Stuart Barnes

Generally, things are going well at Zac's with loads more young people coming, extra sessions, a second centre soon to open and with our gap year and other intitiatives we're just about holding our own in the tough financial times. HOWEVER, there is nothing left over for the unexpected or the inconvenient. Right now we have a leaking kitchen roof, damp on one wall and damaged/missing drainpipes and sorting out these sort of problems is not a major priority of many funders! We don't want them to get worse and cost us even more to sort out so I'm putting my trainers back on and have entered the Manchester Marathon at the end of April! Cold winter evenings will be spend pounding the pavements instead of piling on the pounds, sat on the sofa so if you could sponsor me a few quid to help us sort out these and other issues that would be great!

If you are not familiar with the work of Zac's then here is a potted history....

Back in 2000 the opportunity arose to buy an old run do... more

Generally, things are going well at Zac's with loads more young people coming, extra sessions, a second centre soon to open and with our gap year and other intitiatives we're just about holding our own in the tough financial times. HOWEVER, there is nothing left over for the unexpected or the inconvenient. Right now we have a leaking kitchen roof, damp on one wall and damaged/missing drainpipes and sorting out these sort of problems is not a major priority of many funders! We don't want them to get worse and cost us even more to sort out so I'm putting my trainers back on and have entered the Manchester Marathon at the end of April! Cold winter evenings will be spend pounding the pavements instead of piling on the pounds, sat on the sofa so if you could sponsor me a few quid to help us sort out these and other issues that would be great!

If you are not familiar with the work of Zac's then here is a potted history....

Back in 2000 the opportunity arose to buy an old run down pub in the centre of Farnworth - this was the start for the charity, The Sycamore Project. It was reopened as Zac's Youth Bar, an alcohol free bar for young people. The bar has pool tables, games consoles, music and a range of alcohol free cocktails. It soon became very popular for young people as a safe place to be. Over the past decade the project has developed a range of activities - after school clubs, sporting activities, mentoring, community action and projects involving young people from differeing social and cultural backgrounds, young people with learning difficulties and disabilities and those struggling at school. Without Zac's many young people living in some of the most disadvantaged areas would have far fewer positive activities and input. Alongside the activities Zac's encourages lasting long term benefits, changing attitudes, behaviours, confidence, aspiration, enabling young people to lead richer, more rewarding lives.