Mizizi Boys Mentorship is a Community Interest Company based in Coventry. Their mission is to support boys during their critical teenage years by delivering sport and leadership training as well as community engagement opportunities.

They were awarded £1,000 through the Alan Higgs Community Grants to fund activity sessions to encourage active lifestyles, team building and a break from classroom-type sessions. The funding also enabled them to hire a basketball court and football pitch for six months.

Gad Turuthi, Director of Mizizi Boys Mentorship, shared:

“We are grateful for this funding as it helps us with our core objective which is mentorship. The funding is helping us to empower the young boys in Bell Green, Coventry.

“We’re providing football and basketball tournaments, these activities are important for the boys because they improve mental and physical health, reduce gang related anti-social behaviour and knife crime, and improve educational attainments.

“We’ve seen many benefits in the boys, changes in behaviour, improvement in attitude and self-esteem, and closer relationships with parents. They’re no longer just staying at home watching TV, they’re out and about getting physically fit.

“If we didn’t have this funding it would destroy their morale, and they would be likely to get into bad behaviour because of idleness.

“Mizizi Boys Mentorship is absolutely delighted for these grants and we look forward to closer relationship with our donors.”

If you’d like to apply for the Alan Higgs Community Grants, click here.