During Levelling the Playing Field’s ‘Sport for Development’ month in December, we’re asking our specialist partners how they use sport and physical activity to deliver positive outcomes for ethnically diverse children in their communities.
“Boxing is just the hook, it’s the way of getting young people in the door and building relationships with them,” says Rebecca Donnelly MBE of Fight 4 Change, Levelling the Playing Field’s specialist partner in Lambeth, South London.
Such a quote perfectly sums up the meaning of ‘Sport for Development’ and hints at why Fight 4 Change, and the Levelling the Playing Field sessions they run, are so important for ethnically diverse children from in and around the borough.
“We have high-class fighters here, but it’s not necessarily about making someone the next world or Olympic champion, it’s about giving each person experiences that build their resilience, better social networks, relationships with peers from different cultures and ethnicities and offer them a supportive environment they may not get elsewhere,” says Rebecca.
Fight 4 Change is based at Lambeth’s Black Prince Hub where each young person, who arrive through a number of referral pathways, is made to feel welcome but is also challenged.
“In life they’re going to face many challenges; what we do prepares young people to deal with them without being intimidated,” Rebecca says. “Boxing builds their resilience so when they’re out in the world they are able to process challenges, manage their emotions and react in the right way.”
Sparring is a prime example of this. Obviously, it involves getting hit in the face, but coaches help young people build up tolerance to it and use their personal and conversation skills to relate it back to their lives outside the ring.
Rebecca says: “A boxing session releases endorphins and stress, then our coaches and leaders have a chat afterwards. Being a boxing coach is a bit like being a bartender; sometimes their worries spill out at the end of a session. That’s all part of building relationships with them that lift their confidence and resilience. We always give them positive messages and tell them, ‘Don’t think there’s anything you can’t do or anything in life that you can’t deal with.’
“All boxing coaches want a world champion and sometimes you see talent in a young person and it gets you excited, but the other buzz is when a young person becomes so confident that they progress in other areas, like they’ve joined a private gym or have started running. Resilience won’t happen within a couple of sessions, sometimes it takes patience to build that rapport, but when it comes, it’s wonderful to see.”
Fight 4 Change’s work aligns perfectly with Levelling the Playing Field’s common goals:
- Increase the number of ethnically diverse children taking part in sport and physical activity
- Prevent and divert ethnically diverse children from becoming involved in the Criminal Justice System
Part of the reason why children at Fight 4 Change’s Levelling the Playing Field sessions on Wednesday nights are so successfully engaged is their excellent relationships with staff. They look up to them as relatable role models as most are from the local area and have been through similar life experiences.
Funding received via the Alliance of Sport from Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund enabled Fight 4 Change to employ a new coach, Winston, who is very well connected in the local community and knows many of the young people and their families.
Cherelle was formerly homeless but went on to become a prize-winning pro boxer. Her sessions are high-intensity, high-volume and full of banter.
A new volunteer, Steven, has spent time in prison but has since become a boxing leader and supports the Levelling the Playing Field sessions. Rihanna, now in her 20s, has been with Fight 4 Change since the age of eight and has been through significant adversity in life. She calls the boxing club her “safe space” and now gives back by coaching and mentoring young people.
With staff like this who they can relate to and trust, it’s hardly surprising that young people feel such a connection and that engagement levels among participants are so high.
Children arrive at the door via Fight 4 Change’s outreach work in the community and schools, or they are referred from PRUs, behaviour units, youth prisons or social services. “It’s very important that we offer them consistency,” says Rebecca. “When one of our staff goes into a school, we make sure that same coach is there when they arrive for a session at the gym so they have a friendly face and that relationship is able to build.”
The positive outcomes are many and varied. One young person who started attending boxing and counselling sessions had been self-harming and talking about suicide. Fight 4 Change has given him a new friendship group and his confidence, resilience, social skills and emotional intelligence are all increasing.
Many participants progress into volunteering, attend community events or become a Lambeth Young Adviser. Young Advisers are 16-25-year-olds who do peer-to-peer mentoring and take part in an advisory group with local police, flagging up issues of concern and exchanging views and information. A recent ‘stop and search’ event was attended by 130 young people from the community.
Amidst a very raw, violent and territorial environment for some local ethnically diverse children, Fight 4 Change acts as a ‘safe place’ where their voices are heard and their ambitions are supported. The organisation gives them new experiences and opportunities that help them grow and progress – both in the ring and in life.