The Active Essex Foundation have been working in partnership with the Youth Service and a local provider to deliver the AEF BoxSmart ‘On the Ropes’ course. This is the second year this community based course has been run and all the team at the Foundation are grateful for the continued funding from Colchester City Council and Colchester Borough Homes that makes it possible for young people to be active and involved in this course.
BoxSmart ‘On the Ropes’ offers a structured three-stage programme which involves boxing, mentoring and martial arts. Without these sessions, the young people would not have access to this form of physical activity which improves their stamina and resilience. The mentoring segment of the course is important for personal development as the participants can discuss their learning journey as well as any support their would like to further opportunities.
A leader at the course told us;
“Young people attending are engaged and committed to learning a new skill and have reported positive changes in behaviours. The course offers mentoring and life skills to support young people facing personal and social challenges.”
During December, the young people at the BoxSmart project were lucky enough to be visited by Commonwealth Games medallist Lewis Richardson who is a local boxing hero. Lewis won a bronze medal in the men’s middleweight at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and is an inspiring athlete.
Lewis was able to present the young people with their certificates and congratulate them on their commitment to developing essential skills like teamwork, motivation and collaboration.
Philip Sullivan, Colchester Borough Homes Chief Executive said ;
“The Box Smart programme is a valuable asset to the local community, providing young people with the opportunity to learn valuable life skills while also improving their physical and mental well-being. The involvement of Lewis Richardson, a local hero with an impressive sporting background, will undoubtedly inspire the participants and further enhance the project’s impact.”
At the Active Essex Foundation, we recognise how important courses and programmes like this are for providing sport intervention for those young people at risk and we hope that in 2024 we can continue to support young people across the county.