It’s official and it’s VERY exciting … even if we do say so ourselves.
The Factory Youth Zone, the iconic yellow building standing on Rochdale Road, is moving on to its next chapter as it becomes the ‘Manchester Youth Zone’.
After six action-packed years as ‘The Factory’, we believed that it was time for a change. There were (several!) discussions with our young people, and whilst there where several ‘sound’ names such as ‘Cat Basket Cheeseburger’ and ‘The Unicorn Station’ brought to the table, we decided nothing summed us up better than the ‘Manchester Youth Zone’.
A big part of the rebrand is to do with how young people, particularly in North Manchester, feel isolated from the city as it continues to grow in prosperity. When asked where they are from, our members reply with the likes of “Harpurhey” and do not associate with being from Manchester (despite being only 3 miles away from the Manchester Arena) and having access to the opportunities available in the city.
By rebranding to the ‘Manchester Youth Zone’, we hope it will make young people see that they are a part of the city and raise their aspirations, inspiring them to get involved. Simultaneously, we hope that it will also encourage the city to embrace Harpurhey and the rest of North Manchester, and continue to support the work we are doing with our young people, investing in their futures and inspiring a generation.