Education Minister hears Monkstown Boxing Club 'is a special place and something worth investing in’

Minister Givan paid a visit to the Cashel Drive-based facility on Wednesday, April 10, along with East Antrim MLA Gordon Lyons, who is also Communities Minister and the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Mark Cooper BEM, where service users, parents, staff and volunteers detailed how the venue has helped to transform the lives of young people from the area and produce better outcomes for them.

Lead youth worker, Amy Stewart gave an impassioned address about the vital work ongoing at the centre as well as highlighting ‘In Your Corner’, an innovative and unique programme developed by Abbey Community College in partnership with the boxing club.

Amy said: “We’re in an area of high deprivation, where there are big challenges facing the community. There are few jobs and opportunities, few positive role models, some people are struggling at school, there are high levels of mental health problems which has got worse since the Covid-19 pandemic and there’s a strong paramilitary influence in the area.

"Jordanstown’s only a couple of miles from the club and it is ranked as one of the more affluent areas of Northern Ireland. People born into the Monkstown community are facing challenges when it comes to issues such as health, wealth and education.

"But, here at Monkstown Boxing Club, we’ve created the In Your Corner project and its five pillar approach. We’re providing education, wellbeing support, personal development and leadership, employablility and lifeskills, as well as boxing. We’re much more than a boxing club and we’re wanting to break the cycle and support people to achieve their potential.”

Daryl Clarke, from the Woodburn estate in Carrickfergus, who has enjoyed success inside the boxing ring, is the centre’s education project coordinator.

Daryl stated: “Boxing was my saving grace. I grew up in Woodburn in Carrick and there were similar challenges facing the community there as in Monkstown.

"We’ve a fantastic relationship with Abbey Community College. We’ve eight to 10 young people coming and we’re providing them with different opportunities.

"I’m blessed to help the young people learn. We engage with them and build relationships up. As well as traditional education, we also teach about issues, including drugs and alcohol.”

Principal of Abbey Community College, Maria Quinn praised the partnership between the club and her school.

Mrs Quinn explained: “Abbey Community College opened in 2015 following the amalgamation of Monkstown Community School and Newtownabbey Community High School. It was an exciting time, but also a challenging time. A group of Year 11 students were struggling with their learning and showing some very challenging behaviour and some were at the risk of expulsion.

"Before Abbey was opened, the original school in Monkstown had a good relationship with the boxing club and these relationships have been vital in helping to support young people. Students identified for the group were at risk of disengagement and potentially leaving school with no GCSEs. Without the grades, doors were going to be shut on them.

"The programme with the boxing club has been enhanced every year since 2016 and it has been bearing fruit for us and we’re already well advanced at looking to next year. There has been a very significant impact from the project and it has contributed to the whole school’s statistics moving from 44 per cent of students gaining five or more GCSEs A* to C in 2015/16 to 95 per cent in 2022/23.”

Outlining the club’s plans for the future, Paul Johnston MBE said: “We’re in an area of high deprivation, but we have high ambitions. We’re pleased to be able to showcase our incredible In Your Corner Programme, funded under Department of Education NI A Fair Start.

"The special marriage of youth work methodology and teaching is what makes our project transformative for young people, particularly young males from PUL communities.

"It’s important for us to recognise the other major funders that make the project happen, namely the National Lottery Community Fund and Children in Need. We’ve also had the long-term support from Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, who have been there since day one.

"Last year our plans for ‘The Box’ were approved by the council. This will see the demolition of the existing club and the creation of a community wellbeing hub featuring a main gymnasium, classrooms/ training rooms, a music and dance studio and climbing zone.

"The plans also include four social enterprise units, a training kitchen and a ‘coffee dock’ and will help the applicants to deliver a wide range of support services, with the aim of helping young people to become economically active as well as have improved lives.

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"This will be transformational for generations to come. This is a special place and something worth investing in. I thank the minister and delegates for taking the time to visit and get an insight to what the club provides in terms of services and programmes to the community.”

Education Minister Paul Givan thanked everyone for engaging with him, stating: “Collaborations involving schools and communities such as the unique ‘In Your Corner’ programme, developed by Abbey Community College in partnership with the boxing club, are key to helping pupils reach their full potential in core skills; in building aspiration and developing positive attitudes to education; and improving understanding and connections between parents, schools and communities.

"Interventions such as those being delivered by the club can have enormous benefits down the line and have real ‘invest to save’ potential which significantly reduces the need for other government interventions in the future such as unemployment benefit, health and justice.

“I’ll continue to make the case for additional and sustained investment in our Education system, including the voluntary youth sector.”