about. As he has the audience repeat back to without any need for a prompt at this point, the rules are simple: “Don’t be a d***” and don’t be ashamed to dance around.
Just like he told his Manc congregation this past weekend, “If you’re at this show, you probably were never that cool to begin with”, so if he and his truly brilliant live band can put their “aging knees” through the ringer hundreds of times a year, those watching him best reciprocate in kind.
And they did, from start to finish, as a Manchester Academy crowd or any venue in the city will always guarantee for that matter.
But more importantly, we suddenly realised something as he introduced the cult favourite track ‘Jinny Bingham’s Ghost’ from his eighth studio LP, Tales From No Man’s Land (2019), which was released with an accompanying podcast about historical female figures whose stories he wanted to shed light on.
It only took us seeing him for the fourth time to fully understand it, but we got there in the end…
We used that word ‘bard’ before – i.e. the old storytellers, musicians and orators, performers, comedians, historians, genealogists and so on that used to chronicle people’s lives, events taking place and the wider world around for centuries – but it felt like this most recent gig spoke to that oral tradition.
There have always been moments like this in his albums, in truth, and we only now realise that we had the same feeling the first time we heard ‘Balthazar, Impresario’ but Turner, we feel, is one of the few current artists truly keeping that almost time-travelling bard culture alive.
Be it conducting an orchestra of tipsy Northerners as they sing back in perfect harmony (just about), organising a crowd-surfing race between two mates who chose the concert as the stag do, teaching them literal historic tales of a young woman who drowned in the River Seine back in the 1800’s, he’s a rare breed of performer.
There’s plenty of call and response in Frank Turner’s music, but there’s also a real sense of history, politics and culture, not to mention a sense of proud Englishness that contemporary society can find difficult or at least a somewhat cumbersome topic these days.
Undefeated, underrated, criminally underappreciated and absolutely unbelievable live.
Folk and old-school punk rock at its finest. Frank Turner can come back to Manchester Academy any time he likes. (Credit: Audio North)
15 of the best burrito spots in Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
We would argue that burritos are one of the best food stuffs on the planet: first off, they’re like an all-in-one meal wrapped in a perfect, jam-packed and hopefully not so little package (cheeky). Two, they’re super filling, and there are literally tonnes of places to get them all over Greater Manchester.
Sounds like a good excuse for a round-up, don’t you think?
Burritos are pretty easy to do well; the real knack is finding out how to do them great. It’s very easy for them to turn into one homogenous mass of mush where only one main flavour stands out, but proper good burritos have layers – a solid foundation with top notes that stand out with each bite.
Are we overintellectualising what is essentially a mix of rice, beans, protein and some extras in a wrap? Maybe, but we’ve definitely had average ones and some of the best we’ve ever enjoyed at various places across Greater Manchester. Here are a dozen or so of them:
The best burritos in Manchester and beyond
1. Listo – Oxford St
First on the list, simply because I’m writing this thing, is my personal favourite: Listo Burrito. But make no mistake, it’s lots of people’s go-to as well – just look at the state of the queues they draw every day without fail. It’s been that way since they were known as Changos, and they’ve only got better since.
Whether you’re looking for a big, medium or naked version, I believe you won’t find a better lineup of meats, veggies, toppings, sides or sauces. The latter really can steal the show if you nail the right combos and flavours here also. The GOAT, at least in my humble opinion.
Next up is another contender for one, if not the best burritos in Manchester according to aficionados, and we can confirm we’ve polished off more than a few grande pork pibils here. It’s another one with lines every lunchtime and the kind of place where entire offices put in group orders. Naming no names…
Seriously though, Pancho’s Burritos aren’t just one of the best in its category: it’s one of our favourite places in the ever-thriving Arndale Market full stop, and that’s saying something. Wash it all down with a lovely Jarritos and you’ve got a regular work staple to have on your dinner break at least once a week.
Now, in at number three is technically part of a wider chain, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and you’ll just have to trust that we’ve eaten enough burritos to know what standard can compete with the big boys. Put it this way, a good 10% of our genetic make-up must be Mexican at this point.
Death Valley are a spin-off of the well-known Barburrito brand, which started right here in Manchester. Nevertheless, we still regularly turn to old faithfuls, and maybe we’re imagining it, but there seems to be extra care taken with their delivery-only burritos. Their California-style options are great.
This is probably one of our most regular takeaway orders on lazy nights in. Great value too. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
4. La Casita – Chorlton
Heading out of the city centre for the first time on this list but not all that far, a short tram ride is more than worth it to sample one of the best independents Chorlton has to offer: La Casita. Located along that gorgeous little run of restaurants and bars on Barlow Moor Road, it’s a bit of a stunner if you ask us.
Beautifully flavourful and affordable burritos plus plenty more from one of our favourite strips outside the city; they’re currently closed until further notice, but make sure to visit when they reopen. To be honest, we’d travel for a zesty margarita on that sun-soaked little patio bit every day of the week if we could.
A favourite of our Takeaways Champions king Dean, it sometimes seems mad to think Don Tacos started out life in humble pasty-loving Bolton back in 2016 before going on to become a beloved student outlier on the Curry Mile and ultimately one of the busiest food spots on Piccadilly Gardens.
Cut to nearly a whole decade later and this place has seriously levelled up with another colourful new premises in central Manchester and a bigger menu than ever, which does included burritos. The tacos might rightly steal the show here, but the burritos won’t let you down either.
Known for their tacos but also some of the best burritos in Manchester city centre and beyond. (Credit: The Manc Group)
6. Monsieur French Tacos – Oxford Road Corridor
Ok, we’re over a third of the way through this thing, so we’re going to mix things up a little by suggesting something that isn’t by no means traditional, but it certainly is tasty – us and the hordes of students certainly seem to think so.
