Fight For Peace Unveils Impact Study
Newham based charity Fight for Peace has released external evaluation findings from a Centre for Institutional Studies at the University of East London (UEL) research paper into crime reduction and successful progression of young people into education and employment as a result of participating in Fight for Peace projects.
The UEL research supports and enhances recent research which highlights the costs and benefits of sport for crime reduction, and focuses specifically on the financial impact on the Borough of Newham due to crime prevention as a result of Fight for Peace’s social projects.
Headline findings from the UEL research paper reveal that young people participating in Fight for Peace projects resist becoming involved in crime, and desist from criminality and drug trafficking. Between 60% and 70% say they are less inclined to commit crimes, carry weapons and join a gang; about three quarters say they have stopped getting into trouble at school and 93% in London say they have stopped getting into trouble on the streets. According to official records 74% in London on intensive programmes have desisted from crime.
Meanwhile, in London, 46% say they have improved family relationships and 59% have better relationships with adults, while an increased number attend education courses, with a pass rate of 70% and over for young people who are mostly NEETs, and without formal education qualifications. 73% NEETs progressed to education, training and employment in London. In London 46% were employed six months after the end of their courses. 96% in London say they are fitter, and most feel differently about their health.
A recent Laureus/Ecorys impact survey estimated that Fight for Peace has delivered at least £2,504,457 of additional social benefit in the UK over the past 12 months thanks to reduced levels of crime and other social benefits.
Fight for Peace achieves success by using boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence.
London 2012 Olympic Gold Medallist boxer Anthony Joshua, who recently visited the Fight for Peace programme in Rio de Janeiro with Prime Minister David Cameron and fellow Olympic Champion, Nicola Adams, said: ‘Fight for Peace is an inspiring project making a huge difference to young people and their communities in London and Rio. Boxing has a proven track record of helping people to build a better way of life and I fully support any project that can use sport to provide young people with a purpose and a structure that helps them in all aspects of their life, as Fight for Peace has done.’
Fight for Peace founder and director, Luke Dowdney, MBE, said: ‘Sport, especially boxing, has long held a reputation as being able to make a positive difference in the community. But what makes Fight for Peace different is our integrated approach that combines boxing, formal education and personal development. It is this methodology that helps us offer young people alternatives to crime and violence, and that has lead to a positive economic return for Newham. The good work that Fight for Peace does doesn’t just benefit the individuals involved, but broader society. We now urge the influencers and decision makers in communities across the UK to join us in exploring the opportunities for rolling out the Fight for Peace model further afield.’
Over the next three years Fight for Peace will be working with 120 youth organisations from communities around the world which suffer from crime and violence through the newly developed Fight for Peace International Training Programme.
Fight for Peace’s funding is supported by LUTA, a fight wear, training wear and urban wear company that brings together real fight performance with a genuine social mission, by committing 50% of its distributed profits to the charity.
