#iCan Project

Aim

The #iCan project wants to engage as many young people in sport & well-being programmes to improve their emotional, mental & physical health

Monkstown Boxing Club delivers a pioneering and award winning sport and youth project, open 6 days a week including school holidays, with a mission to help young people grow to be happy, healthy and successful adults. Our youth space ‘The Box’ provides children and young people with a range of activities, giving them the opportunity to try new things, meet new friends and gain support from friendly, inspiring and positive coaches and youth workers.  

Why are we crowdfunding?

For children and young people, the Covid pandemic has been very challenging as it has compounded the barriers that many have faced such as social isolation, anxiety, depression with their mental health. The Covid-19 pandemic has only increased this. 

Physical activity has been proven to have a positive impact on mental health and well-being, with research showing that regular exercise can decrease levels of anxiety and depression, ease stress levels, and increase confidence. Engaging in sport can be a great way to meet new people and reduce isolation. 

In a bid to raise awareness of the importance of physical health, its positive impact on mental well-being, Monkstown Boxing Club wants to raise £10,000 to ensure that young people experiencing mental health problems have access to appropriate help and can live free from stigma and discrimination.

How is Monkstown Boxing Club helping?

Monkstown Boxing Club provides inspiring sport, education and youth programmes to equip them with life skills, support them with employment and mental health issues and to help them achieve their full potential.  Mental ill-health affects one in four young people in Northern Ireland, yet the majority can’t access specialist mental health support and struggle in silence.  With your donations, the #iCan project will recruit a qualified counsellor who can support young people in crisis and train coaches and youth workers in trauma informed practice through a community-based support service.

So why are we fundraising now? 

We want to reach out to children and young people that have been adversely affected by the pandemic - particularly those struggling with poor mental health. In a recent report monitoring responses from young people in NI about the Covid pandemic, a high percentage commented that one of the biggest struggles they faced was with the lack of normal extra-curricular and sporting activities. This report demonstrated that children felt more anxious, and many felt their mental health had deteriorated (particularly from isolation). Research shows that engaging in physical activities and sport can have a positive impact on the resilience and wellbeing of children and young people, including building self-confidence and their ability to form positive relationships. 

We believe the #iCan project will help us to reach out the most vulnerable and disadvantaged and support them through the development of key skills and the promotion of positive mental health services.

How we’ll spend the money raised

The #iCan Crowdfunding campaign will provide a qualified counsellor for one to one sessions and essential support and training for coaches, youth workers and volunteers who are on the front line, helping young people in crisis. Training will include: Safe-Talk qualifications for young people/ volunteers; ASIST Suicide training for staff; Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training for staff, and Mental Health First Aid training for volunteers.  Having a locally place-based service to meet the growing demands for crisis/ trauma counselling will enhance the capacity of the organisation, ultimately saving young people from developing lifelong mental health conditions.

Whether it’s a little or a lot, the money raised will help tackle inequality, improve mental health and help young people to survive and thrive. Please give whatever you can and be part of a movement for change. Donate now - #iCan.

How you can play your part

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!

4. Create a fundraiser of your own. Use the button on our page to get started. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!

This project successfully funded on 28th June 2023