How lottery-funded boxing helps South Yorkshire youngsters

Transcript

00:00So the mission is really, what we've found is we want to get everyone access to sport, free access.

00:09So when we first started this we realised that there were a lot of barriers to young people

00:14accessing sport and boxing in particular which obviously we're really proud of and we think can

00:19be a lot of work in communities. So we wanted to improve mental and physical health and give

00:27people opportunities that they might never have been able to access something like boxing.

00:31That's why the Money for the Watch was so important because when we look at sport

00:34and social economics involved in sport there's been a model for a long time where someone's

00:39social economic and financial standing grants opportunity. So with that money we can put

00:44everything on for free so anyone in the community regardless of where they are social economically

00:50or financially can access the club and allows us to level that playing field.

00:54What we're doing we're sort of doing something a little bit different so building gyms within

00:57school settings so making schools, academies partners in what they're doing

01:03and this is something that's not really been done anywhere in the country

01:07so we're looking at trying to build on that model right across Rotherham and beyond really.

01:14So there's a few individuals who access the club that we found in school, did the intervention

01:22work in school and now they've continued to access the club and partake in boxing at a further level

01:27moving towards the LHEC competition. That's a real good for the project so that's going to

01:34take care of our core team for the next two years and so we can really build on the good work

01:40we've already been doing this last few years so hopefully take us to the next level.

01:45Because it allows us to continue giving back to the community and to be honest like it enriches me

01:50as well doing what the position I've got today the opportunity DC boxing gives me

01:56you know it makes me feel like I've won the lottery.