The Alliance of Sport’s successful application for Sport England Tackling Inequalities Funding (TIF) has given more children in Croydon access to physical activity, support, safety and routine - thanks to Levelling the Playing Field specialist partners Gloves Not Gunz.
As a national partner of Sport England, the Alliance of Sport distributed TIF to many specialist partners within the Levelling the Playing Field network to increase support for ethnically diverse children during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The impact of the funding is now being felt in communities across London, the West Midlands and South Yorkshire as our LtPF partners put it to good use. In Croydon, Gloves Not Gunz used the funding to start a satellite session at the Samuel Coleridge Taylor Centre in South Norwood, an area which has seen heavy postcode conflict amongst young people.
Gloves Not Gunz use boxing, martial arts, fitness and yoga to engage and divert children from crime, anti-social behaviour, exclusion from education and the care system. Their TIF-funded sessions combine boxing and targeted workshops which address personal, social and emotional issues which may be affecting participants, such as family relationships, violence and county lines.
Every Wednesday at 5pm, two staff members (who are qualified youth workers as well as Level 1 and 2 England Boxing coaches) lead sessions for just under 20 children aged 13-16.
Gloves Not Gunz’s other sessions at their HQ in Croydon and elsewhere either cater for under nines (prevention/early intervention) or over-18s. “TIF has allowed us to add a new session which reaches a different demographic,” says Gloves Not Gunz co-founder Adam Ballard.
“It has allowed more young people to have access to free sport and enrichment. Expanding our services is something greatly needed in Croydon. Since the Covid restrictions have eased, we have been busier than ever.”
Participants arrive at the door through a variety of pathways. Many are referred by the Youth Offending Service, social care or schools, while others hear about it through word of mouth.
'PART OF THE MAGIC'
“That’s part of the magic,” says Adam. “Everyone has their own challenges, backgrounds and situations at home. We are able to mix everyone up together.
“What makes the session is combing the physical activity with the opportunity for young people to speak; giving them a voice and a platform they might not get at home or school. It sounds like a cliché, but we are building a family.
“A lot of young people in this area are looking for purpose. If there’s a club they can go to at the same time every week and build that routine into their lifestyle, almost without realising it, they find that purpose. I think that’s where we saw the real struggles during Covid – because that was taken away from people.”
The boxing part of each session is high-tempo, accompanied by loud music, games, banter and laughter. The sport’s transferable skills – confidence, resilience, decision-making and being taken outside your comfort zone – are attributes that participants typically need in their everyday lives. They progress physically and in their mental health and wellbeing.
The physical activity contrasts with the workshops, which are relaxed and informal yet impactful. Gloves Not Gunz regularly bring in community figures or experts in their field to lead discussions.
“It’s about keeping it fresh,” comments Adam. “The last thing young people want to do is sit in front of a spreadsheet after a day at school, so our workshops are role play-based. We give them ownership and let them direct it. We have a Youth Panel which meets every month and steers the direction of our youth workshops.”
The session leaders are role model figures, generally young and local, who can relate to the issues and concerns of the participants in front of them.
“It’s all about the fundamentals of having that consistent support, being there the same time every week and creating a safe space. Bullying isn’t accepted within the sessions. It’s all about being consistent and compassionate.”
Participants at the new South Norwood session have now started travelling across the borough to attend other Gloves Not Gunz sessions too. The organisation has a network of local partners to whom they can signpost young people who have specific needs or issues. They also have a systemic family therapist who works in-depth with participants and their families to offer extra support.
“TIF has helped us enormously and we’re really thankful to Levelling the Playing Field and the Alliance of Sport for the support they’ve given us,” says Adam.
“The concept of bringing all the different partners together is brilliant. It gives us credibility beyond the local area, it has improved our capacity building and it’s great to be part of a supportive network.”