Back on Track Manchester

06/09/2026

Sam took on the Altrincham 10K today to raise money for Back on Track. But he's not just doing the one 10K this month. Not just one a week. In fact Sam is running a 10K EVERY DAY during the month of September!

'I wanted to set myself a real challenge and this is way more than I've ever run before. No rest days is going to hurt! But Back on Track are doing really incredible things at the moment, like using their cafe to make food parcels for people in the community facing food poverty, and I know that every pound will make a difference. Please donate if you can!'

Link to donate on JustGiving in the comments

07/08/2026

We're hiring!

We have a fabulous opportunity to join the Back on Track team in a permanent full time role as our new Cafe and Operations Assistant.

If you are organised, energetic and kind, and love providing great customer service, then this could be the job for you. The salary is £24,909 a year. The deadline is 9am on Tuesday so don't delay, head to our website and download the job pack now 😊

Cafe Operations Assistant Main place of work: Back on Track, Swan Buildings, Manchester Salary: £24,909 a year Contract type: Full time (35 hours), permanent Application closing date: 9am, Tuesday 11 August 2026 Interview date: Friday 14 August Use your catering and hospitality skills to make a dif...

13/07/2026

Last week we held our summer end of term event and it was a great reminder why we do what we do. At Back on Track we believe that learning is a gateway to community and seeing our members, partners and patrons come together to share music, creative writing and highlight progress proved exactly that.
Thanks to Tony Walsh who made the room roar with his poem about Back On Track, cowritten with members for the 40th anniversary. It was great seeing our patron Mike Joyce, who has supported us in many ways over the years. Thanks to Ella from Fieldfisher who spoke on why she nominated us to be the company’s chosen charity. We heard from Gregg who works for TLC, one of our excellent partners delivering work around wellbeing. Gregg spoke about the 1:1 work he does here at the centre and gave us an easy grounding technique to help reduce anxiety!
Again, thanks to everyone who helped contribute to our special end of term event!

08/07/2026

Huge thanks to for delivering a masterclass on pickling to our members and Swan Kitchen volunteers. The group also learnt how to make nutritious rolls, which will be distributed by as part of their mission to deliver meals to families experiencing homelessness, women taking refuge in sheltered accommodation, food banks and schools supporting young people.

Our ‘Cooking Masterclass’ course has given our members the chance to expand their skills and creativity, exploring global cuisines.

Thanks to Holly and Eat Well for a great session!

27/06/2026

“I feel like a real person again compared to before coming to Back on Track, when I was really isolated. It’s a safe place to come to where people accept me as I am.”

Our new impact report for 2025/26 is out now. Stats are important and there are plenty of those, but it's the human stories that we all remember best. There is real evidence of people's lives changing on every page, and we hope you'll see why we are so proud of the community we have created together.

You can read it online or download a copy from our website now

Our work in context The map below shows the home postcodes of our 1138 members in 2025/26. It’s evidence that people came to Back on Track from all parts of Greater Manchester. We believe many people are not given a fair chance. We believe in a Greater Manchester where inequalities are reduced, wh...

26/06/2026

Say hi to the newest member of the Back on Track team on their first day

Our old display fridge picked a very bad moment to pack up last week with temperatures about to go through the roof. But thanks to an amazingly generous supporter we have been able to get this lovely new one!

Now to start stacking it with those cold cold drinks 😊

25/06/2026

An amazing collab in the Back on Track cafe this week! First the fabulous Zosima from Mama Z Filipino Kitchen came in to deliver a masterclass in our cooking course. She worked with our group to conjure up 50 delicious portions of chicken adobo (considered the national dish of the Philippines).

We then teamed up with our friends at Eat Well MCR to get the meals out to families living in temporary accommodation, women taking refuge in shelters, and families experiencing food poverty.

Thank you so much to Zosima (pictured here with our café manager Caron) for helping us to help the community 😍

Cooking with Mama Z

12/06/2026

Vacancy: learning coordinator £29,759-£34,184

Thinking about a new job? Then stop what you're doing and read on!

The learning coordinator role is absolutely pivotal at Back on Track. It involves designing delivering a range of courses and activities, and we're looking for an outstanding teacher who is patient, kind, and inclusive. Sound like you? Then don't delay, click below to download the job pack now. Deadline is 9am on Tuesday 16 June.

100% of our staff say they would recommend Back on Track as a great place to work

18/05/2026

It was ten years ago today that work on the incredible mural on the wall of our centre in Ancoats started.

The work, by artist case_maclaim, was inspired by our work supporting people with mental health problems. It shows someone stopping in a place of safety, pausing to gather and reflect on life, before taking a step into the future. It was based on a sketch of one of our members from the time, who posed for it holding a broom handle.

Photo: Irena Przybyl

08/05/2026

Here at Back on Track we love creative arts and we love getting support from the community! So we were delighted when the lovely people at Red Line Theatre got in touch to say they were raising money for us through a new production at Salford Arts Theatre on Friday 15 May. Lived Experiences is seven original short plays on the broad theme of mental health, and should be an entertaining and thought provoking night. Tickets are available now: https://www.ticketsource.com/booking/select/krebxwxeaeje

Liz from Back on Track was recently on Salford City Radio along with the producers and authors of Lived Experience - you can listen to that here: https://player.autopod.xyz/1287040

Liz is on from about 45 minutes, but listen to the whole thing if you can, it's all good!