South Tyneside boxer thanks charity for helping him turn his life around
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South Tyneside Churches Key Project helped 19-year-old boxer Callum Scott when he was referred to the charity due to a family relationship breakdown and getting into trouble with the police.
The charity helped him get back on the right track and the Healthy Body, Healthy Mind activities have saved his life.
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Hide AdCallum said: “I wouldn’t be where I am today without Key Project. They have supported me in so many ways. They’ve taught me how to be self-sufficient, helped me to rebuild relationships, work on my self-esteem, get a job and move into my own flat.
“During lockdown I wasn’t working, it was lonely and the restrictions were tough. Having access to the weight training and boxing equipment at Key Project really helped my mental health. I’ve also been able to do 1-2-1 sessions, the training has kept me fit and focused during a difficult year.”
Key Project is currently helping more than 20 vulnerable young people, aged 16-24, through its Healthy Body, Healthy Mind programme. The project invested in new exercise equipment and trained its staff to coach workout sessions through a £5,000 grant from Rise and the Young People Forward Project.
Lisa Coates, progression coach at Key Project, said: “The funding we’ve received from Rise has been instrumental in enabling us to give our young residents extra support and new experiences they wouldn’t normally have.
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Hide Ad“Physical activity is essential for our young people to socialise, be active and for good mental health. Our residents are on universal credit, they can’t afford a gym membership. With the Rise funding we’ve been able to host gym and circuit training sessions, buy new equipment and host gardening therapy sessions.
“The Rise funding has allowed us to deliver something different and training our staff in the Healthy Body, Healthy Mind programme, will allow us to continue this work beyond the funding and create a legacy that many more young people will benefit from.”
Rise is distributing funds from a £75,000 grant it secured via the London Marathon Charitable Trust to deliver sport sessions to improve the physical and mental health, self-esteem and resilience of young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.