In Birkenhead, Colin Hunt administrates a boxing and gym club for troubled teenagers. The teenagers who join in come from referrals by agencies or want to be included themselves in the club because of what they know about Colin. These teenagers may either have substance abuse issues or academic problems. Colin himself calls them “challenging” teens.
He says, "They are at a crossroads in their life and I am helping them choose the right path."
Colin is able to keep up with managing the club through the help of a government-funded initiative which aids teens in underprivileged areas -- Positive Futures. With their help he is able to give free gym membership to these troubled teens and even offer boxing and circuit sessions for free.
One teenager who has been a part of the club for months is Scott Brennan, age 18. He was a troublesome teen who was abusing drugs before he joined Colin’s program.
"I'd be in the gutter. I'd be like a few of my mates, who are locked up, and one of my other mates, who has to go to crown court. So I sort of broke away from them. I'd probably be with them going down if I hadn't gone with Colin,” says Scott.
Colin spends much of his free time turning these teenagers around.
"It takes time to get respect. It takes time to discover what makes them tick and to capture that," he says.
Colin definitely knows how to gain the teenagers’ respect. They lend him their ears in a different way compared to teachers or their own parents.
Scott says that this is because Colin can be with them but not judge them at the same time. He doesn’t look at them in a condescending way.
Friday nights may be one of the worst days of the week for teens to go out and end up in some kind of trouble. As an answer to this, Colin has put up a football match every Friday which has grown quite popular among the teens. Another teenager, Mikey Dean, was referred to Colin after he was on the verge of being given jail time for his offenses.
"It's Friday night, I'd just be out robbing out of cars, just to get money, but now I'm playing football," says Mikey.
Colin has had many successful experiences with these troubled teenagers as he does not let go of his belief that they can turn things around. No matter what state they are in when they come to him, they find a way through it.
Colin comments, "I see it as a challenge. Without doubt it's a challenge. I do it because I'm passionate about it."
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