Leading with heart: How boxing academy Brightstar sets the standard in Shropshire

Brightstar was set up as a boxing academy in 2018. Since then its services and support have developed beyond measure, taking on education as a way to reach young people at risk of falling out of mainstream schooling.

The not-for-profit organisation has helped around 7,000 young people, directly and indirectly, since it started.

The work has seen Brightstar's founding director Joe Lockley invited to speak at the Olympics in Paris and the Dubai World Expo, discussing unique approaches to tackling world problems, sharing the lessons learned over the past seven years.

While the issue of 'lost youth' has hit the headlines with the recent media spotlight on Netflix's hard-hitting series Adolescence, Brightstar has been working to give young people a voice, a passion, and a path for more than seven years.

It has its own dedicated sites in Shifnal, Shrewsbury, and Wolverhampton, and works with other groups in areas such as Walsall, Hereford and Stoke.

Joe has confirmed the next big step for the organisation as it goes through the process to become a charity.

The move is intended to open up avenues for funding to expand services and look to help more young people and their communities

The development of the organisation is an organic tale - with its founders seeing boxing make breakthroughs with youngsters who were struggling to find a place in mainstream education.

Joe said: "When we started it was myself and Stu Ferguson and we literally just started it because there were a couple of young people that needed intervention and we didn't really know how to do anything else, so we started teaching them to box."

He explained that through the work the youngsters were able to find a crucial sense of belonging, a purpose, and an identity.

He said: "We found the boxing met the needs of those young people so much better than school or therapy did."

The work expanded with police and care homes referring youngsters to the club for sessions, before schools also approached them about working with pupils who were not attending and were at risk of disengaging completely.

Joe explained that through the education programme young people work with Brightstar for two days a week, as they try to re-engage them with school.

The founder gave the example of one young man who had found a purpose through the work that they hadn't been able to find in mainstream education.

He said: "This is what one lad said to us - 'I feel thick because I don't do well at school, but now I see I can use my skills elsewhere after working here'."

The simple line shows the difference the work can make - and the impact it can have.

Joe explained that the work is focussed on allowing young people to reach their potential - while also moving them away from potentially harmful groups and behaviour.

He said: "Prevention is better than cure. If you are not meeting their needs, the sense of belonging, purpose, the control, that's where problematic groups can come in because they meet their needs instead."

Joe said the move to charitable status could open up avenues for funding - a crucial aspect as it looks to provide help for young people from some of the most deprived communities.

He said: "What we have found is that most of the young people we work with can't afford to come - but if you offer everything for free there is no sustainability. We have been very lucky with funding so far from groups like the lottery and others.

"But we want to be able to go out to all deprived communities in Shropshire to say 'we can hold this in your area and you don't have to pay', 'we can bring it right to your doorstep to help and remove some of the barriers stopping people getting involved'."

Passionate about making a difference he added: "The whole point here is we are believing in the people who have not had anyone else to believe in them.

"We are working with young people who have lost hope, they have lost their way and we help to find that."

The aims are clear in Brightstar's core message to all its youngsters - believe, belong, become.

Joe added: "It is all about reaching young people that are completely lost or have been let down by other services – young people that would not necessarily want to go to school, they have been let down by a host of other people. We want to show you can trust educators, there is help out there."

Another aspect of the move to charitable status is the ambition for Brightstar's 'board of champions' to become trustees.

The board is made up of experts in their field, with a breadth of knowledge and skills that have helped drive Brightstar's ambitions for the future.

As part of the work Brightstar is also recruiting for a number of posts for the future.

Joe said: "As part of the expansion we are really looking to diversify the workforce. We are looking for people in delivery roles to go out there and better support young people."

He said that talented and passionate people were wanted - "people whose values align with supporting these young people".

The posts include Monday to Friday term-time youth workers in both Shifnal and Shrewsbury, as well as a high level teaching assistant or unqualified teacher to work Monday to Friday during term times in Shrewsbury.

Brightstar is also looking for another high level teaching assistant or unqualified teacher for Stoke and Walsall.

Anyone interested in applying for the roles, learning about the organisation or offering support can find out more by contacting julie.lockley@brightstarboxing.co.uk or visiting https://www.brightstarboxing.co.uk/.