Hidden Treasure Discovery Centre CIC is a social enterprise based in Partington. They opened their new premises in 2018 – The Hideaway, above Partington Shopping Centre - with an educational play facility and café. Alongside establishing themselves as a leading soft play centre in the area, they have focused on finding ways to support the thousands of Trafford residents that come through their doors through training, support groups, volunteering placements and employment workshops - to name just a few of the activities they run.
GMCVO were delighted to be able to fund Hidden Treasure through our Access to Growth fund, providing a total of £66k investment to support their delivery. As a result of the funding they have been able to focus on their social mission by developing a totally unique facility that is fun and engaging as well as practical, providing a community training facility and volunteer hub for the area. They even have a wooden Ark which houses their education suite!
The Hideaway has since taken on another dimension during the COVID-19 lockdown. To help tackle the challenges the community faced, they set themselves up as the Hope Centre - a community response hub to help support vulnerable people in Partington, Carrington and Warburton through the pandemic. This hub has played a crucial role in Trafford, providing vital support to the community, and Hidden Treasure now plan to grow this lifeline by setting up a community hub and charity shop where they can focus their Hope Centre work once the Hideaway opens its doors again to the public.
Tekla Szerszynska, Investment Officer at GMCVO said “I have been continually impressed by Hidden Treasure’s creativity and their commitment to their community. From an idea and a large, empty room above the shopping centre, they have grown into a much-loved local hub and lifeline for many people. I’m excited to see the huge impact they will have in this next phase of their development”.
You can find out more about Hidden Treasure and The Hideaway by visiting their website here.
If you are a Greater Manchester social enterprise thinking about social investment, please visit our GM Social Investment webpage for more info.
You can also email the GMCVO social investment team at gmsocinvest@gmcvo.org.uk
