My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
Yes
I am 18 years of age or above, by the application deadline.
Yes
My organisation is a registered UK entity and has a London-based address.
Yes
My organisation is a non-profit (e.g. school, university, or local authority) — not a for-profit, which can only join as a partner.
Yes
If there is a for-profit organisation as a partner in my initiative, they work on a cost-recovery basis only.
Yes
My solution is implemented at scale, or if not, I have a clear business plan, a minimum viable solution (prototype, pilot, or proof of concept), evidence of access to a lease for the space you are leveraging, and evidence of work or impact in London within your coalition.
Yes
I am aware that, if I am submitting more than one application to a Challenge run by Ashoka and Go! London, only one of them is able to progress through the stages.
Yes
Are you an employee (and their children and grandchildren) of Ashoka or any of its respective affiliates and participating advertising and promotion agencies?
No
I have read and accepted the Challenge Terms & Conditions.
Yes
First Name
Scott
Last Name
Arnott
Pronouns
He/Him
Email address
I would like to receive notifications and updates about Go London!, Ashoka, Ashoka Changemakers, and other Ashoka opportunities.
1
Are you an Ashoka Fellow?
No
Are you applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow?
No
If you are applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow, please specify the name and organisation of the fellow below.
Lead Organisation Name
BE Inspired Youth & Community C.I.C.
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2017
Initiative Title
Safe Spaces Through Sport
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
www.beinspireduk.co.uk, be_inspireduk
Initiative Stage
Growth (You’ve moved past the very first activities; working towards the next level of expansion.)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Children & Youth
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
Reimagining boxing spaces as safe, inclusive environments where vulnerable young people engage in sport, mentoring and therapeutic support to improve wellbeing and life outcomes.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve and who will benefit the most from your solution? How close are you to the problem and/or community impacted?
Access to safe, inclusive sport is increasingly out of reach for many young people in Croydon, particularly those affected by poverty, trauma and social disadvantage. Sport can be a powerful protective factor, supporting health, confidence, connection and wellbeing, but those who would benefit most are often least likely to access or stay engaged in structured activity. Without positive spaces to belong, young people face greater risk of isolation, poor mental health & harmful behaviours. Many young people we support have experienced multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) such as domestic violence, abuse, family instability, parental ill health or substance misuse and bereavement. Combined with school exclusion, exploitation or exposure to violence, these issues can make traditional sport settings feel unsafe or judgemental, leading to disengagement. Barriers affect groups differently. Girls and young women often perceive boxing and strength‑based environments as male dominated or intimidating, particularly when safety or body confidence is a concern. Nationally, only 45% of girls (compared with 51% of boys) meet activity guidelines, and girls are twice as likely to say they dislike being active; periods and kit confidence are major early teen barriers. Yet potential is clear: Sport England data cited by England Boxing reports 420,400 females regularly participating in boxing or boxing based fitness, showing significant demand for supportive, inclusive provision. Be Inspired works with around 700 young people each year (aged 8-21, or up to 25 with SEND), including 250+ at high risk. Through partnerships with schools, youth justice, families and community groups, we see daily how these barriers restrict access to activity and the life changing benefits of sport
Your approach: How are you/ will you addressing the problem outlined above? How does your solution unlock or reimagine access to spaces for sport and physical activity? What role do landowners, local authorities, or other decision-making stakeholders play in your approach? We'd love to know about the origin of your idea, and what was your "aha" moment" that led you to take action?
We reimagine sport spaces so young people who feel excluded from traditional environments can access physical activity safely and consistently. Sport is the starting point, not the entire solution. We use non contact boxing as an enjoyable, structured activity that builds fitness, confidence, emotional regulation and wellbeing, while creating a positive place to belong. Through years of frontline work, we’ve learned that sport alone rarely sustains engagement for young people facing trauma, poverty or instability. Many avoid formal or clinical services, so embedding mentoring and therapy within sports, allows trust to grow naturally. Relationships form on the pads, during warm‑ups and through informal checkins, making support feel approachable, not stigmatising. Girls’ & boys’ programmes run in parallel to address different barriers. Girls’ sessions are female led and intentionally safe, inclusive and non intimidating, opening boxing to those who might otherwise disengage. Our “boxing for confidence” pathway includes beginner groups, small numbers, game based skills, no pressure to spar and puberty aware support (flexibility during periods, access to supplies, comfortable kit). Boys’ sessions use sport as a gateway to mentoring and positive male role models without stigma. Participants join either Box Champions (boxing + mentoring) or Box Therapy (1:1 therapeutic support), moving between the two as needed. Most progress into ongoing community boxing. Referrals come from local authorities, schools, youth justice and community partners, who also help secure low cost or free spaces. This integrated model grew from a defining moment when a former participant said, “I wouldn’t be where I am today without sport as my release and mentoring helped everything make sense"
Collaboration with young people and the community: In what ways does your initiative engage young people and community members closest to the problem? What role do they play in building the solution you deliver?
