Ninety-six islanders will be able to participate in self-defence classes between March and May thanks to funding from Saffery Trust.
The one-hour sessions, which are being run in partnership between SafetyNet and JackalBoxFit, will offer training on protection from, and response to, physical assaults.
SafetyNet Chair, Poppy Murray, said the sessions would be invaluable to islanders: “We ran a poll on our social media pages to gauge whether there would be any interest in self-defence classes locally and the response was overwhelming. The demand was clear; however, we had a few messages that the cost of classes would be a barrier for some. Saffery Trust’s generous donation in support of our aims, will make a huge difference.
“We hope that no one will ever need to use the training, however the sessions will undoubtedly boost confidence for the participants and help to prepare them should they ever find themselves in danger.”
The one-hour classes will be run by Boxing Personal Trainer Jimmy Lesbirel. Jimmy said: “I think it’s fantastic that Saffery Trust has made this donation to help the community. I am a firm believer in the benefits of any type of exercise, but that boxing fitness in particular is fantastic for building both physical, mental and emotional strength. When SafetyNet approached me about running the classes I was more than happy to help because it’s important to me to give back, especially in a small community like ours.”
Saffery Trust Managing Director, Nick Batiste (pictured) said: “We are delighted to support this initiative, and are dedicated to promoting the health and wellbeing of our people, and the wider community; these classes will help to do just that.”
Further information and how to book the classes can be found here.
