How Dragon's Den tycoon Theo Paphitis went from a two-up, two-down in Gorton to a £300m empire
The property and retail business magnate is supporting a new youth club in the area and has explained to us why the project is so close to his heart
Theo says Gorton has a 'special place in his heart'
Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis has revealed how his schooldays in east Manchester helped shape him as he throws his weight behind a new youth centre in the area.
Theo, worth a reported £300 million, has run several successful high street brands.
However he is probably best known for his time as a 'Dragon' - investing in new start-up businesses on the hit show, which is filmed in Manchester.
The 60 year-old dad-of-five now lives in the south east and is known for being a Londoner, having moved there as a nine year-old.
However it is less well-known that he actually lived in Gorton in his boyhood, after his family first moved to the UK from Cyprus in the 1960s.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News as he pledged to sponsor the new youth centre, the business tycoon revealed his enduring affection for Gorton and his vivid memories of those days.
"We left Cyprus when I was six years old and landed in Liverpool to stay with friends, before getting the train to Manchester," he said.
"We rented a little two bedroom terraced house in Old Trafford, before my dad bought us a two up, two down in Gorton, when I was about seven.
"When we moved to Gorton it was like something straight out of Coronation Street and I have a special place in my heart for the area.
"We were there for a couple of years. I went to Peacock Street School juniors, apparently it’s now a council depot.
"I was nine when we moved to London, eventually to the Finsbury Park area, and both Gorton and London were in my formative years, so I have many memories from both; both full of character and a treat for the senses.
"It definitely shaped me.", Theo went on.
"It’s where I learnt to speak English, only speaking a couple of words when we arrived, but I made friends at school and I loved it."
Despite leaving school at 16 with no qualifications due to his dyslexia, Theo began work as a filing clerk in a Lloyds of London brokerage.
At another job - working in a Watches of Switzerland shop - the fledgling businessman discovered his passion for retail.
He also had stints working in mortgages and insurance before setting up a property finance firm aged 23.
Since then he has developed a huge business empire, reviving the fortunes of high street chains such as Ryman, Partners the Stationers, Stationery Box, La Senza, Contessa Lingerie and more recently the home and garden retailer Robert Dyas.
He starred on Dragon's Den from 2005 to 2012, but recently returned for several one-off episodes this year.
He has also starred in numerous other business themed shows and is a former chairman of Millwall FC.
Now, he has become a founder patron of east Manchester's new youth club, called the HideOut Youth Zone, being built next to Gorton Park off Hyde Road.
The £6 million centre has been made possible thanks to the donation of land by the local authority and a huge cash donation from Salford bookmaker Fred Done.
A committee of local youngsters has been involved in its design and planning - from choosing the name and logo to even interviewing staff.
And it hopes to see 3,000 people, aged eight to 19 from across east Manchester, through its doors in the first year.
Theo said there was certainly nothing like it in the area when he was a child.
"You had to make your own entertainment, which was always going to go one of two ways," he said.
"As my brother Marinos and I soon discovered as young lads, Gorton was famous for its railway sidings - which was a magnificent free playground for us.
"It always seemed to be raining, but it didn’t matter as we always had great fun finding interesting things that fell off the railway trucks as they went through.
"Watching the Manchester United reserve games for free, when I probably should have been at school, is a big memory for me too.
"Marinos and I sometimes used to get saveloy and chips for dinner after school, or head to Belle Vue, which was close to where we lived.
"For boys of eight and ten years old this was heaven, but we soon got in trouble for missing school to go there.
"I was one of the lucky ones, I didn’t get dragged into anything I shouldn’t be involved in.
"But these Youth Zones are fantastic, it means kids have purpose, somewhere to go to meet other kids and have the right role models.”
The centre will cost just £50p a night for youngsters, with the majority of the running costs met by sponsors like Theo, who said it took him a 'split second' to decide to become involved.
It will include facilities such as an outdoor 3G football pitch, an indoor four court sports hall, a fully equipped gym, dance studio, climbing wall, boxing ring, music studio, hair and nails studio and a training kitchen.
Theo told the M.E.N. he believed it could even be the breeding ground for the next generation of entrepreneurs.
"The HideOut Youth Zone is something I would have loved as a lad back in the day and Gorton is one of those areas that needs somewhere for kids to be kids, enjoy access to some amazing facilities and a space to open their minds.
"I’ve seen the plans and I for one can’t wait to visit when it opens.
"Of course, if you give people the opportunity and show them what’s possible, then the world is their oyster.
"The Hideout Youth Zone will be a place that will no doubt inspire those from 8 up to 25 who go there and I can’t wait to see what they achieve."
Joanne Whittaker, Chair of HideOut Youth Zone said: “We are incredibly grateful to Theo Paphitis for making this commitment to HideOut Youth Zone.
"It is fantastic to have his support and investment in changing the lives of young people of Manchester."