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Boxing is my religion. Like all spiritual journeys it began with a moment of divine inspiration and my baptism was conducted whilst watching Muhammed Ali defeat George Foreman in “The Rumble In The Jungle”.

I grew up in boxing gyms with the sport giving me purpose, discipline and titles – including representing my country on numerous occasions.

These days it offers me the chance to inspire the next generation of boxers and to help anyone who walks through the gym door, to believe in themselves and choose a positive path in life. 

When people ask me why boxing matters so much to me, my answer is simple: it changes and saves lives.

A safe space for all

Of course, it also improves health and builds confidence, but boxing keeps people – especially young people – away from anti-social behaviour and crime, something that I can personally verify as a former Youth Justice Manager. 

With the number of proven offences committed by children seeing an increase of 4%, change has never been so important and there are many ways boxing helps fight crime.

Firstly, boxing gives young people structure and boundaries.

Many of the children and young people who walk through the doors of a boxing gym – like mine in Oldham, Greater Manchester – come from difficult backgrounds and have challenging lives. 

Having little or no access to opportunities and therefore a lack of agency in the world, may result in challenging behaviours. But not dealing with these pressures means they risk spilling out onto the streets and that’s where crime starts. 

Not because young people are 'bad', but because they have nowhere positive to pour their energy into. But boxing gyms can change that, as these spaces are built on discipline, respect, routine and team spirit.

You don’t just turn up to your gym whenever you feel like it. Instead, you’re expected to train on time, plus you have to listen to your coach, and you learn that effort leads to results and that shortcuts rarely work.

These lessons transfer directly into everyday life and children who understand discipline in a boxing gym are far less likely to make reckless decisions outside it.

Boxing also teaches emotional control, becasue contrary to what some may think, this sport helps a young person understand how to control their emotions, particularly aggression, and how to think and act under pressure.

I’ve seen it first hand – children who once lashed out can calm themselves because boxing gave them an outlet for their emotions and that allows them to thrive.

The many lessons of boxing

Boxing is a good metaphor for life and can help to develop those personal and social skills that people need, contributing to tackling deep seated worklessness and low aspirations.

The sport also fosters the development of positive character, self-esteem, self-discipline, courage, perseverance and resilience.

Instead of throwing punches on the street, they hit the pads, the bags and their coach or opponent inside the ring, but always with respect to the sport’s rules, under supervision and with a reason.

Boxing also teaches respect — for yourself and for others. You shake hands, you follow rules and you learn that real strength comes from self-control, not intimidation. These values reduce crime at its roots.

Another factor that's key is the sense of belonging among those practising the sport. A boxing gym offers identity and loyalty because, at a gym, you’re part of a team.

You train together, look out for each other and you wear the gym name with pride. That sense of identity can pull someone away from a path that leads to anti-social behaviour and crime.

I’ve seen boxing change lives in Oldham and Greater Manchester, where young people that were heading toward trouble now have focus and a reason to stay on the straight and narrow, and I’ve also seen young people who had no confidence, find self-belief.

Not all these children will become a champion boxer and that's okay.

Building better lives through sport

The real victories happen when a young person chooses to stay in school, can find a job or simply chooses not to commit a crime because they don’t want to let their gym or coach down.

At our newly refurbished Greater Manchester Boxing and Development Hub, we’ve been lucky enough to benefit from Sport England funding. 

To my mind, our investors aren’t just putting money into a boxing club and community gym. They’re investing in crime prevention and harm minimisation.

It costs less to fund a gym than it does to deal with the consequences of crime and anti-social behaviour – policing, court cases, prison and reform – as recent estimates place the total economic and social cost of serious youth violence at £11 billion between 2009 and 2020.

For me, boxing is more than titles and trophies, it’s about giving people a chance.

Every time a young person chooses to walk into a gym and away from 'the road', I believe that’s crime prevention in action and that’s why boxing will always matter. 

As one of the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester, Oldham forms part of Sport England’s Place Partnership with Greater Manchester Moving and other local bodies to implement Sport England's Uniting the Movement strategy for getting people active.

I’m proud of what boxing can do to change lives.

In the words of the iconic social activist, pacifist and politician, Nelson Mandela: “Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.”

Every day, I get to see the truth in these great words in action.
 

Silent Steppers is a joyful blend of walking, dancing and mindset coaching, all delivered outdoors through silent-disco headsets.

Picture a mixed group of around 50 people moving along seaside promenades, parks and coastal walkways – everyone listening to the same uplifting music while receiving real-time encouragement, positivity and coaching through their headphones.

