PRIMARY school pupils in Newport received training from a homegrown Commonwealth Games gold medallist as part of a way to get them involved in sport.
Maindee Primary School’s year six pupils received coaching from bantamweight boxer Sean McGoldrick and local amateur Welsh title-holder Orlando Holley-Sotomi at St Michael’s Boxing Gym in Crindau.
The session was part of an early intervention programme which aims to get more ethnically diverse children engaged in sport to prevent and divert them from falling into the criminal justice system.
One of the children in the session said: “When I get mad, words come out that I shouldn’t say, and I break stuff. After today, I feel like boxing could really help me stay in control.”
Another decided he wanted to be a professional boxer after taking part in the session.
The school identifies pupils who may be in need of additional guidance and positive role models and engage those children in after-school sport sessions and workshops which deliver information and advice on issues such as knife crime, drug misuse, gangs, youth violence and healthy relationships.
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Maindee Primary School’s equality lead, Martine Smith, said: “This gives young people on our programme the opportunity to engage in sport instead of being on the streets where they are extremely vulnerable.
“The work we’re doing with our partnerships is absolutely vital for our community. The support we offer at school can only do so much, so giving young people safe spaces and safe faces outside of school hours means they have adults they can trust and places to go when they’re out and about in the community.”
Matt Elliott, youth justice worker at Newport Youth Justice, said: “Week in, week out, at our sessions the children tell us they’re worried about knife crime, drugs, alcohol, gangs and being exploited. We have children coming into school carrying knives because they are told by their older brothers that’s the only way they can keep safe. It’s awful.
“Words can’t express how valuable it is for them to come here to St. Michael’s Gym and do something positive and energetic that promotes a healthy lifestyle and teaches them about controlling their own behaviour. It’s phenomenal. It makes a massive difference.”
The Friday night prevention provision is run by Positive Futures, a Gwent-wide sport for development programme funded via the Office of the Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner and Sport Wales.
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