Our Impact in 2025

We are extremely proud to share with you our 2025 Impact Report, Fighting Harder. We needed to fight harder than ever before because of escalating demand for our boxing programmes among young people in Bristol and communities across the UK.

This Year in Numbers

We rose to the challenge. By the end of 2025 we had reached 10,609 people. We supported 2,587 young people ourselves and we have trained boxing clubs and other locally trusted organisations to support 8,022 young people. 

We rose to the challenge. By the end of 2025, we had reached 10,609 people.

Of those, 2,587 young people were supported directly ourselves, building confidence, improving wellbeing and developing the skills they need to move forward in life. Every number represents a young person with their own story and their own potential.

But our impact doesn’t stop there.

Alongside direct delivery, we trained boxing clubs and locally trusted organisations to embed our non-contact boxing programmes, with psychologically informed support, in their communities. Through this work, a further 8,022 young people were supported across the UK.

This is how we create lasting change: not just delivering programmes, but strengthening the wider network around young people so they can access safe, effective support wherever they are.

Building a global centre of excellence

Creating a space where young people feel safe, valued and proud to belong is at the heart of everything we do.

In 2025, 94% of young people told us they feel safe at Empire and 92% said they are proud to come here.

Those numbers matter. Safety is the foundation for growth and pride is the foundation for belief. When young people feel both, real change becomes possible.

Across our five core outcomes, we achieved an average success rate of 86%. That’s 13% higher than in 2024.

These improvements don’t happen by chance. They are the result of consistency, skilled staff and environments built on trust. When young people feel safe, they thrive, and the results speak for themselves.

An example of one of these young people is James, 15, and his mum, when the journey to Empire came at a time when things felt uncertain. What followed was more than just sessions in a gym, it was consistency, belief and the right support at the right time.

In her own words, James’ mum shares what that support has meant for their family, and the difference it has made in his confidence, behaviour and outlook for the future.

BOX CHAMPIONS

Box Champions is where many young people begin their journey with Empire.

Through a combination of non-contact boxing with psychologically informed support, our coaches create a space where young people can challenge themselves physically while developing the mindset and emotional tools to navigate life beyond the gym. Using drills, games and powerful metaphors, we embed Empire’s psychological principles into every session, building healthier thinking, stronger decision-making and positive action.

In 2025, 1,122 young people took part in Box Champions.

The outcomes speak for themselves:

• 90% felt more resilient

• 93% were more confident

• 94% felt more motivated

• 88% felt calmer

• 94% stopped getting into trouble

• 85% improved their school attendance

box therapy 

Box Therapy creates space for young people to be heard, respected and understood.

Through a trusted relationship between a young person and a therapist, boxing becomes both a therapeutic tool and a powerful means of communication. Movement helps regulate emotion. Metaphors make complex feelings accessible. Over time, confidence grows, self-understanding deepens and resilience strengthens.

In 2025, 174 young people participated in Box Therapy.

The outcomes show the depth of impact:

• 99% felt heard, understood and respected

• 99% enjoyed Box Therapy

• 80% improved their sense of wellbeing

• 85% felt happier

• 82% felt more motivated

• 82% felt more able to achieve their goals

box careers

Box Careers supports young people to move from aspiration to action.

Through tailored wraparound support, accredited qualifications and direct employer engagement, the programme builds confidence, clarity and real-world opportunity. It’s about more than employability skills, it’s about helping young people see a future they feel part of.

In 2025, 138 young people participated in Box Careers.

The outcomes highlight meaningful progress:

• 100% felt more positive about their future

• 100% improved their confidence

• 68 individuals earned one or more qualifications through us

• 31 employers were actively involved in the programme

• 16 careers events were hosted for young people

• 21 company visits provided real-world insight and inspiration

BOX SISTERHOOD

In 2025, we launched Box Sisterhood, a bold new programme created by and for young women.

Designed and led by our female staff, including alumnae of Empire’s programmes, Box Sisterhood combines non-contact boxing with intentional spaces for empowerment, connection and shared experience. It is a space where young women can build physical strength alongside confidence, identity and voice.

More than a programme, Box Sisterhood is a community. It brings young women together in a supportive environment where they can challenge themselves, back one another and redefine what strength looks like.

We are grateful to the Medlock Charitable Trust for funding the programme and helping turn this vision into reality. We are also proud to be working with the University of Bath, who are rigorously evaluating Box Sisterhood to strengthen the evidence behind its impact.

For Sabriin, 18, Box Sisterhood became more than a weekly session. In her own words, she shares what it meant to be part of a space built specifically for young women.

SCALING OUR IMPACT

In 2025, we grew our national movement of organisations transforming young lives through boxing.

We trained 31 organisations and 129 practitioners to deliver our proven model locally. With support from England Boxing and Matchroom Boxing, we focused on boxing clubs, untapped community hubs with huge potential for change.

Today, 55 clubs are part of our movement, generating over £5 million for their own social programmes.

We also piloted a new collaborative model in Preston and began mobilising youth-focused mental health organisations to deliver Box Therapy, offering an accessible alternative to clinic-based talking therapy.

This year alone, we travelled 26,497 miles to support partners across the country.

The movement is growing and so is the impact.