A leading charity helps promote the mental health of young people, by combining boxing and advice. The Empire Fighting Chance, in the British city of Bristol, is training thousands of people between the ages of eight and 25, in the sport, while providing them with the skills needed to tackle their problems.

Drawing on the recommendations of schools, the police, and the Mental Health Services Foundation for Children and Adolescents, the association has created an integrated registry to help out-of-reach young adults and those who often do not respond to traditional treatments.

Among the beneficiaries of the "boxing and counseling" courses is George Silva, who has been training in the gym for four years, since he was referred by the Mental Health Services Foundation.

"I fought with school students, and I engaged in intense disagreements with teachers," Silva, 17, said, adding, "Attendance to boxing training is a way to distract the mind from such things and manage stress effectively." Sometimes I felt that I needed to hit something. ” The teenager sees that the presence of people talking to him about his problems, with daily exercises, contributed to alleviating stress and adds, "I noticed the change very quickly, and my family noticed that too."

The pilot program, which lasts for 20 weeks, in an equipped gymnasium, combines boxing, counseling and guidance for troubled youth at risk of exclusion from school, misuse of available means or participation in criminality and anti-social behavior. The charity has helped people with various problems, such as losing a relative and open-air phobia, working with the principle that the gym is a less provocative environment for vulnerable people, and that the brain hormone (endorphins), which are produced, helps participants to relax and be able to share with others Between boxing training classes.

Martin Bisce, CEO and co-founder of Empire Fighting Chance, says that some still feel the stigma, explaining that “the idea is to break down barriers and make our way credible, and we want to make them feel part of the gym” and adds “when They come to the boxing hall, interact with amateurs and professionals. ” The charity is based in Easton, which has produced a long list of heroes, and this means that participants can find themselves training alongside stars, such as ex-featherweight world champion Lee Selby, and IFC champion Lee Haskins.

The association runs a boxing program that supports about 4,000 young people each year, with about 800 to 900 young people participating in the intensive program, and says that young people who join the program usually build a relationship with their counselor since the first session, that is, six times faster than traditional treatment.

Observations of current and past participants showed positive benefits, including improved mental health, improved school performance, decreased involvement in criminal activity, and antisocial behavior.

The Empire Fighting Chance is currently operating in Bristol and South Wales, but has ambitions to create similar programs across Britain.

The training program, with those involved, explores a different area of ​​personal development each week, with the help of famous boxers, such as World Heavyweight Champion John Sullivan and World Champion Thomas Hernes, as models in topics such as overcoming adversity.

- 4000 youth supported by the charity every year.