For Fight for Peace boxing coach Justyn Page, the launch of our new Post-16 Education Programme is a full-circle moment. As one of the programme’s lead coaches, Justyn brings more than 20 years of experience as both a boxer and a coach – but his own pathway into the profession began with an opportunity to learn through the sport he loved.

As we prepare to launch the programme this September in partnership with SCL Education, Justyn will help young people aged 16-18 develop their sporting skills, gain recognised qualifications, build real-world experience and discover where a future in sport could take them, both inside and outside of the ring.

Justyn discovered boxing at age 13 when he joined West London’s All Stars Boxing Club. It quickly became more than a sport. While he found school challenging, including experiences of bullying, boxing gave him focus, community and something to work towards.

After competing in several London Championships, Justyn found himself considering what might come next. While flicking through his favourite boxing magazine, he spotted an advert for a three-year course at the Frank Bruno Boxing Academy in Orpington, run by coach and professional boxer Wayne Llewellyn.

The opportunity immediately appealed to him as he realised he could continue developing as a boxer while gaining qualifications and practical skills that could lead to a career.

“I studied there for three years where I ended up getting my personal training qualification along with other vocational qualifications,” Justyn explained. “So I’ve been through a similar setup that’s happening at Fight for Peace.”

The course opened doors beyond the classroom, with Justyn boxing for the club, representing London and South East London and competing internationally, including against athletes from Germany.  More than just that, the course gave him a range of career options.

“When I finished at the Academy, I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure where I was going to go, so it was useful that I had my personal training qualification to fall back on and start picking up some clients around my training regime,” he says. “That was helpful because I was still able to stay focused on boxing at the time.”

That combination of sport, education and practical experience is at the heart of Fight for Peace’s new Post-16 Education Programme. For young people passionate about sport, traditional education can sometimes feel disconnected from what motivates them, and our programme offers a different entry point.  

It uses a young person’s passion as the starting point for learning, while providing the qualifications, experience, mentoring and networks they need to build a future.

We are currently taking applications for a September start, where students will study an NCFE Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport & Physical Activity, equivalent to three A-Levels and carrying UCAS points, alongside practical sports coaching and training.

The programme goes beyond the qualification, offering mentoring, work experience and pathways into employment, apprenticeships and further education. 

For Justyn, the value of the programme lies in the variety of its offer: “You’ll also have your Ready for Success mentoring segments, a powerful component which gets learners ready for the world of practical work, alongside your enrichment,” he explained. 

“Then you’ve got your boxing training, GCSE Maths and English for those who need it, and your vocational qualification – so I think it gives young people different components, different engagements and generally breaks up the day while continuing that self-progression.”

Justyn’s own journey was far from linear after an incident prevented him from obtaining a professional boxing licence just as he was approaching the professional ranks. He moved into coaching juniors, amateurs and aspiring professionals, including Shannon Ryan and Dee Allen.

Those experiences eventually led him to Fight for Peace, where he now uses more than two decades of experience to support and inspire the next generation. He also recognises the importance of the networks that sport can create.

“You never know who you’re going to come into contact with,” he says. “A lot of the boxers I went to the Academy with have turned professional, so I’ve definitely drawn on that network. If boxing, coaching or management is something you want to be involved in long term, this is a great environment to build a strong network.”

Education and sport were never competing pathways for Justyn, with the sport element helping him engage, while the education gave him skills and options for the future: “I’ve become more keen on academia as I’ve got older,” he says. “I realise the barriers people face when they don’t have access to education.”

His own experience is a powerful reminder of what can happen when young people are given the right opportunity at the right time. “I didn’t end up going off and becoming a pro,” Justyn told us. “But being absorbed within the sport, day in, day out, and seeing how other people box and train inspired me to push myself.”

For Justyn, who once found his own pathway flicking through the pages of a boxing magazine, it’s a fitting next chapter: supporting young people turn their passion for sport into the skills and opportunities they need to shape what comes next.

Applications are now open for September 2026. With very few spaces left, we encourage applications as soon as possible. You can apply here, or email education@fightforpeace.net for further information.

Education is one of Fight for Peace’s Five Pillars, alongside Boxing & Martial Arts, Employability, Support Services, and Youth Leadership – working together to support young people in reaching their full potential.