Gloves Not Gunz use boxing, jiu-jitsu, fitness and yoga to engage and divert children from crime, anti-social behaviour, exclusion from education and the care system. Bringing parents on board with their processes has a huge influence on the positive impact they make on young people.
As well as community sport sessions in venues across South and West London, Gloves Not Gunz (GNG) operate in schools and in custody, combining sport and yoga (through its sister project Urban Yogis) with mentoring, personal development and relevant workshops to help participants in their everyday lives. They impact on participants’ mental health and resilience and build community cohesion. They also work on conflict resolution, building healthy relationships and support with issues such as crime, exploitation, violence and county lines.
Community sessions held at the Masbro Youth Centre in Hammersmith and Samuel Coleridge Centre in Croydon are part of Levelling the Playing Field, with participation and outcome data feeding into the evidence base which will inform future policy, practice and investment.
Gloves Not Gunz co-founders Ben Eckett and Adam Ballard realised that the positive impact of their programmes will always have its limitations unless they take a more holistic approach. That includes engaging parents and carers in the process of achieving positive behaviour change in their children.
“If we don’t impact young people’s home environment it’s very difficult to make long-term changes because they go back to that environment every day,” says Ben.
That is why GNG have employed a systemic family therapist, Rory Campbell, who works closely with coaches and mentors across their various programmes.
Mentoring is a massive part of GNG’s operation, with five staff having taken part in Levelling the Playing Field’s mentoring programme. When a child is referred into GNG from youth offending or social care, a mentor will work with them closely and can refer on to Rory if they feel a young person and his or her family would benefit from further support.
“Rory supports the family in a therapeutic way to help them understand each other,” explains Ben. “One of the most common problems we find in families is communication. Rory’s intervention helps families build better relationships and understand each other.
“They work alongside the parents and the young person to help them identify what their barriers are. For example, they may need support with managing conflict in the home environment or historical trauma that has become an issue in everyday life.
“Rory and the young person’s worker/mentor will talk to the family about it, explain what the therapy involves and see if they are interested. It’s done in a very tactful way. You can’t stumble in and say, ’You all need therapy!’”
Rory typically works with three or four families at a time, up to twice a week. It’s a great example of an intense, holistic approach which maximises the impact on a participant’s life – and that process all starts with that crucial early engagement through boxing, martial arts and yoga.
As a result of Rory’s family therapy, one female participant has been prevented from being taken into care. Therapy sessions have helped build a better relationship with the family member she was living with, who was finding it difficult to manage the girl’s behaviour. “She is now respecting boundaries set for her and the relationship has stabilised. It’s been a great outcome,” comments Ben. Another young person has seen a reduction in serious mental health-related incidents as a result of systemic therapy.
Gloves Not Gunz and Urban Yogis have also run specific programmes for parents and careers, including a recent session run for Sutton Council for those whose children have been caught up in crime and exploitation. A GNG staff member delivered a workshop on county lines and gangs and offered parents a safe space to share concerns and questions. Those parents have now set up their own support group.
Urban Yogis have started a yoga class for mums of young participants and have involved parents in doing yoga sessions at home with young people who have ongoing mental health issues.
“Our in-house referral system means we can offer therapeutic support to those who need it most, which has many knock-on benefits,” explains Ben. “It gives parents and children time together outside of the home environment – which can sometimes be chaotic places – and it builds healthy relationships.
“If you really want to make an impact you have to work with the whole family. You can’t expect everything to change by working with a young person, because they will leave our session and return to the environment where all their problems may stem from. If we’re able to make a positive shift in the home it’s going to have a longer-term impact.”
To find out more about Gloves Not Gunz visit their website and follow them on Instagram.