Why.

Changing people’s lives through sport, mentoring and education that propels young people to a positive future.

How.

Through a combination of boxing, physical training, peer mentoring, accredited non-formal education and through-the-gate resettlement mentoring, Switch-up steers Nottingham’s young people away from the circle of crime towards positive futures.

What.

Switch Up is a community interest company which includes the Nottingham School of Boxing. It delivers a range of programmes to help vulnerable young people living in deprived areas most affected by gang violence and anti-social behaviours. It exists to empower these people, through mentoring, physical exercise and education, to steer themselves away from a life of crime and achieve positive futures.

Patrons + Supporters

Since its establishment in 2013, Switch Up has been widely recognised by some of the biggest legends in Sport. This includes patrons Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, and boxing legends such as Joe Calzaghe, Amir Khan, Floyd Mayweather and Anthony Joshua. We have even been visited and supported by HRH Prince Harry who recognised the positive impact the initiative was making on the lives of many young people.

Delivery model

The mentoring programme uses a combination of boxing and sport as an incentive to bring those who do not readily engage with statutory bodies and giving them a purpose to help shift the narrative away from crime.

We engage them in free boxing and fitness to gain confidence and when they are ready, we offer a series of mentoring tailored to their needs. Each young person is taken on a journey giving them the confidence skills, resilience to prosper. As well as employability skills, we also offer work experience with local employers, mock interviews and professional feedback. Many of our young people also go on to become peer mentors on our programme, giving an authenticity of the journey.

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