As 2024 comes to an end, we are reflecting on some of our successes over the course of the year, including our SEND boxing sessions which launched in September. Sessions provide a safe space for 11 to 16 year olds with special educational needs and disabilities to learn boxing skills and build confidence.

We caught up with former Fight for Peace member, now coach, Percy to find out more about the sessions in practice, and their impact on both young people and coaches. 

Percy delivers the SEND sessions every Monday from 6-7pm alongside his colleague, Tommy. Taking place in the Fight for Peace dojo, sessions vary in structure and activity depending on the young people in attendance, with coaches catering to abilities through their flexible and adaptable approach. 

“When I was approached by Silvino (Fight for Peace Sports Development Manager) to deliver the SEND sessions, I was excited but also a little apprehensive as I knew it was going to be a challenging experience, but I also knew it was going to be a fun one,” Percy shared. 

As part of our internal focus on making Fight for Peace more inclusive and accessible to all, staff and coaches recently participated in a Disability Inclusion training delivered by the charity, Access Sport with the aim to increase awareness of some of the additional needs young people may have, as well as think deeper about ways to adapt our sessions to accommodate individual needs. 

“The training was great, and although it was essential in providing staff and coaches with the information they needed, it could only really be put into practice within the real life sessions.

Once you actually do the session, it’s totally different. Every session is a new opportunity for us coaches to learn from the young people, and also an opportunity for them to learn from us. We don’t really plan the sessions beforehand because we like to wait to see what the group needs,” Percy explained.

It’s great to hear that these weekly sessions are supporting our coaches to gain hands-on experience in order to further develop their skills which make sport more accessible to all, and the turnout has been brilliant so far, with young people taking a real interest in the hour of boxing. 

“A typical session would start with a warm up which is adapted according to the young people present. Because young people have different abilities, one thing we like to do is take turns switching exercises based on what a particular young person can do. We don’t think about what they can’t do, we focus on what they can do.”

Focusing on what young people can do is key in helping them build confidence and understand that sport is something that they can engage in. It helps to break down some of the barriers they may face in accessing activities that they may not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in due to lack of accessibility and awareness.

From speaking with Percy, it’s also clear that the sessions are a fun and empowering learning experience for coaches who are constantly growing alongside our young members. 

“I’ve been able to learn so many things through the sessions, like how emotionally intelligent young people are, despite the barriers they may face. They are able to make it very clear how they are feeling. Even in the moments when they don’t want to do the sessions, it’s a real highlight for me to see that by the end of the session they don’t want to go home!”

One young person was really shy at first and had her mum join the sessions, and now she tells her, ‘Mum, go away, go away, I’ve got this!’ So it’s really nice to see young people come out of their shell.”

It’s great to hear firsthand how enriching this experience is for everyone involved, and Fight for Peace is proud to be able to provide this space and extend our offer to some of the young people who may need it most.

Going into 2025, we are excited and optimistic to see how the sessions grow and evolve, and hope to be able to continue to make an impact on our young participants and our coaches who continue to be inspired by the resilience of our attendees.

Big thank you to all of the team involved in making this happen, and to Access Sport for supporting Fight for Peace in being able to introduce such a powerful and needed initiative!

Fight for Peace SEND boxing sessions take place every Monday from 6-7pm and are free to young people aged 11-16. If you would like to find out more, please contact info@fightforpeace.net.