Projekts started life in 2000, when a group of young people got together and decided that Manchester needed a safe and affordable skate venue, preferably right in the city centre.

Over the next twelve months, we made enquires and set up meetings with various bodies, including the Police, Manchester City Council and others, in an effort to source funding for the scheme.

In July 2001 we applied for funding from the Sport England network, and with the help of the City Centre Management Company, we were successful in obtaining a little over £15,000 to cover our set-up costs.

Thanks to some help from Ician Developments in locating a suitable venue, we opened in October 2001 in the Mackie Mayor building on Swan St.

The response was overwhelming. In our first month of opening, we signed up over six hundred new members from all over Manchester, and because of our low cost policy, we saw people from a vast array of the less privileged areas as well. This was hugely important to us, as one of our central aims is, and always has been, providing facilities at a price that does not exclude anyone.

The Mackie Mayor was originally meant to be a six month pilot project, to determine the need for such a facility in Manchester, but due to its huge popularity, we kept it open for over a year until our lease on the building expired.

Over the subsequent twelve months, we went back to drawing board. We looked at what we had done well, but also at what could still be improved. It was our goal to step it up a gear, and provide a better facility, one that would provide more than just a skate park, but also services that would be of real use to young people.

In November 2003, we were awarded £23,000 by the Co-op group, and combined with another £7,000 from the Community Foundation, we were able to set up a facility that would be self-sufficient, professional and, crucially, would have the room to include these services that would benefit our youth.

July 2004 saw the opening of the Projekts centre on Edge St in Manchester, as well as the Mancunian Way skate park that was provided by Manchester City Council, and staffed by Projekts.

We believe that from here, we have a real 'spring board' into providing better facilities for young people. It's our goal to one day open a state of the art facility that will house all our interests in one building, from a fully comprehensive skate park, to cafes and chill-out areas, right through to facilities for youth contact agencies to come in ad use, and further benefit the young people of Manchester.