Stone’s Right Stuff boxing club won a prestigious Children and Young People Now award at a ceremony in London earlier this month.
The club was shortlisted in the Third Sector category. Set up in 2008 by PC Andy Whitehall, the Right Stuff club aims to connect with young people in the Stone area who have been involved in anti-social behaviour and minor crime, or those who may have drug or alcohol issues. The club is open to all, however.
Every one of the 100+ members has to sign a contract to say they’ll take part in community projects in the town. They’ve done litter picking, gardening, taken parcels to the elderly and much more. They’ve also organised charity ‘sparathons’ for good causes.
In the summer, eight young members of the Stone Right Stuff club helped to run boxing holiday clubs at Christchurch Middle School and Manor Hill First School in the town.
PC Whitehall said: “The idea was about getting them to do visibly good things in their neighbourhood so they would earn the respect of the residents of Stone.”
Member Emily Byrne, a student at Alleyne’s High School, said: “My brother James was a member and I wanted to get fit and have something better to do. It’s brilliant – it’s helped me lose weight and feel a lot more confident. Before I joined I used to drink alcohol sometimes, but now I don’t because I’m more aware of being healthy.”
The club has proved so popular that it’s been rolled out across Staffordshire, with Right Stuff clubs in Stafford, Huntington and Chadsmoor near Cannock.
Last year PC Whitehall was awarded the Justice Award for outstanding contribution to tackling youth crime.
The Stone project is part-funded by the Stone Community and Learning Partnership (CLP) and co-ordinator Helen Wood was in London to collect the award. The initiative is a collaboration the CLP, Staffordshire County Council, Stone Neighbourhood Policing Team and Staffordshire Young People’s service.
Find out more about the awards here.
