Moves Different Brings Clubs Together in Birmingham

From Tuesday 20th to Wednesday 23rd, the Moves Different project hosted a Training and Development event in Birmingham for the Delivery Clubs, bringing together coaches, club representatives and staff from England Boxing and Welsh Boxing. The event was attended by all 10 clubs participating in the pilot phase of the project, reinforcing a shared commitment to supporting young people through boxing. 

Clubs taking part included: Tiger Bay ABC, Aspire ABC, Priory Park ABC, Waterfront Academy, Wolverhampton ABC / Brightstar, Unity ABC, Splott Adventure ABC, Dagenham ABC and Afewee ABC. 

The training took place at Pat Benson’s Boxing Academy, with its excellent facilities providing the perfect setting for learning, reflection and open discussion. 

Our first session was delivered by Guiding Youth Minds, led by Anton Noble, which explored key challenges facing young people today, including knife crime, gang culture, anger and emotional regulation, identity, and peer pressure. Anton shared personal experiences and real-life stories that resonated strongly with those in attendance and encouraged meaningful reflection on the role clubs play beyond the boxing ring. 

Tara Burgess of Waterfront Boxing Academy said: “My favourite part of the day has been the ‘Guiding Youth Minds’ programme, it’s great to see good practice and learnings from different clubs that we can then take back to ours and hopefully make an impact. The practitioners delivering the courses have been really insightful, I think it has really shone through, the amount of knowledge and real life experience they have.” 

The afternoon continued with Neuroinclusive Futures, delivered by Emma Sharp, focusing on Autism and ADHD and how a better understanding of neurodiversity can improve coaching practice. The session explored communication methods, emotional regulation and specific considerations within a boxing environment. Participants described the workshop as informative, reflective and highly relevant, helping clubs consider how they can be more inclusive and responsive to the needs of all young people. 

The morning of day two focused strongly on mental health and wellbeing, with a session from Linda at Red Umbrella. The session explored mental health and trauma in young people, how to spot signs and symptoms, how to have supportive conversations, and the importance of effective signposting. We also covered the importance of self-care for coaches, and the consequences of ignoring it. The workshop encouraged honest group discussion, with clubs sharing experiences and learning from one another in a supportive space. 

Ronnie Tucker of Aspire Boxing Club said: “I think it’s really important that these types of sessions are run on a regular basis, all over the country because it’s not just about attending a boxing club anymore. It’s about knowing young people and their struggles.  

Some young people may come across as ignorant and coaches may leave them and not bother because of this. We actually need to start looking at what they’re going through and any traumas they have before labelling the difficult.” 

The event concluded with Upshot training, enabling clubs to gain confidence in using the system that supports the delivery and monitoring of the Moves Different project. 

The new Pat Benson Boxing Academy facility forms part of the New Irish Centre in Birmingham, where attendees were well hosted over the two days. Sincere thanks go to the staff for their outstanding hospitality, to Pat Benson’s Boxing Academy for hosting and to all clubs and partners who attended and contributed to the success of the event. 

Francesca Russell, Moves Different Project Lead (Wales) said: “It’s been brilliant to bring all ten pilot clubs together and spend time learning, sharing and having really open conversations about the role boxing clubs play in young people’s lives. The energy in the room across the two days was fantastic and it was great to see clubs reflecting on their practice and taking ideas away that they can use straight away. A huge thank you goes to everyone at Pat Benson’s Boxing Academy for hosting us, the facilities were spot on and they made us feel so welcome, which really helped create such a positive and relaxed environment for the training.”