Delivery partners for Knowsley Council’s Be the Change project have shown their community spirit by volunteering their time and expertise.
Volunteers from local charity An Hour for Others and QVC in Kirkby recently used their expertise to help decorate Stalker’s Boxing Academy in Huyton Village Centre and help breathe new life into the space.
In turn former Team GB Olympic boxing captain Tom Stalker delivered boxing and fitness sessions for children and young people who attend An Hour for Others, who also have community space in Huyton Village Centre.
Be the Change
Both Stalker’s Boxing Academy and An Hour for Others are delivery partners for Be the Change, a unique Knowsley Council project that was launched to raise aspirations and steer people away from those involved in serious and organised crime.
The delivery partners met at the Knowsley Serious Violence Community Forum in November last year and began collaborating on ways to make a positive impact in the community.
Tom Stalker from Stalker’s Boxing Academy said: “When we work in collaboration we can make such a positive impact in the community. We want as many children and young people as possible to benefit from our offer. The generosity of the volunteers from An Hour for Others and QVC can have such a positive knock-on effect. It shows how effective organisations in Knowsley can be when we work together.”
An Hour for Others
As a Be the Change delivery partner, An Hour for Others offer a youth club programme, diversionary activities, aspiration building, mentoring and guidance for young people in Knowsley.
An Hour for Others Founder Kevin Morland said: “An Hour for Others is all about wanting to make a difference in our communities. It all started with me offering free decorating services to help those in need and bringing businesses along such as QVC to support what we’re trying to achieve. We’ve helped improve the space for the young people at Stalker’s Boxing Academy and in turn our service users have had access to world class boxing and fitness coaching. It shows the impact a programme such as Be the Change can make in the community.”
Cllr Shelley Powell, Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods, said: “This community-minded spirit exemplifies the Knowsley Better Together approach and highlights the positive impact our Be the Change programme can make in bringing organisations together to improve our communities.”