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A team of three officers are helping to change the lives of vulnerable young girls in Nottinghamshire through boxing.
The club is open to girls aged between 12 and 18 that are currently in care or that are often reported missing to the police.
The community initiative was set up after the police team noticed that a lot of the boxing clubs in the county were mostly made up of boys and didn’t cater to this specific group.
One of the girls, 14, who attends the club, said:
“I started coming to boxing because I used to go missing a lot and had some trouble at home.
“Joining the club has meant I now go missing less and I like being able to chat to the team about anything I am worried about.”
Another 15-year-old girl said:
“I really enjoy going to boxing every week and I am now much better at the sport and happier in myself.
“The club also got me into the Police Cadets which I go to straight after boxing and really enjoy.”
The children in care team consists of PC Rebecca Dalby and Ginette Ferguson and Sam Flint, who are police staff and is believed to be the only one of its kind in the country.
Sam Flint said:
“A lot of children in care are vulnerable to being criminally exploited or groomed by adults and are unfortunately easy targets because of the difficult and adverse experiences they have faced growing up.
“By providing these young girls with a familiar face each week, they trust us and then we are able to give them the wraparound support they need to divert them away from these risks.”
The children in care team works with more than 100 care homes across the city and the county.
They aim to stop children in care being disproportionately criminalised and use a trauma-informed approach to try and keep them out of the criminal justice system.
The 45-minute sessions, which around 15 girls attend, includes boxing drills, conditioning exercises and an activity where everyone reads out positive affirmations about themselves.
The initiative is designed to boost the self-esteem of the young people and help them with their mental health and managing their emotions.
The club also helps to safeguard girls that have gone missing, as sometimes missing people will still attend the boxing session and officers can then be informed that this person is safe.
It also gives officers the opportunity to chat with anyone they might have concerns about and take appropriate action.
In one instance, the team noticed one girl had multiple marks on her arm and she then disclosed she was a victim of domestic abuse.
PC Dalby explained the benefits of the boxing club. She said:
“The club is a great way for the young girls to gain trust and confidence in the police and we even have someone who has joined the police since she started coming to the sessions.
“The girls love to see us getting involved with the boxing and it’s a great way for them to build positive relationships with each other too.
“Some children in care have a lot of different people come in and out of their lives and so having something consistent every week gives them a fun activity to look forward to.”
The boxing club is coached by Jawaid Khaliq MBE, a former boxing world champion who won the IBO Welterweight title in 2001.
He said:
“Sport is a truly powerful tool to help young people and it’s very rewarding being able to use my experience to support these girls and watch the positive impact that getting involved with boxing has had on them.
“Some of the group have been coming since we started and have now gone on to join college, find employment and ultimately succeed despite facing a number of challenges in their lives.”
Detective Inspector Rich Guy, Nottinghamshire Police’s Prevention Hub Youth Interventions lead, added:
“The children in care team provide a top-quality service to children in care across Nottinghamshire and are very passionate about the work they do.
“I am delighted with how successful the boxing club they set up has been and we look forward to continue running the initiative to help disadvantaged young girls, well into the future.”
Due to the vulnerable nature of children in care, Nottinghamshire Police cannot directly name the young people involved or provide exact details of where the club takes place.