Royal Navy launches combat sports and mentorship program for young girls to combat knife crime
The Royal Navy has introduced a program offering combat sports and mentorship to young girls as an alternative to gang culture and knife crime, aiming to provide positive outlets and support.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The Royal Navy has launched a programme offering combat sports and mentorship to young girls as an alternative to gang culture and knife crime. The initiative, which began in 2023, was set up after sailors and marines returned from deployments to find their communities blighted by knife crime. Sessions are held at the Bad Company Gym in Leeds and are open to girls aged five to 16. They include martial arts, general fitness drills based on Royal Navy and Royal Marine training, and boxing.
Two participants shared their experiences. Ameya, who started after a boy spat at her at school, said she has now had around 40 fights and feels more confident. Poppy, who travelled from London, said she suffered badly from anxiety before starting Muay Thai and is now a completely different person. Both said they would like to see similar schemes in schools.
Dennis Harrison, representing the Royal Navy, said the programme teaches discipline, Navy core values and combat sports. He described it as a direct response to gang crime, giving young people a positive outlet. The programme is part of a wider effort to address rising youth violence and knife crime across the UK.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Sky News |
|---|---|
| One participant, Ameya, has had around 40 fights and started after a boy spat at her at school. | |
| The programme targets girls aged five to 16 and includes martial arts, fitness drills, and boxing. | |
| The Royal Navy combat sports initiative was established in 2023. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News focused on the human-interest angle, featuring extended interviews with two young girls who described how the programme boosted their confidence. The tone was positive and supportive, with the presenter making a light-hearted comment at the end. The report emphasised personal transformation and the programme's role as an alternative to gang culture.
- “Against the backdrop of rising youth violence and knife crime, the Royal Navy is giving young girls access to combat sports and mentorship as an alternative to gang culture.”
- “I was like, suffered really bad anxiety before I started Muay Thai and I'm a completely different person now.”
- “We set the combat sports initiative up in 2023 after sailors and Marines returned home from deployments to find that their communities were blighted by knife crime.”
Broadcast Timeline
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