Two-time Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams OBE surprised young women from across Greater Manchester taking part in her Prince’s Trust ‘Get Started with Boxing’ programme today.
Supported by The JD Foundation, the course is being delivered by Jimmy Egan’s Boxing Academy in Wythenshawe and introduces young women aged 16-25 to boxing, helping them to build the confidence, motivation and skills to move forward with their lives and start the pathway to employment.
As a Goodwill Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, Nicola launched the programme with the youth charity last year and it is the first to take place in Greater Manchester.
The visit times with Nicola’s support of The Trust’s #ChangeAGirlsLife campaign this International Women’s Day. It is raising vital funds to help change the lives of young women facing disadvantage in the UK, by providing support to develop the confidence and skills they need to overcome the barriers they face and to move into employment.
Nicola said: “Hearing from the young women beginning my Get Started with Boxing with The Prince’s Trust programme today about the challenges they have faced, and what they hope to achieve has been inspiring and humbling.
“As Goodwill Ambassador for The Trust and a supporter of its #ChangeAGirlsLife campaign, I know from my own experience how crucial having the right support in place is to help young women facing adversity achieve their potential. I also know the crucial role sport can play in this, and I’m passionate about ensuring young women are given these opportunities, so getting to visit an all-female cohort on my course has been a dream come true.
“When I teamed up with The Prince’s Trust to create a programme, I wanted to create a course that achieved this and our boxing programme provides a safe and supportive space for those facing adversity to learn something new, boost their confidence, overcome barriers they face and develop skills for their next steps in life.
“I’m so proud of each young woman starting the programme today and can’t wait to hear what they achieve!”
The course is a mix of practical and theory sessions, which help boost young people’s confidence, communication skills and develops their understanding of how fitness, and the fundamental techniques of boxing, can benefit their mental health. Those participating also have access to The Prince’s Trust’s other confidence building and employability programmes.
Nicola Kowalczuk, Chief People Officer at JD Group & JD Foundation Trustee commented:
“At the JD Foundation, our mission is to help young people achieve their full potential. This is why we are proud to support The Prince’s Trust ‘Get Started with Boxing with Nicola Adams’ programme, as courses like this are vital to help build young people’s confidence and skills. By working in collaboration with The Prince’s Trust we’re confident we can keep offering support to those most in need and take positive steps that lead to real change.”
The Prince’s Trust runs similar confidence-building courses that engage young people through sport or the arts, as well as industry-specific employability courses in sectors such as retail, construction, and health and social care. Young people interested in signing up to a Prince’s Trust course today can get in touch by visiting princes-trust.org.uk or calling 0800 842 842.
