Sewell on the go backs boxing champion’s bid to improve the lives of young people

We are proud to be backing boxing champion Tommy Coyle in his latest initiative to reduce anti-social behaviour and violence among young people in a year-long tour.

The double-decker Box Clever Bus has been transformed into a travelling hub of positive information, advice, training and activities in which young people will be able to access nutrition-based guidance, life advice sessions, sporting activities, music, arts and crafts.

It has been made possible since the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner secured funding from the Home Office and the bus has been equipped with social space, a gym, mobile boxing ring and a smoothie bar thanks to funding from NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), all with the aim of investing in the next generation.

The bus will be fueled by Sewell on the go for its 12-month tour of Hull, the East Riding and Northern Lincolnshire, as well as the business providing a home for the bus to be stored at one of our 13 sites when it isn’t in use.

We are a long-standing supporter of Tommy in his mission to get young people off the streets and into leading healthier lifestyles, taking more regular exercise and inspiring them to make more positive choices.

Tommy said the bus, which will be launched at Hull’s Orchard Park Shopping Centre on Thursday, April 25th, will open up further opportunities to engage with young people on both the north and south bank of the Humber, giving them a chance to participate in his Boxer Clever Programme.

The programme will see young people attend the bus twice a week for six weeks, learning the basics of boxing, fitness and nutrition, and how hard work in the gym can apply to their day-to-day life, help them face challenges and achieve their goals.

They will also take part in bespoke emotional intelligence workshops, setting goals and milestones to achieve throughout the duration of the programme and beyond, as well as receiving a certificate and signposting to either a gym or other positive activity afterwards.

Tommy said: “Sewell on the go offering us free fuel and a space for the bus cuts our expenses down so much and it means more money in the pot to sustain the programme long-term.

“I feel part of the Sewell family. Both Paul and Patrick Sewell inspire me and mentor me, and I’m all about creating a legacy.

“We want to improve minds and change lives, giving the youth of today a head start for tomorrow. Giving kids direction – and a positive diversion if that is what they need – is so important.

“The gym was what I needed when I was a kid and, if I hadn’t had somewhere to be at 6.30pm every night, the chances are I would have got into all kinds of trouble.

“If you’re bored with nothing to do and you want to be socially accepted, there is a lot of peer pressure and I felt it back then too. You had to be seen as a bit of a tough guy.

“There will be kids who have negative energy and it’s about channelling that in a positive way. We will take them in, get them engaged and tell them about the Box Clever Programme. If I can do it, they can too.”

In 2015, Sewell Group invested £100,000 to convert an existing warehouse at its Geneva Way headquarters in East Hull to create the Tommy Coyle East Academy – a state-of-the-art boxing and fitness centre, which is free of charge and free of rent to the foundation, and free to under 17s to use.

Tommy’s East Academy, West Academy in Bean Street, West Hull, and the Box Clever Bus have also been made possible thanks to backing from other partners and sponsors, including NHS Hull CCG, City Health Care Partnership CIC, Hudgell Solicitors, Spencer Group, Active Humber and Esa Live.

Patrick Sewell, Managing Director of Sewell on the go, said the business is fully behind Tommy’s aims and ambitions to make a positive difference.

He said: “We are proud to support the bus as the Tommy Coyle Foundation strives to make a difference to young people in our local community and beyond.

“It’s about thinking outside the box to offer new opportunities, advice and guidance to young people as they find their path in life.

“If they can do this by learning from a role model such as Tommy and doing something practical, it can only be a positive thing.

“We will top up the Box Clever Bus fuel every month for the year and make space for it at one of our sites, which are all open 24/7, so it will always have a base and the means to reach out to communities whenever it is needed.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the outcome and wish Tommy and everyone involved all the very best for what has all the hallmarks of being a real force for good.”

The Box Clever Bus, which will have its own dedicated bus driver, will visit locations including Hull’s Preston Road, Gipsyville, Great Thornton Estate, Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Immingham, Goole, Bridlington and Withernsea over the next year.

The launch event will also see partner support from Hull Beats Bus, which provides an exciting way for young people to get involved in hip-hop, breakdancing, DJ sessions, songwriting and graffiti art, adding to the positive engagement.