TRANSFORMING YOUNG LIVES THROUGH BOXING

Aim

Transform the lives of vulnerable young people through a unique combination of non-contact boxing, therapy and personal development.

Who we are. 
Empire Fighting Chance was born on the streets to fight the impact of deprivation on young lives. Based from our gym in the Easton community of Bristol, our dedicated team of professional Coaches and Therapists deliver unique, personalised 1-1 support for vulnerable young people living in the city and surrounding areas.

The issue we're tackling.
We exist to support young people from deprived neighbourhoods. Most live in poverty, poor housing, and workless households. The toll that poverty takes on families is huge and can include family breakdown, abuse, criminal activity, and household dysfunction. Significant numbers of young people we support are also from communities experiencing racial inequality. Faced with conditions that are toxic to wellbeing, they struggle with their mental health. Their distress is often expressed in ways that can lead them into trouble, including poor behaviour in school, drug misuse and gang crime. The multiple, complex issues they face can prevent them from engaging in education and employment.

Our programme. 
To reduce the impact of deprivation on young lives, we created an intensive and holistic programme of services to reflect the challenges faced by young people in our communities. We exploit boxing’s grittiness to attract young people and use gaps between physical activities to inspire changes in their lives. Boxing has credibility in our communities and receiving support during physical activity breaks the stigma often associated with traditional forms of therapy for young people.

Our team of professional Coaches and qualified therapists work 1-1 with young people within our boxing gym, in school settings and pupil referral units to deliver tailored and effective mentoring, therapy and careers support. Our flagship Training with Champions programme uses a powerful combination of embedded personal development psychology and non-contact boxing to inspire young people to realise their unique potential, and our Careers projects utilise the same methodology to increase access to employment opportunities. Our Careers Coach runs exclusive experiential projects such as the 'Heavyweight Hustle and Streetwise with Money' alongside external experts to evoke an entrepreneurial spirit. For young people with more acute emotional needs our therapists embed therapeutic services alongside boxing and personal development to address issues such as trauma, abuse or more complex mental health needs. 

Our impact.
Funds raised through the Aviva Community Fund could help to provide our services for more young people. Our work combines boxing, mentoring and psychological support in weekly sessions that feature a structured set of physical activities (for example pad work or skipping) and evidence-based personal development messages to create healthier thinking. During the sessions, our Coaches will build trust with a young person and start a dialogue about issues they’re facing. Through personalising the sessions, Coaches equip young people with the skills they need to thrive despite the challenges they face. Following completion of our Training with Champions programme young people report feeling healthier, happier, and more positive about their future. In 2020, 93% felt less tense, anxious, or nervous, 96% felt more confident and motivated about their career and 68% are no longer committing antisocial or criminal acts.

Our vision is to improve the mental wellbeing of young people; giving them the confidence to overcome the challenges they face and empowering them to build positive futures. All contributions, of any size, will be helping to transform young lives!

This project successfully funded on 21st September 2021