MEDIA RELEASE - The Naenae Boxing Academy is poised to reach more youth-in-need with an additional $300,000 in funding from the Vodafone Foundation.

The Naenae Youth Charitable Trust will use the three-year extension partnership grant to provide support with training and a place for youth to feel part of a healthy community.

The academy applies the discipline of boxing to holistic learning and provides a safe haven for vulnerable youth. The New Zealand Police are supportive of the Trust due to the impact they have had on reducing youth crime rates. The grant will also enable the Trust to grow its initiatives across the country, starting in Hamilton, Ashburton, and Taumarunui - with potential partnerships in other areas.

Naenae Boxing Academy founder, Billy Graham, first discovered a passion for boxing in the 1960s when the sport helped him to overcome a difficult period in his life. He started the Academy as a way of giving back to his community and ensuring every young person is given the opportunity to gain a sense of pride and achievement.

Billy’s son, David Graham says he is thrilled to follow in his father’s footsteps, leading the initiative in partnership with the Vodafone Foundation. David was a recipient of a Vodafone World of Difference Award in 2015, making it the second time his family has received the honour after his father in 2008.

There are few better qualified than David to lead the academy. David is a two-time winner of consecutive National U18 boxing titles and one of the youngest coaches in the country to hold a Level One coaching license.

“I have been involved with the Naenae Youth Charitable Trust since its inception eleven years ago and it has been hugely rewarding to see the Academy grow from strength to strength.

”This latest investment from Vodafone Foundation will allow us to take our programme to more communities across the country and I am excited for what the next three years of our partnership has in store.

“At the Academy we encourage youth to dream big and work towards their full potential. Our involvement with Vodafone Foundation means we can work for a cause that we are truly passionate about and play an influential role in the lives of our young people.”

The grant will support Naenae Boxing Academy graduate Keegan O’Kane-Jones who has been employed by the Trust to train under its model and help future expansion into other locations.

Vodafone NZ Foundation Chair, Antony Welton says, “It has been hugely rewarding to see the changes Naenae Youth Charitable Trust has affected since our partnership began in 2008.

“Vodafone NZ Foundation is committed to driving meaningful and sustainable change with our charity partners, working directly with young kiwis that are most in need of our support.”

Naenae Youth Charitable Trust is one of four organisations to receive an extension partnership grant from the Vodafone Foundation. University of Auckland, Great Potentials Foundation, and Te Ora Hou have also received further investment to grow the impact of their work, and support young people to live lives they value.