At just 13 years old, Akram Ogambo had already faced more challenges than many do in a lifetime. Diagnosed with ADHD, in care, and excluded from school, he struggled to find a place where he felt safe, understood, and supported. His behaviour during youth sessions reflected the turmoil he was experiencing and even led to exclusion from another organisation’s programme.
When Akram first joined weekly youth sessions at the Breckfield Centre in Everton, he was quiet and withdrawn. “I wasn’t doing much before,” he says. “Less active, not really doing anything.” But things began to shift when he met Courtney, a youth worker and former Commonwealth and Olympic boxer. Courtney’s approach, combining sport with emotional support, helped Akram find a way to express himself.
Through pad work and group sessions, Akram discovered a passion for boxing. “Courtney says I have potential,” he recalls. “So I started doing it, and I found a passion.” Boxing gave Akram a sense of purpose and a safe outlet for his emotions. It also helped him build friendships and feel part of something.
Akram,
Breckfield Centre
Akram has begun training at a local amateur boxing club. His physical health has improved, and he has become noticeably more disciplined and engaged. “I’m more fit, more healthy, more disciplined,” he says proudly. “Boxing helps when I’m stressed. It’s like an outlet.”
Reaching the communities that need support the most
Josh Hamilton, another youth worker who began supporting Akram earlier this year, saw the transformation firsthand. “When I first met Akram, he was quiet, sitting on the sidelines,” Josh says. “Now he’s involved in every session, giving everything a go. He even signed up for a new powerlifting project. He’s the first name on the list.”
Akram’s journey is a powerful example of how youth work builds brighter futures through safe places, trusted support, and opportunities to thrive.
These sessions are part of a wider programme run by Sports Alive Northwest, a charity working with children and young people across Liverpool, Halton and Knowsley. The organisation delivers centre-based, detached, outreach, one-to-one and group work, consistently reaching the communities that needed it most. Their mission is to build safer, stronger, healthier communities, empowering young people to feel a sense of achievement, improve their physical and mental health, and maintain high overall wellbeing.
Ryan Manville, CEO of Sports Alive and a former youth worker himself, reflects on Akram’s journey:
“Akram’s journey shows just how much can change when a young person feels seen, supported, and inspired. At Sports Alive, we see that every day. When young people have a safe space to be themselves, sport doesn’t just build skills — it builds confidence, purpose, and hope. We work with so many young people like Akram, and it’s amazing to see the difference youth work can make when it’s led by people who’ve lived those same experiences — it can truly change lives.”
Now, Akram dreams of becoming a professional boxer and even giving back one day by working with young people like himself. “I’d want to help kids like me,” he says. “Show them where I came from and help them find their own way.”
As part of that dream, Akram says he might even want to lead youth work sessions himself at Sports Alive when he’s older, helping others the way he was helped.
His story is a testament to the power of youth work and a reminder that with the right support, every young person has the potential to thrive.
