Fight for Peace is thrilled to announce the official release of our Annual Report 2024, a document that doesn’t just chronicle our journey – it testifies to the incredible, transformative power of young people.
This year’s report has been completely reimagined, offering a fresh, unified narrative that intertwines our impact with a Trustees Annual Report. It presents compelling visuals, substantial statistics, and a full financial summary, ensuring you get the complete, awe-inspiring story of our mission in action.
“Over the past year, Fight for Peace has continued to grow and adapt – guided by our Theory of Change and powered by our Five Pillar methodology: Boxing & Martial Arts, Education, Employability, Youth Leadership, and Support Services,” states CEO Lee Hemmings. This holistic model is the engine of our success, enabling us to support thousands of young people to become champions in the ring, and champions in life.
The report itself is structured over four dynamic parts, guiding the reader through our progress. Part One, Setting the Ring, opens with two powerful statements that define our ethos and set the ground for our pre-bout strategy, detailing how our Theory of Change acts as a meticulous blueprint, guiding us toward structured, measurable outcomes.
Next, Part Two, titled Winning Our Bouts, celebrates our staggering impact and achievements through eight dynamic themes – and believe us, the verdict is a unanimous decision.
We showcase our enduring commitment to inclusion, developing vital skills, building stable futures, and, above all, strengthening youth voice and leadership. Our success isn’t just local; we also highlight our remarkable impact on a global scale, the strategic expansion of our reach, and the recognition we’ve received through various awards.
Our commitment to inclusion is vividly highlighted by the truly thriving engagement of women and girls at Fight for Peace. In 2024, women’s participation soared by an astonishing 24%, while our junior muay thai sessions saw a staggering four-fold increase in girls’ participation.
Our Five Pillar approach was also clear in its pursuit of excellence. This year, the results from our Education and Employability Pillars spoke volumes as we saw 64 students undertake vital educational activities, and 123 young individuals were supported on their direct journey towards securing employment.
Our youth-led approach is a cornerstone of our success, as young people shape our approach, influence decisions, and help guide our strategic direction. In 2024, our two youth leadership groups – Youth Power and Future Light – played a vital role in creating change, both within our Academy walls and externally in the wider community of Newham.
The impressive creativity of our young people also shines brightly in our Young Creatives programme, where eleven young individuals gained essential hands-on experience producing professional content for our communications channels, developing sought-after skills in film, photography, podcasting, and digital media.
2024 was also defined by strategic partnerships and global influence. Our work with Collectives operating in Newham saw us proudly complete the ACT-AS-1 programme and relaunch the Newham Youth Partnership. Through these Collectives, we facilitate effective partnership-working in focus communities to strengthen youth services.
Our international footprint continued its steady growth as Fight for Peace provided strategic support to Luta pela Paz in Brazil, while also facilitating an impactful, immersive training experience for five Salvadorian organisations. We also vastly expanded our accessibility with the launch of our online Life Champions course, in collaboration with UK Coaching, enrolling 200 coaches by the end of 2024.
Part Three, Giving Gratitude, is our sincere opportunity to thank the Trustees, Volunteers, and Partners who made our monumental work possible. A heartfelt special tribute is made to our Chair of Trustees, Anne-Marie Piper, who is stepping down after 15 years of exceptional, dedicated service.
The report concludes with our Trustees Annual Report, which presents the full financial statements and auditor’s report for the year ended 31 December 2024. This transparent summary reinforces our deep commitment to accountability and responsible stewardship of the charity’s funds.
As we look ahead to the future, we are profoundly inspired by the voices of our young people and our mission that guides us. Find our full Annual Report here and join us in celebrating a year of remarkable achievements!
