Growing Resilience in Teens (GRIT) is proud to announce that it has been awarded the esteemed 'Sport for Good' award by the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire. This prestigious recognition highlights GRIT's commitment to using boxing and physical activity to positively impact the lives of young people across the county. 

GRIT, a charity dedicated to empowering young people aged 11- 24 years old through health and wellbeing coaching combined with non-contact boxing, supports young people struggling with their mental health by offering 121 coaching and group programmes which take place in many of the secondary schools across North Hertfordshire and from their gym space located in U8 Fitness Hub, Station Approach, Hitchin. 

Underpinned by medical research, GRIT was founded by local GP Dr Louise Randall after seeing disturbing content online targeting teens and self-harm. GRIT integrates movement and physical activity with health and wellbeing coaching to form its bespoke, Four Corners Method which uses non-contact boxing and boxing metaphor to align with the messaging in its coaching element. 

GRIT is a growing charity with its services already supporting 156 new cases this year alone and a forecast of supporting 625 in 2025 – an increase of 23% from 2024. Through initiatives such as the GRIT programme, the charity has successfully engaged young people in meaningful activities that not only improve physical health but also encourage resilience, teamwork, and self-belief with many young people citing how their time with GRIT gave them the confidence to overcome their struggles and, in some cases, continue boxing as a discipline. 

The award was presented by Annie Brewster, Hertfordshire's currently appointed High Sheriff at their annual award ceremony at Hertfordshire University. The night highlighted and gave credit to various groups and organisations using sport within Hertfordshire to connect local people, build community and changes lives. 

John O'Callaghan of the Herts Sports & Physical Activity Partnership summed up the night perfectly sharing that the award honours 'extraordinary people doing extraordinary things', creating over 2,500 sporting clubs in Hertfordshire to support the health and happiness of children and young people. 

GRIT continues to expand its reach, working closely with Hitchin and Letchworth secondary schools and other strategic partners such as the Letchworth Heritage Foundation to create opportunities for young people to thrive. This award serves as a testament to the charity's unwavering commitment to making a lasting impact on the young people it serves, combining sport and physical activity with its bespoke coaching method.  

For more information about GRIT and how you can support its mission, visit gritcharity.org or follow us on @gritcharity. 

GRIT – Growing Resilience in Teens 

gritcharity.org 

@gritcharity