The Background

Norbrook Youth Club was founded in 1958 to provide leisure and community activities for boys aged 8 – 18 years. The youth club rapidly became a safe and fun environment where boys could make new friends, enjoy a whole range of activities and learn new skills. Over many years the building began to deteriorate and it was a real struggle for volunteers to keep the facility maintained, putting the future of the club in doubt. With strong leadership, the support of local people and such dedicated volunteers the club continued to try and provide activities for local boys. In the early 1990’s the club opened its doors to girls who soon took part in all the youth club activities.

Local heros Bill and Freda Fishwick were the long- time drivers of making Norbrook a fantastic place for young people. Freda was the secretary of the committee but helped out in the kitchen making cheese toasties, serving sweets and always made every child feel welcome. Bill was a relentless fund raiser and managed to bring additional services in to support the club.  He never stopped in his quest to get a new facility built for local children. There were many other key community people who have helped along the way, including Bernard Caine who for a long time delivered most of the activities with a very small team of volunteers, until Malcolm Beaumont was drafted in to take over the leadership.

Bill and Freda Fishwick deserve special recognition for getting Norbrook to where it is today.

In 2000 Greater Manchester Passenger Transport offered Norbrook Youth Club a lifeline by offering to pay for a brand new building at a cost of £500,000.  This was necessary to relocate the Club away from the line of the Metrolink extension to Wythenshawe.  This would allow Wythenshawe to be linked to both the city centre and to Manchester Airport via the tram system.  So plans were agreed to demolish the old facility to make way for a brand new youth club. With extra funding support from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Manchester in the region of £50,000 it meant that the new club could stay close to its roots next to the old site.

In January 2010 Norbrook Youth Club opened its doors as a superb brand new youth facility available three times a week.

In 2014 a brand new 3G football pitch with flood lighting was installed. Used for 5 a side football matches this facility is a popular outdoor offer for young people.

In 2018 Norbrook is celebrating its 60th Anniversary. Norbrook is proud of its heritage and were successful in a bid for Heritage Lottery Funding to mark this legacy. Past members have shared stories, photographs and memories of attending the club and these will be displayed at the centre.

The club continues to provide a weekly youth provision today with a new after school club starting Summer 2018 ran by Manchester Young Lives.

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