It’s energetic, inclusive and completely different to traditional indoor exercise. And so much fun, too!

What began as a personal healing tool has evolved into a community movement that people across the UK now travel to to experience.

Often taking 10,000 steps in an hour or simply letting the music lift their mood, us Steppers leave the session feeling lighter, stronger and more connected to ourselves, and to each other.

How it all began

Silent Steppers actually started during one of the hardest chapters of my life. After suffering a trauma, I found myself walking outdoors to clear my mind.

On these walks, I’d listen to music and quickly realised how the world softened inside that musical bubble.

The lyrics felt more meaningful, my thoughts slowed down and, for a short time, I could switch off from everything I was carrying on my shoulders.
 

With a background as a qualified dance teacher, senior mental health lead and life coach among others, and with over 25 years teaching trauma-informed approaches, I invited a few colleagues to join me for a music-assisted walk.

I chose songs that helped me heal, put on the headset mic and coached them through the session.

The effect was instant. The energy was electric. Silent Steppers was born! 

A community that keeps growing

Fast forward under a year and Silent Steppers now has hundreds of participants every week that include children, right through to our oldest Stepper aged 83.

We train in all weather – rain, wind, sun and/or coastal gales – and the tougher the conditions, the more bonded the group becomes.

Alongside our main sessions, we now run Steady Steppers, a slower-paced, mobility-friendly version designed for those with disabilities, injuries, chronic conditions or lower fitness levels.

These sessions offer the same music, the same mindset coaching and the same sense of achievement, just at a pace that feels safe and accessible for everyone involved.

The physical and mental impact across both groups has been extraordinary and participants have reported improvements of different kinds like weight loss, better fitness levels, plus better balance, coordination and confidence.

Others have mentioned being able to return to exercise after cancer treatment or joint replacements, a reduced reliance on mental health medication (always under GP guidance), stronger mobility and the ability to jog for the first time in years, and, overall, significant improvements in mood, stress levels and wellbeing.

And if all of that wasn’t enough, overwhelmingly, people describe Silent Steppers as their escape – an hour where they can lose themselves, breathe differently and feel part of something special.

The outdoors connection

Taking Silent Steppers into outdoor public spaces has created something truly magical.

We dance-walk along promenades, move through parks, train beside the sea and often stop people in their tracks who just smile when they see us.

Week after week, members of the public pause to watch us, cheer us on, take photos or even start dancing as we pass. People tell us we’ve made their day, how amazing we look or how we lift their mood. 

Many now recognise us and come back each week just to see us in action because our group's energy is infectious.

These interactions have become part of the heartbeat of Silent Steppers, and proof that movement and joy ripple far beyond the people wearing the headsets.

Challenges and what we’ve learned

I must admit, however, that with popularity comes challenges.

We only have 60 headsets, which means waiting lists of 25+ people are becoming common.

I’m also frequently asked to run sessions across the UK – and even internationally – but with existing commitments, it simply isn’t possible.

However, I’ve now excitedly trademarked licensing training that'll launch in the new year, which will create opportunities for Silent Steppers leaders in towns and cities nationwide.

There are other key lessons we’ve also learned:

• When exercise is fun, people stick to it – many of our steppers are a year in and saying it’s the only thing they’ve ever stuck too.
• Authenticity matters, as people connect with honesty and real stories.
• Listening to the community and adapting accordingly is essential.
• Music profoundly changes the movement experience.
• Mindset coaching and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques amplify the emotional impact.

The future of Silent Steppers

The combination of music, scenery, encouragement and community creates an empowering, accessible and inclusive atmosphere that translates into a wellbeing experience unlike any other.

It fills me with pride that what started as a personal coping mechanism has now grown into a nationwide wellbeing model, supporting hundreds every week.

I also love that Silent Steppers is reshaping how people view exercise, mental health and community connection.

Silent Steppers is proving that exercise can be enjoyable at any age and ability. One dance step at a time.

Two years ago I shared my first blog for World Children’s Day to raise awareness of children’s rights.

Whilst progress has been made in our sector, the words of a member of a newly formed Youth Advisory Group (YAG) on behalf of the Children’s Coaching Collaborative (CCC), proves there is still work to do.

He said that children’s rights are something that he heard about in primary school, but that he now only finds “in random news articles". This young man is now 16!

However, ensuring that young people have positive experiences of being active that are safe and fun, and that also respect their rights, is one of the areas we at Sport England, and a number of partners across the sector, have been advocating for in the past few years.

And there’s an article about children’s rights in sport by Liz Twyford, from UNICEF UK, that I think is key because it highlights the subtle but important change that means putting the child first to make a difference, and the impact that coaches have on those they work with.

