Moves Different: August Round-Up

August kept the Moves Different team busy, with summer events providing plenty of opportunities to take boxing directly into local communities. From football camps and family fun days to employability sessions and youth events, the team connected with young people, families and new partners while continuing to grow the programme across the country.

Waltham Forest Community Trust Girls’ Football Camps (London)
London Project Lead, Kirsty McMahon and Apprentice, Allen Kabanda joined two days of Waltham Forest Community Trust’s summer camps for girls, bringing boxing into the programme through games, warm-ups and dedicated taster sessions. The sessions introduced boxing to young females who may not have considered the sport before, while promoting Moves Different and building on the team’s existing relationship with the Trust ahead of future collaborations.

Fulham Kicks Summer Camps (London)
Next, Allen joined two Fulham Kicks summer camps across different locations, delivering a number of boxing taster sessions to young people in the local area. The sessions provided another opportunity to showcase the initiative directly to participants while strengthening an established partnership with Fulham Kicks and opening the door to further joint activity.

Steel Warriors x Black Prince Trust (London)
Allen also delivered a presentation and boxing taster as part of the Steel Warriors employability camp, exploring how boxing can support physical and mental wellbeing while developing transferable skills for the workplace. The session created a new connection with Black Prince Trust, with positive feedback and a follow-up meeting already planned to explore how the organisations can work together in the future.

Allen at the Fulham Kicks Event.

Butetown Family Day (Wales)
Welsh Project Lead, Francesca Russell and Apprentice, James Goulty spent the afternoon at Butetown Family Day, meeting local families, delivering pad tasters and sharing information about Moves Different. Alongside encouraging interested young people to refer themselves onto the programme, the event gave the team an opportunity to connect with community organisations and develop relationships for future outreach.

Pat Benson Boxing Academy Community Day (Birmingham)
Midlands Project Lead, Michelle Butler and Apprentice, Danny Tierney joined Pat Benson Boxing Academy at a community family fun day at Birmingham’s Irish Centre, promoting Moves Different and supporting the club’s activities. A standout moment saw a participant of the campaign represent Pat Benson’s Club in a skills bout, showcasing his development through the programme and how boxing has helped him find a place within the local boxing community.

Youth Innovation Conference (Derby)
Michelle went along to Sporting Communities’ annual Youth Innovation Conference, which this year focused on youth safety – an area closely aligned with the aims of the Programme. The conference provided valuable opportunities to connect with professionals from across the country, share the programme’s work and build relationships with organisations supporting young people.

Michelle mid-conference at Nottingham Forest FC.

DORCAS Community Event (Birmingham)
Apprentices, James Goulty and Daniel Tierney represented Moves Different at a DORCAS community and family event, delivering boxing tasters for refugee and asylum-seeking families and introducing them to the programme. The event supported outreach to families who are new to the UK or speak English as an additional language, while strengthening the programme’s ongoing relationship with DORCAS and creating new referral opportunities.

KuKu Networking Event (Nottingham)
Michelle visited the monthly KuKu networking event at Nottingham Forest Football Club, connecting with businesses, charities and professionals from across Nottinghamshire. The event helped raise awareness of Moves Different, develop potential referral connections and build relationships that could support the programme’s future growth in the area.

Francesca and James on their stall at the Butetown Family Day in Wales.

SOAR Community Event (South Yorkshire)
Apprentice, Dominic Chesterton and Yorkshire Project Lead, Holly Boden spent the afternoon at Firth Park introducing young people of all ages to boxing and speaking with families about Moves Different. With plenty of interest from young people and parents, the event also provided an opportunity to connect with potential partners and strengthen local referral pathways across South Yorkshire.

To find out more about the ‘Moves Different’ Programme or to refer a young person, please click here.