There were great celebrations in the Red Door Project today as 12 Individuals completed their twenty-week ‘Boxing Clever’ integrated educational, substance use recovery and fitness programme.
The programme aims to support participants to develop more resilient identities, while encouraging educational achievement, physical wellness and reduction in harmful or risky behaviours.
Based in The Red Door Project, the programme was run in partnership with Healthy Ireland Fund, Louth County Council, Ballymun Youth Project and the LMETB . Educational study for two QQI (Further Education and Training) minor awards in HealthRelated Fitness (Level 3) and Community Addiction Studies (Level 5) is coupled with physical training; boxing skills and tailored fitness training.
The boxing skills training was delivered in the Red Door Project Gym by a specialised boxing coach – Patrick Lavery from Tredagh Boxing Club. Patrick also runs has his own very successful gym in Dunleer – The Fitness Rooms. The boxing skills element of the programme covers all boxing drills and was designed to fit with the participant’s personal level of fitness.
This fitness training element of the programme were developed with the aims of providing participants with:
- High quality fitness and education instruction from qualified tutor
- An opportunity to engage in a range of fitness training techniques that also assist participants in meeting some of the requirements of the QQI Further Education and Training Level 3 Health Related Fitness Award.
The Boxing Clever programme ran three mornings a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) for 20 weeks, with added learning support and key-working sessions built in each week.
One morning per week was assigned to sport, ie boxing skills and fitness, while the other two were focused on the QQI Level 5 CASC and the QQI Level 3 Health Related Fitness course. Learning supports, Keyworking Sessions, were available on Monday and Friday.
The design and delivery of this programme are underpinned by community development values that include empowerment, participation, adult education and equality. Boxing Clever emphasises adult education, sports education and addiction education. Furthermore successful completion of the course will provide participants with significant educational qualifications that are advantageous to people who want to pursue further study or seek employment in the addiction/mental health/community field.