The classic continental cuisine might not be the culture that comes to mind when you think of the masters of burritos, but in the same way that ‘Tex-Mex‘ scran just works, so does the Monsieur French Tacos take on big, cheesy, toasted tortillas. It’s junk food that’s become an instant hit with big crowds.
7. Casa Mexica – Oxford Rd Corridor
Sticking on Oxford Road (or rather just off), The Quardrangle’s Casa Mexica has been helping uni students get the most bang for their buck for years now, and maybe it’s recency bias, but it seems like they just keep getting better every time we go back.
With its colourful aesthetic and cosy interior that feels like you’re transported to a little corner of Mexico, we’d wager this is one of the best value for money burritos in Manchester, with fantastic plant-based options too. Our very own Thomas had his first experience here and said he’d go back for the staff alone.
Comfortably up there with one of the best places for burritos in Manchester, no doubt. (Credit: The Manc)
8. French Taco’o – Salford
From authentic Mexican back to experimental modern twists and another example of the ‘French taco’ trend, which in truth are closer to a burrito or a quesadilla that the street food staple that lends its name. Either way, the first time we tried was over on the edge of Salford and were blown away.
In truth, French Taco’o might look like many other unassuming takeaways you’ll find in Manchester or any city for that matter, but this place is quietly one of the best bits of fast food we’ve had in ages. They do plenty besides their version of a burrito, but how can you say no to one with chips, cheese and doner in?
If the last entry is the cheaper, greasier, but ever-delicious late-night option, then the burritos being served out of the new Salon Madre spin-off bar and pool hall attached to the main building is the elevated version of the very accessible staple.
Our only criticism of Madre‘s burritos the first time we tried them pre-Salon days was that the taste may have been incredible, but no rice in favour of more beans made for a slightly sloppy experience. However, they’ve continued to fine-tune their dishes since then, and the flavours are as good as ever.
Credit: The Manc
10. La Capilla – Stockport
Heading the furthest out into Greater Manchester that we’ve been yet, La Capilla Stockport can’t truly be counted as a hidden gem anymore because the locals definitely know how good it is, and so do we. We’ve heard the breakfast is good as well, but we’ve yet to experience it for ourselves (yet).
This little corner of the old marketplace used to be Blackshaws Kitchen and a Pure Innovations charity cafe before that, but now it’s serving some seriously lip-smacking contemporary Mexican dishes, including burritos. Just look at the lovely ‘leoparding’ on the crusty exterior of that wrap. Oof.
Heading back into the middle of 0161 now, one of the newest additions to the Manchester burrito climate is the Australian-founded multinational fast food franchise, who’ve already made a big splash with the debut in the city centre.
We’d consider this a brilliant starting point for anyone who doesn’t eat burritos all that often but also a really reliable spot for anyone who looking for a quick dine-and-dash place to grab one. Not only are they good value but they’ve done plenty of giveaways and offers since launching too. See what you think.
There’s one dangerously close to the office… (Credit: The Manc)
12. Sandinista – Central
In at number 12 on our list of the best burritos in Manchester is one that we’re afraid to say we’ve never grabbed a picture of ourselves – at least not one that we can safely share this the general public.
The reason for that is that this beloved late-night Latin American bar, as unbelievable as the food may be, is for unapologetic, rough and ready eats, so we’re usually in there getting irresponsibly drunk, and our hands would be far too shaky to do our jobs properly. ‘Keep calm and drink yourself silly at Sandinista.’
Brewski screams in at the baker’s dozen mark because, of course, they blood do. The absolute pinnacle of indulgent cheat food not just in Chorlton but arguably the entirety of Manchester, these oversized legends may not be the best for your calorie count, but they certainly leave us feeling fuller than most.
You might find ‘grande’ and extra-large burritos in plenty of places around the 10 boroughs, but we challenge you to find anywhere else that does super-sized stuffed-crust burritos that are quite literally as big as your head. They’re best served as part of a big ‘mate dates’ platter, but that’s just us.
14. Ancoats Tacos
We’re nearly the finish line now and we simply had to give a spot to an unsung hero of the Mexican street food scene, formerly known as Terra Tacos, which is currently undergoing a rebrand as we speak. Safe to say we can’t wait for a taste of what’s next.
Having gone from a trailer to serving as a pop-up in Urban Exchange, making deliveries to the nearby Cask site on New Islington Marina and now catering to big events and private hire, they’re an ambitious bunch, and you’d be a fool to sleep on their food. We see brilliant new burritos in their future.
Credit: The Manc
15. The Mexican – Fallowfield
Last but not least, we came across this one through nothing but sheer word of mouth from those still lucky enough to still be living the best days of their youth over in Fallowfield and having now tried for ourselves, we can confirm they aren’t half bad either.
We’ll confess that having a cute little kid as the resident presenter on your socials definitely scores you bonus points with us, but come on, if you can’t get behind for a local family business serving scran to the Manc masses, then who can you root for?
If you can’t find the burrito to suit your needs on this list, then please feel free to share your knowledge with us as soon as possible – we don’t mind being humbled with better suggestions.
Honourable mentions have to go to the likes of the OG Barburrito, Wrap It In over in Trafford Park – we don’t mind a no-nonsene Tortilla since there are so many of them around now either.
Guess we’ll just have to update this with another five when we get a second…
It goes without saying that this isn’t a comprehensive list of the best burritos across every corner of Greater Manchester, at least not yet, anyway. Nevertheless, it should be more than a good enough place to start. Happy eating!
The Manc -
29th March 2021 