Supporting young people to Play Their Way

Play Their Way exists precisely to champion children’s rights in sport and physical activity.

The campaign was launched in 2023 with the idea of taking a child-first approach to coaching, to ensure that their rights, needs and enjoyment are always prioritised, so they can have a positive experience of being active.

The campaign has been gaining supporters non-stop and in September this year we celebrated reaching a milestone of 10,000 registered members.
 

In a recent blog by our head of children and young people, a survey was shared to understand the range of youth voice and resources used across the sector.

Thanks to those who contributed, it has confirmed that listening to children and young people is an established priority with many brilliant examples.

However, for some, more support is needed to ensure a meaningful and sustainable youth voice practice to ensure children and young people feel included and supported to shape decisions affecting them through ongoing opportunities.   

Welcoming the Youth Advisory Group

To keep engaging and embedding the voice of young people in a meaningful way into the work of the CCC, earlier this year young people were invited to apply to join a YAG for our sector.

The initiative was led by Streetgames and saw 12 young people aged 14-19 with a range of experiences and backgrounds being 'recruited'.

Over the summer they spent time getting to know each other and understanding the role they would play as part of the group.

Within their applications, they were asked why they felt young people participating in shaping sport and physical activity opportunities was so important.

I was impressed by their thoughtful, positive and passionate responses that took into consideration not just themselves, but their peers too.

Some comments that I found particularly insightful mentioned that hearing what young people had to say is important as it “ultimately allows more young people to be able to access sport” (Poppy, 18).

That being listened to, allowed young people to have “a sense of empowerment” that made them see they’re “in control of the future” (Tasnuva, 16).

And, ultimately, that speaking out allows them to shape their own opportunities by
“influencing the accessibility and culture of sport for years to come” (Isobel, 18).

The group will be encouraged to share their experiences, views and opinions on coaching to inform the ongoing work of the CCC and will receive support to develop their own understanding of their rights. 

There are also other organisations with great initiatives to put children and young people’s views first in the sector.

For instance, the Positive Experiences Collective are hosting a range of resources and support connections to inspire advocacy for physical literacy, to help children and young people develop a positive and meaningful relationship with being active.

And the Centre for Youth Voice recently relaunched to continue to amplify the voices of young people and their impact. I recommend you check out their free online training and events on their website.

The future is young

Next month we’ll be releasing the Active Lives Children and Young People survey, covering the 2024-25 academic year.

This time we’ve introduced a new question to help us understand to what extent young people are heard by the adults delivering activity to them, which will provide a baseline to shape our work moving forwards.

This has only been a snapshot of the work we know is happening within the sector for children and young people, but we will continue to raise awareness of their rights.

For now we can all do this by listening to their voices and working with them to design and provide more opportunities to support all children and young people to be active, so they can enjoy it and gain the benefits that movement can bring into their lives both now, and as they grow into adults.
 

The concentrated focus of Black History Month provides an opportunity to gain new perspectives through events, articles and media programming that might otherwise be overlooked.

At its best, this month should stir our curiosity and resolve as we look back at the achievements and struggles of Black people, helping us gain a fuller understanding of Black histories to strengthen our grasp of the present.

This celebration (and the round-the-clock efforts by many through the year) should move us to action, reminding us that we don't have to accept the erasure of some people and communities as normal.

Today, on World Mental Health Day, I find myself reflecting not just as the new Head of the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU), but as a parent, a colleague and a lifelong advocate for the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

Mental health is not a standalone issue. It's woven into the fabric of everything we do – how we parent, how we coach, how we educate and how we safeguard.

And in my new role at CPSU, I’m committed to making sure children’s wellbeing, their mental health and voices are instrumental in our work.

One of the most impactful ways we can help with mental health is through sport and physical activity as their benefits are well-documented and include movement boosting our mood, building resilience and fostering connection.

But sport and physical activity also offer something deeply human – it gives children a sense of belonging, a place to express themselves and a safe space to grow.

The power of communication

Whether it’s a kickabout in the park or through more structured team-training, movement can be a lifeline for young people – helping them navigate the complexities of growing up and it can also help them to cope with the world’s pressures.

But the act of playing sport or being physically active alone isn’t enough.

This week we are also celebrating Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week, and we think that sport and physical activity are key in highlighting that parents and carers play a crucial role in safeguarding their mental wellbeing.

This safeguarding starts with a conversation, because when we talk openly with our children about emotions, stress and support, we create a culture of trust and a safety net.

