In Your Corner @IYCboxing

Connect is an award winning partnership project between In Your Corner and London Community Boxing. Connect aims to improve young people’s emotional wellbeing, through offering a range of interventions in the LCB gym.

Connect uses In Your Corner’s innovative practice model to combine non-contact boxing with evidence-based ideas from psychological intervention, in order to help young people access emotional wellbeing support, feel better, and feel connected to others and their community.

Connect currently focuses on young people aged 12-15, particularly young men, who might experience barriers to accessing support for their emotional wellbeing. The project acknowledges the risks for young people growing up in South London, particularly challenges to staying safe in the community, remaining engaged in education or activity, and physical and emotional wellbeing.

We work with some of Southwark’s most complex young people, many of whom have experienced multiple challenges. Young people are referred into the project by targeted services in Southwark (e.g. CAMHS, Youth Offending Service, Children’s Services, Family Early Help). Weekly sessions are delivered by an experienced boxing coach, senior mental health clinician, and an assistant psychologist. Connect is free for young people to access.

We currently run starter groups on a Tuesday afternoon, and a Graduates Group on Thursday afternoons. Groups focus on developing boxing skills, alongside emotion regulation skills and offer other development opportunities such as gaining AQA units in boxing skills, work experience, and becoming young coaches. Connect has a proven track record of positive impact on young people’s mental health.