BoxWise is a charity that was fully funded by the Nick Maughan Family Foundation in the early years. Working to empower disadvantaged young people around the world through sport, BoxWise is a non-profit social enterprise that helps vulnerable young people build confidence, improve their health and wellbeing and maximise all opportunities around them.
Founded in 2020 at Miguel’s boxing gym in Brixton, South London, BoxWise now operates at over fifty locations across the U.K. and has run courses in locations as far as Ireland, Tanzania, Uganda, Brazil, South Africa and Uganda. Helping well over 1,000 young people a year, it is perhaps the fastest growing and one of the leading sports based charitable organisations in the U.K.
Delivered entirely by accredited England Boxing coaches, BoxWise’s free 10-week programme offers young people a safe and controlled environment to channel their energies, whilst also giving youngsters respite from any difficulties at home and a free hot meal at every session.
BoxWise’s programme offers much more than just an opportunity to practice boxing. It helps young people to develop six core values: purpose, adaptability, imagination, discipline, emotional control, and teamwork. BoxWise believes that helping young people apply these values outside of the ring will set them up for future success, and the programme is a key player in the fight against country lines, knife crime and anti-social behaviour across the UK and internationally.
In addition to equipping young people with life-long skills, BoxWise also offers practical advice and progression routes to help its graduates enter employment or further education. Following one-to-one mentoring sessions, BoxWise’s previous graduates have gone on to complete vocational courses in Personal Training, catering, boxing coaching and amongst other subjects.
BoxWise is supported by a stellar team of Brand Ambassadors and Advisory Board members. These include professional boxers Lawrence Okolie, Joshua Buatsi, and Anthony Crolla as well as the entrepreneur Ayo Gordon.
BoxWise also offers specialty disability boxing centres in Manchester, Pembrokeshire, and Sheffield, and runs a successful collaboration with Centrepoint, the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity.
BoxWise works closely with the police and social services in many areas for referral of the young people most at risk.