Primary school children from Sandwell schools are calling ‘seconds out’ and stepping in to the ring for a programme of free non-contact boxing sessions,thanks to grant funding from enfinium Kelvin, an energy from waste facility currently under construction in Sandwell.
The therapeutic sessions are being run by BoxClever Mentoring, which works with schools across the West Midlands, predominantly in the Sandwell area. They offer six-week non-contact boxing programmes specifically designed to enhance the wellbeing of participants, particularly young people, who are experiencing social, emotional and mental health difficulties.
The grant awarded is part of a £50,000 Community Benefit Fund set up by enfinium’s Kelvin facility. The £2,780 will fund the six week programmes so they can be rolled out to four more primary and secondary schools in the area.
Each session in the programme lasts a total of 90 minutes, where half is dedicated to boxing activity and the other half is dedicated to group or individual discussion around a session topic.
The programme provides participants with knowledge and practical strategies for a range of topics related to wellbeing, including emotional intelligence, anger management, self-control, discipline, respect and resilience. The sessions offer a safe and secure environment for young people to release any worries, stress or frustrations, whilst the boxing element offers the benefits of physical exercise.
Craig Gittens, Director and Community Coach for BoxClever Mentoring, said: “We are really grateful to enfinium for their support with this grant. It means we can support even more young people in the West Midlands and give them the tools to work through any difficulties they face. Each young person who participates in the programme will gain an improved standard of wellbeing, which can then lead to showing improvement in other parts of their life – including involvement in the wider community and becoming peer mentors for other young people.”
Robert Foster, Plant Manager at enfinium Kelvin, said: “It’s important to us that our commitment to Sandwell runs deep into the communities in which we’ll be operating. While we’re already creating new jobs and generating new opportunities for local businesses, we also want to be good neighbours to our community and to the people who live and work here. That’s why we’re pleased to be supporting the important work that BoxClever Mentoring does to help young people through boxing and practical strategies. We look forward to seeing how this grant, and the other grants we have made and will continue to make across Sandwell in the coming months and years, makes a positive impact on the local community.”
enfinium’s £50,000 Community Benefit Fund has been made available to community groups and organisations in Sandwell and the surrounding area through enfinium Kelvin, which is currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2026.
Applications to enfinium’s Community Benefit Fund are accepted from projects or organisations that will directly benefit the communities neighbouring the facility’s site. Organisations who are based outside of this area are also eligible to apply for grants, as long as they can prove how the award of funding will have a beneficial impact on these communities. Applications are welcomed from registered charities, schools, places of learning, not-for-profit companies, community organisations and groups – including those supported by public funding.
All applications must demonstrate that the project or event in question will either deliver environmental benefits (such as the promotion of clean energy, waste reduction and / or recycling improvements), improve standards of health, safety and wellbeing or enhance the wider community. This could mean promoting skills and educational development, environmental improvements or activity that helps boost community cohesion.
Application criteria and application forms can be downloaded from the project website: www.enfinium.co.uk/facilities/kelvin. For more information please call 0800 422 0036 or email kelvin@enfinium.co.uk.
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About enfinium
enfinium is a leading UK energy from waste operator with four operational sites in the UK, in West Yorkshire, Kent and Flintshire, and two in construction. enfinium diverts 2.3 million tonnes of unrecyclable waste from climate-damaging landfill, putting it to good use by turning it into home grown energy, enough to power 500,000 UK homes. enfinium’s ambition is to transform its facilities into local ‘decarbonisation hubs’ powered by the millions of tonnes of unrecyclable waste the UK will produce for decades to come. Using existing energy from waste infrastructure, enfinium could contribute to heat networks, produce electrolytic hydrogen, or use carbon capture technology to provide durable, high quality carbon removals which will be critical for the UK to achieve net zero by 2050. For more on enfinium, please visit www.enfinium.co.uk.
