Thanks to £22,800 from the Office of the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), Mansfield Community Partnership, led by Mansfield District Council, worked with Nottingham-based organisation Switch Up to support the 9 to 17-year-olds.

The One Youth project will continue until the end of June 2022 after the OPCC agreed that £5,700 of under-spend from other projects could go towards the project.

Switch Up provided one-to-one mentoring, tailored to each individual’s needs and most also received boxing tuition.

The aim of this unique combination of activities was to improve the young people’s physical and mental health, steer them away from crime and antisocial behaviour into more positive activities and move towards education, employment or training.

All those who were supported were living with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) or developmental trauma; not in education, employment or training (NEET), or in danger of becoming NEET, as well as presenting a risk of entering or remaining in the criminal justice system.

Coun Marion Bradshaw, portfolio holder for Safer Communities, Housing and Wellbeing, said: “The council’s Community Safety team and other agencies, working with the young people, have reported positive feedback about Switch Up’s support which shows the positive impact that our services and partnership working are having.

“It is great news that this project can continue supporting these vulnerable young people to help them keep their lives on track.”

Marcellus Baz BEM, founder and chief executive of Switch Up, said: “We’re thrilled that our mentoring in Mansfield with vulnerable young people can continue until June, and, hopefully, after then, too.

“The timing is perfect because Switch Up recently acquired the River Maun Recreation Centre to operate as a community hub and gym. It will be a perfect base for our mentors to support local young people at risk of crime and violence.”

One young person who has benefited from the project is Robert (not his real name). He was referred in February 2021 due to reported antisocial behaviour in the Mansfield district. There were concerns about his anger as he was aggressive at school.

Robert received mentoring and boxing sessions to help build his confidence and self-esteem. The mentor supported Robert around drug awareness and his emotional development.

After several months, the mentor supported Robert to graduate from the council funded project onto Switch Up’s new employability programme (separately funded by the Youth Futures Foundation) to help him develop job skills, gain more confidence, learn about career options and prepare for employment.

He achieved good GCSE results and his engagement with Switch Up ended after he secured employment with a construction firm.