Youth participation is central to our approach. Our programmes have developed directly from the experiences & feedback of young people closest to the challenges we address. Many aspects of delivery, including female only boxing spaces & the integration of well-being support, emerged from young people telling us traditional sport or clinical services were unwanted, leading directly to the creation of safer, more inclusive environments. Young people actively shape the design & delivery of our work. Through feedback, reflection & co-design conversations, ensure activities reflect participants’ needs & safety. Young people influence how spaces feel, how sessions are structured & what support is needed to maintain engagement, helping reimagine sport environments so they are inclusive & welcoming to those who would otherwise disengage. Participation extends beyond individual programmes. Through our Youth Panel, young people with lived experience contribute to organisational learning & strategic direction, influencing programme design, delivery locations & priorities, and ensuring services remain grounded in community need. Our Nxt Gen programme provides progression routes for beneficiaries to train as coaches, mentors & youth leaders, creating pathways from participation into leadership. Community collaboration is also vital. We work closely with schools, youth services, local organisations & partners to ensure delivery reflects local realities & allows us to adapt environments so sport becomes accessible within communities young people already belong to. This creates a cycle of peer & community-led development. Over 50% of our staff are former beneficiaries, bringing lived experience into programme design & helping build environments that feel authentic, safe & relevant
Potential for/Evidence of Impact: How do you imagine your initiative will make a difference in unlocking spaces for and access to physical activity and sport so far? If you have already implemented it, what difference have you made so far? What is the impact your initiative has had , and or what impact do you envision having in the future?
Our initiative expands access to sport by transforming spaces once seen as unwelcoming into safe, relevant and sustainable environments.Young people previously excluded from sport or support begin attending regularly, building confidence & maintaining long-term involvement in physical activity beyond the programme itself. Through Box Therapy and Box Champions, 80% of young people disengaged from structured sport now participate consistently and progress into ongoing community boxing, showing that sport has become a lasting part of their lives rather than a short-term intervention. During its pilot year, Box Therapy delivered measurable impact through our outcomes framework, which tracks “distance travelled” on a 0–10 scale across wellbeing, safety, relationships and resilience. A one‑point increase signifies meaningful progress for high‑risk young people. Participants achieved average gains of +2.23 in reducing involvement in violence, +2.14 in mental health and wellbeing, +2.03 in social and emotional capacity, and +1.73 in trust and relationships—evidence of greater resilience, self‑regulation and supportive connections that enable safe, confident participation in sport. The model also delivers impact rapidly. With long waits for mental health services, young people can access free, community‑based sport immediately, reducing isolation and preventing escalation of risk. As more participants feel welcome in these reimagined settings, boxing and community sport spaces become more inclusive and representative. Looking ahead, we will expand access for girls and young women and strengthen pathways into sustained community participation across Croydon.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
Our innovation lies not in creating a new sport or therapy model, but in reimagining how existing sports spaces function for young people, currently excluded from them. Traditional boxing & gym environments are often performance led & male dominated, creating barriers for young people affected by trauma, low confidence or safety concerns. Our approach adapts these spaces so they become safe, inclusive environments where participation in sport is the starting point for engagement & long-term involvement in physical activity. What makes this approach different is the structured pathway built around sport. Rather than delivering isolated interventions, young people move between Box Champions (group boxing & mentoring), Box Therapy (1:1 therapeutic support) & ongoing community boxing sessions depending on need. Where appropriate, young people are supported to access other physical activities to encourage continued participation in sport. Sport remains constant throughout, enabling young people to access the right level of support while maintaining engagement beyond the programme itself. The initiative is innovative in how it adapts environments to address different barriers to access. Female led sessions & delivery in community venues reimagine boxing spaces for girls & young women who may otherwise feel excluded from traditional gyms. Sport provides a non-clinical entry point for boys & young men reluctant to engage with formal services. By testing how boxing & strength-based environments can be adapted to become welcoming & inclusive, the project creates learning that can influence wider community sport provision. Over time, this helps shift local expectations of who sport spaces are for, enabling more community venues & gyms in Croydon to operate as inclusive spaces.
Viability and Scalability: How are you setting your initiative up for success, and what is your plan to ensure operational sustainability of your solution and its impact? What are your ideas for scaling your initiative to the next level?
