Specialist 1:1 mentoring in Maidenhead, Windsor, Slough, High Wycombe
and surrounding areas.
Boxing Evolution provides specialist ADHD and SEMH youth mentoring across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, including Maidenhead, Windsor, Slough and High Wycombe. We work predominantly with boys and young men who may be experiencing difficulties with emotional regulation, behaviour, confidence, education, relationships or engagement with school.
Our approach is different from traditional youth mentoring. We combine 1:1 mentoring with boxing, fitness and sports coaching, giving young people a practical environment in which to develop emotional regulation, resilience, self-discipline, confidence and personal responsibility.
Support can be provided independently to families or alongside schools and other professionals as part of a young person’s wider educational or developmental support.
For many young people, particularly those with ADHD or SEMH needs, sitting down and talking about their difficulties isn’t always the most effective way to build engagement.
Boxing Evolution uses physical activity and the coach-athlete relationship as the starting point. Boxing provides immediate opportunities to practise emotional regulation, manage frustration, respond to feedback, develop discipline, overcome challenges and experience achievement.
Mentoring then allows these experiences to be connected to challenges outside the gym — including behaviour at home, relationships, school engagement, decision-making and preparation for adulthood.
Rather than simply telling a young person what they should do differently, the aim is to coach the skills, behaviours and mindset they need to make those changes for themselves.
Mentoring is essentially about helping people to develop more effectively. It describes a relationship in which a more experienced person uses their knowledge and understanding to support the development of the less experienced person. Mentoring can be provided in a personal context (general life guidance) or professional context (assistance with education/career or crime prevention) or a combination of both.
It is a relationship designed to build confidence and support the mentee so they are able to take control of their own development and work. Mentoring is not the same as training, teaching or coaching. A mentor needs to be able to listen and ask questions that will challenge the mentee to identify the course of action they need to take in regards to their own development.
A mentor is different from a teacher in that they will not have direct responsibility for the mentee’s work performance but they will be responsible for encouraging the mentee to work towards their own individual objectives and be a motivating guide for the mentee on their journey.
Mentoring programmes are tailored around the individual young person and the outcomes they are working towards.
Support can range from weekly 1:1 mentoring and boxing sessions to more intensive programmes for young people experiencing significant difficulties with education, behaviour or engagement.
Areas of support can include ADHD and emotional regulation, SEMH needs, confidence and self-esteem, resilience, behaviour, school engagement, relationships, goal setting, decision-making, self-discipline and preparation for adulthood.
Where a young person requires more structured educational support, our mentoring can also complement Alternative Provision, EHCP or EOTAS arrangements and wider multi-agency support.
Mentoring can be used for a wide variety of situations and different points in a person’s life for example:
Boxing Evolution uses a structured mentoring process designed to build a strong working relationship before identifying goals and creating an individual programme for the young person.
Initial Assessment – The process begins with an initial meeting to understand the young person’s needs, current challenges, strengths and intended outcomes. This also provides an opportunity to establish whether the mentor and young person are a suitable fit to work together.
Building Trust & Rapport – Positive change starts with engagement. Early sessions focus on getting to know the young person, identifying common ground and developing trust. Boxing, fitness and other activities can provide a natural environment for building this relationship without placing pressure on the young person to simply sit and talk.
Developing Respect & Positive Boundaries – A successful mentoring relationship requires both trust and respect. Through consistent expectations, appropriate boundaries and the coach-athlete relationship, young people learn to respond to guidance, feedback and challenge. Boxing provides a particularly effective environment for developing these skills through practical experience.
Identifying Areas for Development – Once a positive relationship has been established, we identify the areas in which the young person would benefit from additional development. These may include emotional regulation, confidence, resilience, behaviour, school engagement, relationships, decision-making or self-discipline.
Goals & Individual Action Plan – Clear, achievable goals are agreed and incorporated into an individual action plan. Where appropriate, this can include input from parents, schools and other professionals to ensure mentoring supports the young person’s wider educational and developmental objectives.
Review & Evaluation – Progress is reviewed throughout the programme against the agreed goals and intended outcomes. The mentoring plan can then be adapted as the young person develops, circumstances change or new areas of need are identified.
Effective youth mentoring isn’t simply about building rapport. A positive mentoring relationship also provides young people with clear boundaries, appropriate challenge and consistent expectations.
Many of the young people we support experience difficulties with ADHD, emotional regulation, impulsivity, behaviour, relationships or engagement with education. Rather than simply reacting to challenging behaviour, our approach focuses on helping the young person understand their responses and develop the skills required to manage them more effectively.
The coach-athlete relationship provides a particularly useful model for this. A good coach can be supportive and understanding while still maintaining standards, challenging unhelpful behaviour and holding a young person accountable for their choices.
Trust and respect are therefore central to the mentoring process. Once a positive relationship has been established, difficult conversations can take place without unnecessarily damaging engagement. Young people can be challenged when required while knowing that the mentor remains invested in their development.
The aim is not simply to achieve short-term compliance. It is to develop emotional regulation, self-discipline, personal responsibility and greater independence, helping young people gradually become more capable of managing their own behaviour and making positive decisions without relying on constant adult intervention.
Boxing Evolution provides 1:1 youth mentoring in Maidenhead and across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, including Windsor, Slough, High Wycombe and surrounding areas.
Mentoring can be arranged privately by parents or as part of support provided by a school, local authority, Alternative Provision or EOTAS package.
To discuss a young person’s needs, availability or a potential referral, please complete the contact form below.
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