Brighton and Hove Amateur Boxing Gym (ABC) along Hove seafront facilitates programmes to support young people at risk of, or involved in, violence and offending.

The Sussex Violence Reduction Partnership (Sussex VRP), which is overseen by the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, is funded by the Home Office and works in partnership with WBC (World Boxing Council) Cares which runs the programmes at the gym.

WBC Cares uses boxing’s principles to create positive change, especially for disadvantaged young people, through community programs and mentoring.

Former champion and WBC Cares chairman Scott Welch (Image: The Argus)

Chairman of WBC Cares UK Scott Welch is a former British and Commonwealth champion, and is known for his fight with Brad Pitt in Guy Ritchie’s film Snatch.

He has run Brighton and Hove ABC for 25 years and has been instrumental in changing the lives of many young people over the years.

“We work in various areas and connect with young kids who are going wrong and have nothing in their lives,” he said.

“Maybe they’ve come from broken families or been out on the street and we help mentor them and change their lives.

“I was exactly the same kid and became a champion and earned a lifetime’s worth of money by 28.

“Boxing teaches the fundamentals we need to be successful in life. It made me understand that hard work pays off, that hard work in the gym is hard work out the gym.

“We change their mindset on life – we help them, talk to them, nurture them and teach them there’s more to life than running round on the street.”

The gym facilitates WBC Cares programmes (Image: The Argus)

Katie Hopkins is partnership lead at the VRP.

It aims to tackle the root causes of serious violence in the county, especially among young people under 25.

The unit works with a number of stakeholders including the police, councils and the NHS, to identify high-risk young people and to use targeted, evidence-based methods.

“We love working with WBC Cares; they’re brilliant at what they do in engaging young people,” she said.

“We’re very evidence based about what is effective in terms of intervention and sport programmes which include mentoring score really highly.”

 Kiarn Wontumi, 19, is from Bognor and has been training at Brighton and Hove ABC for three years, having gone through the WBC Cares programme.

After his brother began attending the gym through a youth offending programme, he suggested Kiarn come along too.

“At that time, I was overweight, not confident and he said to come down,” he said.

“At first, I didn’t like it, and I was gone for three months but then I came back and started training.

“Before I was hanging round town, doing nothing good, doing nothing with my life and not knowing what I wanted to do. I weighed 150kg and felt insecure.

“I had never boxed in my life. I wasn’t good at any sport, and I was the last to be picked in the teams, but when I started boxing, I was actually good at it.”

Kiarn Wontumi (Image: The Argus)

Kiarn, who has lost 50kg since he started training at the gym, won his first fight in 2023 and went on to win the southern county championships and later the national championships.

“For me, being overweight and winning that was something I never thought I would do. I’m not an aggressive person; I don’t like fighting. It has been a good journey.”

Through the gym, Kiarn found about a boxing college and has now attained a diploma in sporting excellence.

“I don’t know where I would be without this gym; it has changed my life.

“From where I was: 150kg, at home hanging round with my friends on the street up to no good.

“Now I’m going to the gym, I’ve got a college diploma, and I’m ranked one of the best in the country.”

Programme director Matthew Etherington has been running WBC Cares UK youth programmes for over 10 years.

“Boxing has always been a magnet for people in violence or in trouble; it’s always had a bit of a reputation. What people don’t realise is that it’s controlled violence, it’s helping understand violence and giving it a direction and release instead of releasing it into anti-social situations and crime.

“It gives young people the opportunity to have that release with some safe, trusted people around who are trained to help them and safeguard them.

“I’ve worked with many young people who I’ve known since they were a little child. I’ve seen them grow up, I’ve helped them in their family life, helped them in their understanding of education and work. We still have people from the very first programmes who come back to see us.”

Programme director Matthew Etherington (Image: The Argus)

WBC Cares is currently working on a pilot with the VRP for a pan-Sussex programme to deliver the blueprint they have been creating over the years. The programme is “not just about boxing” but is multi-sport, including football, table tennis, badminton, chess – the latter of which has proven very popular.

“Just because they come into a boxing gym, it doesn’t mean I want them in a boxing gym,” he said.

“I want them to be where’s best for them. Our philosophy is using boxing as a vehicle to help young people better themselves in the future.

“We’re creating that blueprint so that any club can pick it up, take it with them and help their community.”

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Court get stuck into a game of table tennis (Image: The Argus)

Part of the programme is “upskilling” sport coaches to “understand youth work”.

“We’re upskilling them to understand what children go through these days and what adverse experiences they’ve been having.

“We’re teaching coaches to approach sport not just as competition, but how does sport help young people and how do I get young people to listen to me when they don’t want to listen to me about sport.

“When you’ve got that young person that doesn’t want to engage, that doesn’t trust adults – how do we get past that barrier to get them to be a focussed and energetic young person.”