Teaching young people to fight in order to keep them out of gang violence might seem rather contradictory, but, bear with us.
Fight For Peace, an international boxing academy with a branch in Newham, London, has been doing just that since 2007 and it’s working pretty well.
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The charity, which helps more than 1,000 youths every year, not only provides an opportunity to get off the streets and socialise, but offers education programmes which help young people gain qualifications and get on the career ladder.
In the nine years the Laureus-sponsored Academy has been operating, its helped 94% of its “pathways” graduates gain employment or further training, while a whopping 68% of its members are less likely to get involved in crime.