Monkstown Boxing Club

The boxing club provides a diverse programme of activities focused at addressing different social and economic issues in the community. Since 2012, MBC has worked with the hardest to reach young people in Rathcoole and Monkstown, aged between 11-25 and delivered a wide range of programmes aimed at improving educational achievement, creating pathways to employment, building healthier lifestyles, bringing communities together and reducing crime.  These include: 

Box Clever Programme:  Through support from BIG Lottery and its Reaching Out Empowering Young People Programme, the club has been tackling educational disadvantaged and providing opportunities for young people at risk of leaving mainstream education, ways to re-engage through participation in school clubs, personal mentoring and placements. In 2014, over 250 young people took part in the programme as well as providing a homework club to over 100 young people 5 days per week. A breakfast club is also provided to support young people who are suffering from poverty.

MBC’s ground breaking and innovative programmes ‘BoxClever’ & ‘Kid Gloves’ are delivered through a number of schools in the including: Monkstown Community School, Newtownabbey Community High School, Newtownabbey Educational Guidance Centre, Rostulla Special Needs School and EOTAS Education Support Centre.  This work supports disadvantaged and socially excluded young people in society, through crime reduction initiatives and community based coaching sessions. 

There is a growing body of evidence to show that boxing, along with many other sports, delivers enormous benefits in schools and has a very positive impact on the whole educational environment.  It teaches students to learn the value of working with others, self-discipline and commitment which in turn helps to create positive attitudes and build self-esteem - often in people that had previously lacked confidence.