Our initiative is built on an established delivery model that has already demonstrated strong engagement & measurable outcomes. Programmes sit within Be Inspired’s wider offer, with established referral pathways from schools, youth justice services, local authorities & community partners. As members of the Croydon Youth Consortium, we work collaboratively with local organisations to ensure joined-up support, consistent demand & ongoing participation beyond funded delivery. Operationally, the model is designed to grow sustainably. We currently deliver one Box Therapy cohort (6 young people) & one Box Champions cohort (up to 20 young people) at a time, each running for 12 & 20 weeks and delivered up to three times per year. Investment in workforce development & infrastructure would allow us to increase capacity by training additional coaches, mentors & therapists, expanding the number of cohorts delivered & extending support where needed. A key element of sustainability is developing our workforce from within the community. Through our Nxt Gen programme, beneficiaries are supported to become coaches & mentors, creating a pipeline of staff with lived experience who strengthen delivery & improve engagement. Over 50% of our current staff are former beneficiaries. Scaling is achieved through partnership working & unlocking existing community spaces rather than creating new facilities. Collaboration with partner organisations provides access to trusted venues & extends reach to groups including young people leaving care. By expanding delivery through partnerships & shared spaces, the initiative can increase access to inclusive sport environments across Croydon while maintaining quality & long-term community impact.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
Be Inspired will lead the programme’s overall design, coordination and delivery, including boxing and mentoring sessions, safeguarding, case management, partnership coordination, monitoring and evaluation, and ensuring progression pathways into ongoing community sport. Be Inspired staff including coaches, trainee coaches, youth workers and mentors provide consistent frontline support and sustain relationships with participants throughout. The girls’ programme is led by female coaches and mentors with lived experience, creating safe, relatable and responsive sessions that address barriers faced by young women in boxing and strength-based settings. Qualified therapists, both in house and from Off The Record, deliver the therapeutic element, offering 1:1 support, contributing to individual plans, and taking part in regular clinical supervision to ensure safe and effective practice. Therapists collaborate closely with coaches and mentors so support is embedded within the sporting environment while maintaining professional boundaries. Partner organisations extend the programme’s reach and access to spaces. Be Inspired is an active member of the Croydon Youth Consortium, comprising 30 charities and voluntary organisations operating in Croydon collectively reaching over 30,000 young people each year. This network creates reciprocal referral pathways between Be Inspired and other youth initiatives. Local authorities, schools, youth justice services and community groups also help identify and refer young people most in need, enabling early engagement and joined up support. Through these partnerships, the initiative is delivered collaboratively with clear leadership and accountability through Be Inspired.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/to grow.
The initiative will build on an established model, with milestones focused on expanding access to inclusive spaces while maintaining quality & consistency through a test, learn & scale approach. Months 1–3 (Test): Programme mobilisation & preparation, including confirming venues, coordinating referral partners & recruiting participants. During this phase we test delivery across different environments, including community venues & boxing spaces, to ensure they are accessible & appropriate for both girls’ & boys’ programmes. Months 3–9 (Learn & Adapt): Delivery of Box Champions & Box Therapy cohorts running in parallel. Young people participate in structured boxing, mentoring & therapeutic support, with regular outcome reviews used to monitor progress & inform adjustments to delivery. Attendance data, participant feedback, staff observations & case studies will capture quantitative & qualitative learning. Where appropriate & with consent, feedback from schools & statutory partners will also be gathered to understand changes in behaviour, attendance & risk. This learning will be used to refine delivery, improve accessibility of spaces & share insight contributing to wider learning on how trauma-informed sport environments increase participation. Months 9–12 (Scale & Sustain): Progression phase supporting young people to transition into ongoing community boxing sessions & wider positive activities. Outcomes data & delivery learning are reviewed to strengthen future cohorts & inform partners about effective approaches to inclusive sport environments. Ongoing: Workforce development through the Nxt Gen programme & continued partnership working to unlock additional venues, enabling delivery across more locations & increasing access to sport for underrepresented groups. Learning will be shared through partner networks to support wider London & UK learning on inclusive sport provision. These milestones provide a clear pathway from initial engagement to sustained participation, ensuring both immediate impact & long-term community benefit.
Capacity-Building Participation and Support Funding: If you were to make it as a finalist, you will be required to participate in an 8-week capacity building programme. If funding/ cost is a barrier to your participation, we may be able to offer up to 10,000 GBP of grant money available to support you. Please break down below, if it is the case, what costs you would incur and you would need covered. (Please note that there are restrictions on how the grant money may be used; please refer to the T&Cs for further details.
Participation in the 8-week capacity building programme will require time from senior delivery & programme staff responsible for the design, coordination & implementation of the initiative. As the exact time commitment required across the 8-week capacity building programme is not yet fully specified, our anticipated costs are based on the assumption that participation will involve regular workshops, preparation & follow-up activity. Costs would therefore depend on the level of staff time required to engage fully in the programme. As our programmes support high risk young people through ongoing weekly delivery, the primary cost would relate to staff time & backfill to ensure continuity of frontline provision while key staff participate in the programme. This may include programme management time, delivery cover for coaching or mentoring sessions, & coordination time required to embed learning into practice. Additional costs may include travel to in person sessions & reasonable participation expenses directly linked to engagement in the capacity building programme. Support funding would enable full participation without reducing delivery for vulnerable young people currently engaged in sport & support programmes.
