Our TRY Team (Targeted Response with Youth) have come up with a brand new initiative in Solas Project, Fighting for Change. This is a structured dialogic boxing program designed to engage young people in a discussion about growing up with fewer opportunities, in marginalised communities.

The goal of the program is to show young people that change is possible by having a conversation about what it was like before, what happened, and what it is like now.

Professional boxers and entrepreneurs who have overcame adversity and turned their entire life around through participation in sporting activities are among the invited guest speakers.

Our pilot programme will run for six weeks. It began in August 31st lasting one hour and thirty minutes per session. 30 minutes for the speaker and one hour for boxing training (non-contact). All participants are over the age of 18. This will be held at the Donore Community Boxing Club.

This will be facilitated by youth worker Jamin Keogh, who has a level one boxing coaching accreditation from the Irish Amateur Boxing Association, and professional boxer Craig O Brien, who is currently the Irish boxing champion and the BUI Celtic boxing champion.

Pictured is one of the guest speakers, Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan. Spike is an Irish professional boxer from Cork. Between 2009 and 2017, he held multiple middleweight championships at world and regional level including the Irish title.

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