Community Boxing Programs at The Barn
At Brennan's Gym, we believe boxing & the boxer's lifestyle can change lives - but not everyone needs the same kind of support.
Alongside our weekly classes, we run community projects throughout the year to improve confidence, wellbeing and access to exercise for people of all ages.
Some projects return every year, while others respond to the needs of our local community. Together, they reflect what Brennan's Gym has always been about: creating opportunities, breaking down barriers and helping people feel stronger - both physically and mentally.
Holiday Activities + Food (HAF)
Every school holiday, we're proud to support local families through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.
Our sessions combine boxing, games, fitness and teamwork with nutritious meals, giving children a fun, active and welcoming place to spend part of their holidays.
Beyond the activities themselves, HAF is about building confidence, encouraging healthy habits and creating positive experiences that children can carry with them long after the holidays are over.
Female Self-Defence Workshops
As part of our annual Female Empowerment Day, we host practical self-defence workshops led by Lee Chapman of Combined Self Defence.
These sessions focus on building confidence through awareness, prevention and simple, effective techniques that anyone can learn.
Suitable for all abilities, they're designed to help women & girls feel more confident in everyday situations, with an emphasis on staying safe, avoiding confrontation where possible and knowing how to escape if needed.
Whether you've never considered self-defence before or simply want to feel more confident, these workshops are welcoming, informative and empowering.
Menopause Workshops
Our menopause workshops are delivered by Dr Katie Barber, combining medical expertise with practical advice that women can take away and apply to everyday life.
We've hosted both in-person events and online workshops, covering topics such as hormones, exercise, nutrition, sleep, weight management and the physical and emotional changes that can come with menopause.
Our aim is to give women evidence-based information in a relaxed, supportive environment - helping them understand what's happening, feel less alone and leave with practical strategies to support their health and wellbeing.
Brennan's Gym in The Community
Special Educational Needs
We work closely with schools that support children with special educational needs, integrating our youth boxing workshops into their programs. This often involves 1:1 work with one of our coaches and the young person. Teachers accompany the young boxers during these boxing classes for children, creating a great learning opportunity, facilitating the release of energy, and allowing for social situation practice through our community projects.
Our First Ever Easter Holiday HAF Boxing & Food Workshop
Easter 2022 provided us with an opportunity to run a fantastic workshop for young people who benefit from the Free School Meals Scheme. Through the Marcus Rashford Campaign, aimed at ensuring all children are properly looked after and fed during school holidays, Oxfordshire County Council funded a week of community projects, including youth boxing workshops. One key objective was to educate children from low-income families on the importance of solid nutrition, meal planning, and budgeting. Additionally, we focused on closing the experience gap between children from more and less privileged backgrounds. While some children have access to enriching opportunities, such as holidays and sports camps, others lack the means to participate in activities like boxing classes for children.
Female Self Defence Workshops
Harrie collaborated closely with Lee Chapman from Combined Self Defence to run community projects focused on empowering local women through youth boxing workshops. The group learned and practiced four simple breakaway techniques, significantly boosting the confidence of all participants.
We are very grateful to the sponsors of the workshops - Damian Tracey and Adam Blizzard. Their generous sponsorships allowed each local woman to attend free of charge, making these vital boxing classes for children accessible to all.
Kids Classes
We offer boxing classes for children and juniors, along with memberships that help reduce the cost per session. Additionally, we engage in community projects and run youth boxing workshops to further support our young athletes.
Local Schools
We offer boxing classes for children both in schools and at Brennan's Gym. Our community projects include delivering standalone sessions or a series of youth boxing workshops for Carterton Community College, Chilworth House Upper School, and Sandwell Learning Centre. We are flexible with our approach, so feel free to get in contact for more details!
Mentor Opportunities
Tom works on a 1:1 basis with young people in the local community. Some young people find themselves on a slippery slope where bad behaviour or incidents seem to be becoming a pattern and way of life.
We believe that our boxing classes for children offer a safe environment where they can build confidence, learn respect for themselves and others, and ultimately become successful members of society.
If you know any young person who would benefit from our youth boxing workshops, please reach out. Additionally, if you are in a position to sponsor this community project, we need your help to provide daily sessions for local youths. We collaborate with local schools, charities, and Thames Valley Police to ensure the success of this initiative.
Helping Local Sports Teams
We are fortunate to have a facility with ample space and equipment. The gym is available for private hire, allowing you to conduct your own circuit or boxing session, or you can partner with a coach to run a class for your team. This setup is ideal for fitness, particularly during pre-season or as an enhancement to your usual training program. Our boxing classes for children, along with youth boxing workshops, make fantastic team building exercises and provide an exciting way to diversify your training schedule. These initiatives also contribute to our community projects, making fitness accessible and engaging for all.