These conversations don’t have to be perfect – they just have to be real and, as parents, we have to listen.
 

When children feel safe to open up, we strengthen the parent-child bond, we build relationships rooted in empathy and understanding and, in doing so, we lay the foundation for lifelong mental wellness.

So today I encourage every parent, coach and caregiver to take a moment and ask your child how they’re feeling, what support means to them, and what actions we can do as parents and carers to help them.

We also think that as well as listening, it’s important that you share your own experiences too and that you let them know they’re not alone.

At the CPSU we have new videos and conversations starters for parents, plus resources for sports organisations to help promote a culture of listening within their organisations.

Because safeguarding isn’t just about protection – it’s about connection.

Together, let’s make mental health a part of keeping our children safe. Not just today, but every day.
 

Safe and positive experiences for children and young people are one of the five big issues at the heart of Sport England’s long-term strategy, Uniting the Movement.

Sport England has supported the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit since 2001 and continues to invest in keeping sport safe for children.

Early experiences with sport have the power to make or break a person’s lifelong relationship with physical activity, which can affect physical, mental and social health at every stage of their life: from childhood; to teenage years; to adulthood.  

Simply put, a negative experience could turn a child away from sport, causing them to disengage and miss out on the extraordinary benefits of an active life – from being able to concentrate better at school; to having fun with their friends; to reduced anxiety; to the sheer joy of moving.

Our social value research found that active children and young people generate a wellbeing value (the monetary value that can be placed on happiness, health and life satisfaction) of £4,100 a year (for an active adult, it’s £2,500).

This shows that active children gain more from movement than active adults.

It’s also so important for their development and happiness, and with childhood obesity rising and less than half of children meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines for physical activity, getting children active is more important than ever – and parents and carers have a vital role to play here.
 

We are supporting the KYCSIS campaign by asking all those who work in the sector to call on parents and carers they interact with, to think about how to support children in sport and to have open conversations about what kind of encouragement helps young people thrive.

Why those in charge matter so much

There are different reasons why parents and carers are key in their life’s kids when it comes to sport:

• Parents and carers shape how children feel about sport. Their behaviour, language and the support they offer can determine whether sport is a positive space for their child. 
• They know what their child needs and what kind of support they respond to. Support looks different for every child. Some want loud cheering, while others may prefer quiet encouragement.
• Parents and carers are best placed to know what their child needs. They can then share this with coaches and leaders.

Positive support from parents and carers helps children reach their goals. So whether that is winning, a personal best, being a good teammate or simply enjoying being active, positive support from parents and carers can build a positive relationship with sport and physical activity.

The TALK steps 

There are four simple steps every parent and carer can follow to ensure their kids enjoy sport in a secure and enjoyable way – it’s what we call the TALK steps and we’d love it if you could share these with those in your network.

• Talk to the child; listen to the child: parents and carers should ask why their child plays and how they want to be supported. Parents can use their answers to guide how they show up at training and competitions.
• Always show respect: we encourage parents to be good role models of sports values by supporting the whole team and treating coaches and officials with respect, even when they disagree.
• Let’s speak out: if adults are shouting insults, criticising, focusing on weight, confronting officials aggressively or pushing children into competitions that are too advanced for them, parents and carers should raise it with the club’s welfare officer or match-day official.
• Keep sport fun: we encourage parents and carers to praise effort and progress as well as results. Offering constructive encouragement when things go wrong can help children learn from setbacks.

What about if my child is in a competitive environment?

For many parents and carers, it’s brand-new territory when turning up at their child’s first sporting event – but they must be equipped and not afraid to ask about anything they feel unfamiliar with.

Here are five questions every parent/carer should ask before signing their child up to a competition:

• What is the primary purpose of this competition for children at this age or level?
• How are children supervised and safeguarded during the event?
• What expectations will be placed on my child and what support is available if they find it stressful?
• How are selection and team decisions made and communicated to participants and families?
• Who is the designated welfare officer and how do I raise a concern on the day if needed?

Asking these types of questions before agreeing to children taking part makes it easier for parents to recognise when something is not right.

Spotting concerns and taking action

Parents and carers know what their child needs to be their best and should be empowered to challenge or call out behaviour that could harm their child’s wellbeing.

Adults shouting from the sidelines, personal criticism of children, pressure about weight or repeated, aggressive challenges to officials are all red flags.

Parents should report concerns the club’s welfare officer or the relevant match official immediately.

If you remain worried about anything that may cause harm, contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email [email protected].

We all have a joint commitment to ensure children and young people feel safe when taking part in sport so let’s make sure, we support parents and carers to make this happen!