Dulux & youth volunteers team up to transform ‘East End Legend’ boxing club – supporting NEET youth into the construction & decorating industry.
- Iconic “East End legend” boxing club in Newham transformed by young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), as youth joblessness rises
- Project gives 14–24-year-olds who are NEET or at risk the chance to gain hands-on trade skills, qualifications and pathways into employment
- Backed by former world champion boxer George Groves, highlighting the role grassroots clubs play in shaping young lives
- Delivered by Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) in partnership with Dulux through its Let’s Colour programme, a multi-year initiative transforming hundreds of community spaces across the UK each year. This project is just one example of its wider impact
Thursday, May 7: Following Dulux’s Colour of the Year Community Competition, which was part of the Dulux Let’s Colour programme, an iconic East London boxing club is being transformed using Dulux’s 2026 Colour of the Year palette, The Rhythm of Blues. The refurbishment is being delivered by young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), as the UK faces a growing youth joblessness crisis.
West Ham Community Health & Boxing Club in Newham, described locally as “an East End legend since 1922”, is being restored by young volunteers under the tutorship of professional mentors, helping them gain vital trade skills. For decades, the club has provided a safe, structured environment for young people, helping to keep them off the streets and offering a positive alternative through sport.
Now, the club is being given a new lease of life by young volunteers, supported by Dulux’s Let’s Colour partnership with social enterprise Volunteer It Yourself (VIY). The project will see the volunteers gain vital trade skills, which means the project is not only revitalising a historic community space, but giving those involved the chance to learn on the job and take steps towards employment.
Supporting NEET youth into the construction & decorating industry
Delivered through the long-standing partnership between Dulux’s Let’s Colour programme and VIY, the initiative supports young people aged 14–24 who are NEET or at risk. Participants gain hands-on experience, work towards recognised City & Guilds qualifications and build pathways into work.
The initiative comes at a critical moment, when more than one in five 16–24-year-olds in the UK are unemployed, with Britain ranking among the highest in Europe for young people out of work or education1. In London alone, around 125,000 young people were unemployed in the last quarter of 2025, up 22,000 on the same time in 20242.
The project creates meaningful opportunities for young people while strengthening the community spaces that support them, bringing both challenges together.
Many of the young people helping to renovate the club are facing barriers to employment themselves.
“I wasn’t in work before this, and I didn’t know what direction to go in,” aid Elyse, a VIY participant. “Now I’m learning real skills and working towards qualifications. It’s given me confidence and made me feel like I’ve got a future.”
Through VIY, participants work alongside professional tradespeople to repaint and restore spaces. At the same time, they gain accredited City & Guilds qualifications and practical skills for future careers.
Hannah Denny, Communications & Partnerships Director at VIY said: “Young people aren’t lacking motivation – they lack opportunity. Projects like this give them the chance to learn real skills in a real environment, build confidence and take steps towards employment.”
Martha Dunican, Dulux Commercial Colour Consultant at AkzoNobel added: “Through this makeover, we want to give West Ham Community Health and Boxing Club a renewed sense of energy and identity, while supporting the next generation into skills and employment. Funded by Dulux and delivered as part of our Let’s Colour programme, the project brings together young people and Dulux volunteers working alongside professional mentors. The ‘Feel Groove’ shade from our 2026 Colour of the Year palette ‘The Rhythm of Blues’, will introduce a sense of movement and creativity to the space – helping to create an environment that feels both uplifting and inspiring for the community”.
Transforming this ‘East End legend’ boxing club
For decades, West Ham Community Health and Boxing Club has provided a safe and supportive environment, offering structure, discipline and a positive outlet for local young people. But like many grassroots facilities across the UK, it has faced increasing pressure in recent years, as funding declines and demand rises3.
For the young people who rely on the club, its impact goes far beyond sport.
“Being part of this club has given me a real sense of belonging,” said one young member. “It’s not just about boxing. It’s somewhere I feel supported and motivated. It’s helped me stay focused on my future and believe in what I can achieve.”
Former world champion boxer George Groves, who began his own career in a grassroots boxing club, is supporting the campaign.
He said: “Boxing gyms like this play a huge role in young people’s lives. It did for me. They give you discipline, focus and a sense of purpose – things that stay with you long after you leave the ring.
Seeing a club like West Ham being transformed, while also giving young people the chance to learn skills and build a future, is incredibly powerful. It’s about creating opportunities – in the ring and outside of it – and giving the next generation a real chance.”
As part of the transformation, the club is receiving a full interior and exterior repaint, turning a tired space into a brighter, more modern and welcoming environment. The transformation will ensure it can continue to support the community for decades to come.
The initiative forms part of Dulux’s Let’s Colour programme, which supports community-led projects across the UK. In partnership with VIY, a long-standing partner since 2020, it has helped transform hundreds of spaces while supporting thousands of young people to gain skills and qualifications.
Becky Orton, Dulux Partnerships Marketing Manager at AkzoNobel, said: “Community spaces like West Ham Boxing Club play a vital role in strengthening local communities and bringing people together. We’re proud of our longstanding partnership with VIY to not only transform hundreds of physical spaces each year but also to create meaningful opportunities for young people to build skills, gain confidence and support their future careers. At a time when pathways into employment are increasingly limited, initiatives like these make such a difference”.
Through Dulux’s Let’s Colour initiative, Dulux and VIY have achieved a lot together since July 2020:
- 300+ community spaces transformed in five years
- 350,000+ people across the UK positively impacted
- 4,000+ young people aged 14–24 supported in skills development
- 4,000+ City & Guilds accreditations delivered, with over half in painting and decorating
The newly transformed West Ham Community Health and Boxing Club will continue to serve as a vital hub for the Newham area. It offers a safe and supportive environment where the community, particularly young people, can stay active, build confidence and look towards a positive future
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