March 2024
Empire Fighting Chance (EFC) in Bristol
One of the aims of FLS is to visit places where great leadership has been and continues to be exhibited, particularly in improving the lives of young people. Following the visit to The BritSchool in December, we went in March to Empire Fighting Chance(EFC) in Bristol.
Founded on the back of the long-established Empire Boxing Club, EFC was founded in 2006 to fight the impact of inequality on the lives of young people. Non-contact boxing activity and a great deal of personal support are used to ‘challenge and inspire young people facing adversity to realise their unique potential’.
EFC has grown so much that it now reaches young people via outreach centres around the country. Martin Bisp, the CEO, has been the driving force behind EFC since the start. Now with a team of full-time and part-time staff, they provide a wide range of programmes. Martin and his colleague, Ellie Milone, introduced us to EFC with the story of its’ origins, where it has got to, and how it benefits the lives of so many in the community who suffer adversity.
All those attending our event were inspired by what they saw. As always, we had with us leaders from sport, business and the military. There was a great deal of interaction with staff and young participants. What amazed everyone was the self-awareness and emotional intelligence displayed by the youngsters, who eloquently and powerfully told of how EFC had transformed their lives. Kassie, Serena, Enya, Kierah, Jennifer and Louis are all deserving of a mention here.
Following my lockdown survey of sporting, business and military leaders, when a significant number said they now ‘tell less and ask more’, I encouraged members of the mixed groups to find out about one another. As at the Brit School, the young people were curious, willing to offer their own views on matters and they engaged in a mature and thoughtful way. It was they in the main who provided the feedback to other groups at the end. Each one of them had a personal story to tell about how EFC had changed their lives for the better.
A discussion panel, chaired by Col Lucy Giles, and including Paula O’Rourke (Lord Mayor of Bristol), Kevin Slocombe (Head of the Office of the Elected Mayor), BenBreeze (CEO Bristol Sport Foundation) and Martin Bisp was able to get into the teeth of whose responsibility it is to help young people in gangs and whose lives are challenged. The underlying message was that sport has a great deal to offer, and that more needs to be done nationally to address the obvious problems. One of the young people suggested that what was needed was ‘A couple of Empire Fighting Chance centres in every town!
An aim of EFC is to inspire young people. After a wonderful day at EFC, we all felt inspired.
Many thanks to everyone at EFC.
‘Thanks for a really interesting, informative and thought-provoking day’
‘It really was a great event’.
‘I was inspired’.