What if a boxing club could help change a young person’s life forever?
In this episode of Workplus, host Richard Kirk sits down with Nathan Lowry, Life Skills Coach at Monkstown Boxing Club. Nathan shares how the club has evolved from a traditional boxing gym into a powerful community hub, supporting hundreds of young people across Northern Ireland every year. From helping with CVs to building confidence and breaking intergenerational cycles, Nathan’s story is one of deep purpose and practical hope. If you’ve ever wondered what great youth work really looks like, this episode is for you.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Monkstown Boxing Club supports over 500 young people a year
• The club offers boxing, education, mentoring, and community programmes
• Nathan’s role focuses on employability and well-being for ages 16–24
• Confidence is a major barrier for young people entering work
• Employers often miss chances to engage future talent through work experience
• Nathan overcame low confidence through mentors and volunteering
• He now mentors others through Workplus and other programmes
• Youth work is about consistency, trust, and showing up
• Long-term funding is critical for real impact in youth services
• Seeing a young person grow is more powerful than any paycheque

BEST MOMENTS
00:00:04. “It gets me up out of bed every morning.”
00:01:14. “Everyone thinks it's just boxing. Our slogan is 'not just a boxing club.’”
00:02:43. “We interact with around 500 young people annually.”
00:04:02. “It started off in the local community centre as a boxing club.”
00:06:13. “The employer doesn’t want to hear from mummy. They want to hear from the young person.”
00:12:01. “There are probably two youth workers I could tell you, if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here.”
00:17:19. “They’re the ones who wrote the application and nailed the interview.”
00:27:29. “For me that was priceless, seeing kids come right out and be a better version of themselves.”
00:33:14. “We never expect young people to return as volunteers, but they always come back.”
00:36:22. “If you do something you love, you never work a day in your life.”

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