Fighting for Change in Preston

With several delivery partners already operating across Preston and wider Lancashire, our visit was about listening, learning, and sharing how Empire Fighting Chance are supporting local communities through physical activity and mentorship.

We held two key meetings during our time in Preston. The first took place at Preston Youth Zone, where we met with existing and prospective partners working directly with young people.

We were joined by representatives from Lancashire Youth Challenge, Lancashire Youth Justice, Lancashire County Council and the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). This was a great opportunity to share the work we’re doing nationally through our Boxing for Good programmes, and to hear first-hand about the challenges and opportunities faced by youth services in Preston.

Watch film on RESTORE and Empire together

Our second meeting, hosted at Preston Town Hall, brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including councillors and key city decision-makers. It was incredibly encouraging to see such strong cross-sector support and a shared commitment to creating positive outcomes for young people across the city.

The key message throughout our visit was simple: we're here to work with you. Empire Fighting Chance is committed to helping organisations across Lancashire harness the power of boxing to transform lives.

Empire CEO Martin Bisp said : "It was a great couple of days in Preston with Active Lancashire and Lancashire Youth Challenge. The purpose was to meet other organisations and institutions in the area and understand what future collaboration could look like.

It was exciting to see how they have been using our model to work across the region, helping young people improve their mental health and exit criminal behaviour.  It showed me the importance of community, working together and sharing ideas. Preston is a better place because of their vision."

We will be working with more organisations across the region to create a joined up, local approach to ensure young people can access appropriate, community support consistently and earlier. We know this is better for everyone, the young people, their families and the town."

A huge thank you to our hosts and everyone who took the time to meet with us. We’re excited about what’s ahead and look forward to building on the momentum from this trip.