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Our services are targeted at disadvantaged young people aged 11 to 30 who come from deprived backgrounds in Wandsworth and the surrounding areas, but many of our sessions are open to all. You can find here details on the types of support and sessions we are currently providing. If you are interested in coming to any of the open sessions you can just turn up, you will be asked to fill in a registration form when you come including basic contact information and details that we need to provide you with the best support. If you are supporting a young person you would like to refer to our services, please fill in the referral form here and email it to info@carneyscommunity.org. We will then be in touch with you about their first visit to our centre.
A timetable of all of our weekly activities is available here. Our sessions run throughout all of the school holidays except for two weeks at Christmas.
Boxing Sessions
Our current boxing sessions are:
- Mondays 17:00 – 18:30 – For 11 to 17 year olds
- Mondays 18:30 – 20:00 – For 18+ by referral only
- Tuesdays 17:30 – 18:30 – For 18+ Paid for Session
- Wednesdays 17:00 – 18:30 – For 11 to 17 year olds
- Wednesdays 18:30 – 20:00 – For 18+ by referral only
- Thursdays 17:30 – 18:30 – For 16+ Paid for Session
- Fridays 17:00 – 18:30 – For 11 to 17 year olds by referral only
- Saturdays 13:30 – 14:30 – For 7 to 10 year olds
- Saturdays 12:00 – 13:00 – For 16+ Paid for Session
Our sessions are all non-contact boxing, unless a sparring consent and liability waiver form has been signed by the individual (if over 18) or a parent/carer (if under 18).
Our sessions focus on improved fitness, defensive and offensive techniques, pad and bag work, ground work and discipline and control of emotions. You don’t need any prior experience of boxing and you can be of any fitness level. We can also accommodate for those with physical disabilities and those who are neurodiverse. At our youth sessions our youth workers are on hand to support young people who are new to boxing or need a little extra support in the session.
Youth Programme
Youth Club and Fit & Fed – Mondays and Wednesdays 18.30 – 20:00.
For ages 11-17. Free for all.
At our youth club we run a programme of positive and constructive activities, decided by our young people. We provide a free hot meal, cooked on site by our community chef, at every session called our “Fit & Fed” programme. At youth club our activities include table tennis, pool, games consoles, board games, art and craft activities, quizzes, discussion groups and more. Our youth workers are also available to provide a listening ear to our young people and offer mentoring support. We run regular workshops, including bringing in external groups to provide expertise on a range of topics. Our sessions continue throughout all of the school holidays, except for two weeks at Christmas, and during the school holidays we put on trips to external activities.
Session Based Mentoring
A key aim of Carney’s is to make the group sessions accessible to all and so we deliver session-based mentoring at all our large group sessions (including boxing, youth club and bike workshop). This support is targeted at young people who may normally struggle to engage in group sessions, which could be for a variety of reasons, such as physical or mental health issues. The aim is to support them in the sessions and get them to a point where they can confidently engage without needing the support of a mentor.
Bike Workshop
Bike Workshop Sessions – Thursdays 17:00 – 20:00
For ages 11-17. Free for all.
Our Bike Workshop sessions run every Thursday. From 5pm to 6.45pm young people can come down to the centre with their bikes to work on basic repairs with our bike mechanic, take part in group cycles and during bad weather do on site bike related activities. We then offer a free hot meal to all young people involved in the Bike Workshop and cycle. From 6.45pm to 8pm we run a Bike Maintenance Course, led by our Bike Mechanic. This course is by referral only and last for 5 weeks. On the course young people learn skills such as puncture repairs and the M-Check. Those who complete the course have the opportunity to earn a free bike and take part in our bike social enterprise, Carney’s Cycles.
Our Bike Shop, Carney’s Cycles, is a social enterprise opening to the public in Spring 2025 for bike repairs, servicing, bikes and parts for sale. Young people who have completed our bike maintenance course have the opportunity to work at our Bike Shop with our qualified Bike Mechanics. More information about our Bike Shop, Carney’s Cycles, is available here here.
Key Work
Our key work is reserved for those facing the most challenging circumstances and usually targeted at those who are at risk or involved in the criminal justice system. Young people we support often face a lack of positive role models, violence at home, generational offending, unaddressed mental health needs, special educational needs, self-harm, knife and gun crime, drug/alcohol abuse. Each year we support around 50 young people with intensive and intentional one to one support from one of our key workers.
We have a strength based approach, focusing on promoting positive outcomes which in turn reduces negative behaviours. Tailored to the individual, goals could include reducing offending, access training, move into employment, do better at school, build better relationships, improve mental or physical health, or increase confidence and self-esteem – wherever young people want to be, our dedicated key workers will help them to get there. Treating young people like individuals and empowering them to shape their own support is what makes our work successful. It encourages young people to establish a life for themselves away from crime, and we provide an alternative to gang culture through by creating a sense of belonging at our centre. We are skilled in advocating for our young people and their families, and we will work closely with other agencies to ensure all of the needs of the individual are effectively addressed. We work particularly closely with the youth justice service, police, probation, social services, and are part of the Local Authority’s Youth Integrated Offender Management, Multi Agency Child Exploitation and Multiagency Risk, Vulnerability and Exploitation boards, ensuring that we will offer our support to those who need it most.
We currently have a team of 5 highly skilled key workers providing support to around 50 young people each year. If you think you or a young person you support needs the help of one of our key workers, please get in touch. Our key work is only offered to young people who are willing themselves to take part and we have limited capacity, so we cannot guarantee we will be able to offer this support.