In this episode of the Empire Fighting Chance podcast, we are excited to announce a brand new partnership between Empire Fighting Chance and arguably the biggest global boxing promotion team in the world; Matchroom. We've got together with their community department, to deliver a three year program to over 100 amateur boxing clubs across the UK.

To commemorate this new collaboration, Neil has a conversation with the head of Matchroom's community development programme, Alex Le Guével. Alex used to work for England Boxing and has been involved in other sport development ventures in the past. He's been in this role at Matchroom for around a year so Neil and Alex discuss how he got there, the aims of the new partnership and what kind of impact Empire and Matchroom might have on boxing in the UK and beyond.

To support Empire Fighting Chance and to find out more about the work we do, head to www.empirefightingchance.org

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In this episode of the Empire Fighting Chance podcast, it's all about professional boxing.

Neil chats with Empire coach and former British super lightweight title champion, Darren "Ammo" Hamilton. He's had 19 fights, 16 wins with three by knockout. He also had an illustrious amateur career with 27 amateur bouts, losing just four. But it's not all confined to the ring. He had to overcome many challenges as a young man and then as an adult; dabbling in criminality, spending time in custody and at one point in his life finding himself homeless.

He's now supporting young people as part of Empire Fighting Chance's programs alongside training up and coming professional boxers at the Bristol Boxing Gym run by Chris Sanigar.

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In this episode of the Empire Fighting Chance podcast, it's all about education. Empire works with schools across the city and beyond, and one of our key partners is City Academy the secondary school in St George. This week's guest is the Head of Inclusion at the school, Hardeep Konsal.

Neil talks with Hardeep about the future of schools, challenges young people face, education, league tables and more.

To support Empire Fighting Chance and to find out more about the work we do, head to www.empirefightingchance.org

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In this week's episode of The Empire Fighting Chance, Neil talks to Dayton Powell about youth violence, gangs and criminality. Dayton has lived experience of this having spent time in prison for violent offences.

Today, he supports young people to move away from criminality into alternative positive lifestyles via his organisation Each One Teach One.

Dayton also works at Empire Fighting Chance delivering programs at the gym, helping teenagers overcome anxieties associated specifically with knife crime. So, why do young people carry knives? Why do they join gangs? How can we understand this better and how can we support and redirect positive outcomes for young people?

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In this episode of the Empire Fighting Chance podcast we go across the pond to Canada. Neil Maggs talks with Jan Fox, the executive director of REACH Edmonton, Alberta.

REACH is an organisation which brings together communities to develop safety strategies for the city, they support current social programs and fill any gaps in the system. REACH have partnered with Empire Fighting Chance through their shared interest as members of the international Peace in Our Cities initiative.

Neil and Jan talk about this partnership, the importance of building international networks when it comes to violence reduction work, her trip to Bristol and much more.

To support Empire Fighting Chance and to find out more about the work we do, head to www.empirefightingchance.org

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In this episode of the Empire Fighting Chance podcast, we go all celebrity.

Host Neil Maggs talks with his old mate Joe Sims, an actor known for being in hit TV series Broadchurch who has recently become the presenter of the BBC radio Bristol breakfast show. Neil and Joe discuss his career and why he's crossed the rubicon into radio broadcasting as well as the difficulties of breaking into media and acting based on class.

They also discuss Joe's work in charity: he's linked to various good causes in Bristol, supporting sport for development trusts and setting up his own project called 500 reasons, with another unannounced project in the pipeline...

To support Empire Fighting Chance and to find out more about the work we do, head to www.empirefightingchance.org

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In this week's episode of Empire Fighting Chance, Neil talks about the role that business can play with young people in offering opportunities to avoid a path into youth violence, crime and unemployment. It's Nick Day; a businessman of 30 years who is supporting Empire through 'Box Careers' and recently became an Empire community ambassador.

However, he is better known as the voice of Bristol Rovers Football Club. He was the MC at the ground for many years, known for his catchphrase "I can smell gas". He has interviewed top boxers, including world champion Lee Haskins from the Sanigar stable, and his son has benefited from programs at Empire and gone on to fight as an amateur boxer.

Neil and Nick discuss business, boxing, and football.

To support Empire Fighting Chance and to find out more about the work we do, head to www.empirefightingchance.org

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