Six-Month Impact Update: Vulcan Box & Chat Project

Six-Month Impact Update: Vulcan Box & Chat Project

Six months ago, we were delighted to receive a generous grant from the Tribune Trust to help launch our new ‘Vulcan Box & Chat’ project at the Vulcan Centre. We are grateful for the support and pleased to share how the funding has helped us make a meaningful impact so far.

The Vulcan Centre is based in one of the most deprived areas of Hull, and many of the young people we support face significant challenges, including being exposed to, and a part of, antisocial behaviour, involvement in crime, and experimentation with drugs and alcohol. In response, the aim of the Box & Chat project is to provide positive role models, trusted support, and safe spaces for young people, whilst also addressing the growing influence of harmful online content and influencers.

A key element of the project has been the development of a peer mentoring system, designed and delivered by our Youth Council. Each young participant is paired with a trained “mentor” or “buddy” from the council. These mentors build trusted relationships, offering guidance, encouragement, and a safe person to talk to about worries, ideas, or challenges. Mentors also record key conversations, allowing our staff team to identify emerging issues early and provide additional support where needed. Because the mentors are close in age, they are seen as relatable, positive role models who young people can genuinely aspire to be like.

Alongside mentoring, we now run Box & Chat sessions twice a week, led by our young leaders. These sessions are deliberately more relaxed than our standard boxing training, reducing pressure on vulnerable participants while still offering structure, routine, and positive engagement. Young people who may be involved in risky behaviours are able to see first-hand the positive paths our young leaders are taking, helping to inspire healthier choices and better use of their time.

To gather information, we use a registration and monitoring system called Upshot. This system allows us to record participants and assign them to specific registers for each session delivered at the Vulcan Centre. Upshot also enables staff to log relevant observations about participants, helping us understand individual needs, behaviours, and progress over time. This information is particularly valuable in ensuring that all staff are well informed and able to engage appropriately and consistently with each young person. Data collected through Upshot has informed the graph above, which demonstrates the strong uptake of the Box & Chat sessions. Participant numbers have increased steadily from 7 young people in the first month to 22 participants in the most recent month, highlighting the growing popularity and positive reception of the project.

Thanks to the Tribune Trust’s grant, all participants now have access to appropriate equipment, including gloves, pads, skipping ropes, water bottles, and T-shirts. This has removed financial barriers to participation and has directly contributed to strong attendance and engagement levels within the sessions.

In conclusion, your support has been instrumental in helping us establish both the mentoring system and the Box & Chat sessions. Without this funding, we would not have been able to provide the equipment that has helped make the project accessible and successful. We plan to continue developing both elements of the project as we build on the positive progress made so far.