Moves Different is a pioneering crime prevention programme and research project delivered by England Boxing and Welsh Boxing, in partnership with the Youth Endowment Fund. The programme aims to engage young people aged 14-18 who are most at risk of crime, violence and antisocial behaviour. By focusing on underrepresented and racially diverse communities, we’re opening doors where they’re needed most.
In accordance with the criteria set by our funding partners, eligible young people will be randomly selected to either receive a fully funded 6-month boxing programme or enjoy a gym membership for free. Both are excellent opportunities for young people to get active.
Through an independent evaluation led by the Ending Youth Violence Lab, Moves Different is collecting data to understand how boxing can support young people’s personal growth, improve their behaviours, and reduce their exposure to crime. The findings will not only help shape the programme as it grows but will also secure robust evidence to strengthen the case for boxing as a tool for crime prevention nationwide.
By bringing together clubs, communities, and referral partners, Moves Different highlights the vital role the boxing community plays in tackling serious social challenges. It is a chance to showcase how the values of boxing – discipline, respect, and resilience – could change lives and contribute to safer, stronger communities across England and Wales.
Avoen Perryman
Head of Operations, England Boxing
Dr Mollie Bourne
Youth Endowment Fund
Assistant Director of Impact, Programmes
and Partnerships
Gareth Evans
Head of Community Boxing, Welsh Boxing
Youth Endowment Fund
The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) is a charitable trust established in 2019 with a £200 million endowment from the Home Office. Its mission is to prevent children and young people, particularly those aged 10 to 14, from becoming involved in violence.
To achieve this, YEF funds projects and programmes across England and Wales that aim to reduce youth violence, while ensuring each initiative is rigorously evaluated to understand what works, for whom, and why. They also publish research, toolkits, and guidance to help practitioners and policymakers use evidence effectively in their own work.
Find out more: youthendowmentfund.org.uk.
Wider Community Impact
Moves Different is an opportunity for the boxing community to demonstrate our sport’s vital role in society. By showing how boxing can prevent crime, engage young people at risk, and give them structure and purpose, the programme aims to build powerful evidence that benefits every club and coach, not only those clubs directly involved. It strengthens the reputation of boxing as a sport that changes lives, making it harder to overlook when decisions are made about funding, facilities, and long-term investment.
The research gathered through this programme will give the entire boxing community something it has long needed: robust, independent evidence of the positive impact of our work. This means policymakers, funders, and community partners will have proof of what many of us already know – that boxing creates safer, stronger communities. It develops young people in ways few other sports can match.
By taking part in Moves Different as a community, we are raising the impact of boxing on a national stage. Every club and member benefit when the sport is recognised as a force for good, creating new opportunities, partnerships, and resources that will support the growth of boxing across England and Wales.
Contacts
Louise Vidor
Project Manager
Kirsty McMahon
London and Hamps
Michelle Butler
West Mids and Leics
Michelle Butler (Int)
South Yorkshire
Francesca Russell
Wales
