Hideaway Youth Club is an important Moss Side youth organisation founded in 1965. It began as a volunteer-led project in a church basement, created to provide young people with a safe space for guidance, mentorship and informal learning. Its roots were closely connected to the local church community, and its early success led to the construction of a dedicated youth centre in 1969.
Hideaway became especially important during the 1990s, when Moss Side was often associated with gun crime, youth violence and a lack of safe spaces. Guided by the motto “Believing in YOU to Believe in Yourself”, the club helped young people build confidence, resilience and self-belief. It responded to issues affecting young people by offering mentoring, group discussions, workshops and support.
In more recent decades, Hideaway expanded into creative arts, dance, performance, sport, recreation and youth leadership. It encourages young people to have a voice, take ownership of their project and shape activities around their own needs and interests. The organisation also supports young people to become accredited Young Leaders, enabling them to help deliver workshops on topics such as drugs awareness, sexual health and staying safe. This “each one teach one” approach means young people are not only supported but also become role models for others.
In 2012, the premises were refurbished and became known as The Amani Centre, meaning “peace” in Swahili, while the Hideaway identity continued. Its legacy lies in the generations of young people it has supported, including former members who later became youth workers themselves. Within Black Manchester history, Hideaway stands alongside Abasindi, the West Indian Sports and Social Club, the Millennium Powerhouse and Legacy FM as a community institution that built resilience, opportunity and leadership in Moss Side.
