About GRIT.
What is GRIT?
Growing Resilience in Teens (GRIT), is a multi award winning charity that supports young people aged 11-24 to improve their mental health and wellbeing through group boxing programmes, workshops and 1:1 coaching.
The training from GRIT has been invaluable and has made the mentorship programme in our school different to those we have tried before in the past. The Four Corners approach has been embedded into our school culture rather than being a service that is provided one minute, and gone the next.
A Teacher from The Highfield School, Letchworth
We support young people across North Hertfordshire, in school, our Hitchin gym and online, using our specially curated ‘Four Corners Method’.
The Four Corners Method connects the boxing ring to everyday life, using the Home Corner, Referee Corner, Opposition Corner, and Doctor’s Corner as powerful metaphors.
This method provides tools for young people to fight unhealthy coping mechanisms, build resilience, create confidence and empower them to create life long habits.
Our history
Since it’s inception in 2018, GRIT has adapted and grown, refining both the services we provide and the way we deliver them to young people.
In that time, we have supported over 1,500 young people, and while our services continue to grow, our values and commitment remain constant: empowering young people to take control of their lives and build their resilience.
I asked X how she felt about how GRIT has helped her, she said it has made her feel more confident in social situations and she feels she can now make friends more easily and she is feeling more confident in social spaces.
A Parent
At GRIT, we combine health and wellbeing coaching with non-contact boxing and boxing metaphors. This creates an embodied, goal-based approach that helps young people connect their physical and emotional worlds. It’s not just about talking; it’s about moving, feeling, and growing from the inside out.
Our unique Four Corners Method, developed by our Founder and Chair, Dr Louise Randall, a Hitchin-based GP with a deep personal and professional commitment to youth mental health, is grounded in science, medicine, and real-life experience. It blends coaching tools with movement to help young people build resilience, self-awareness, and lasting confidence.
Unlike services driven by targets, labels, or diagnoses, GRIT meets young people as they are, focusing on their strengths, supporting their choices, and creating a compassionate space where they can grow into who they want to be.
Non-contact boxing is a powerful way for young people to let out energy and emotions in a safe, structured environment. It’s not about fighting, it’s about moving your body, releasing what’s been building up inside, and using that movement as a way to work through what you’re feeling.
The act of boxing becomes a metaphor for the ups and downs of life. Throwing punches, moving with purpose, and staying focused in the moment can mirror the emotional challenges young people face and how they can push through them.
We call this embodied learning, learning that involves both the mind and the body. Sometimes it’s hard to explain how you feel with words alone. But moving can help bring those feelings to the surface, making them easier to understand and talk about.
In our 1:1 and group coaching, we often use the boxing ring as a metaphor for life because in many ways, the journey of a boxer reflects what young people go through every day.
Boxers train hard, face challenges head-on, take hits, and keep going. They have a team in their corner, helping them prepare, reset, and stay focused. Just like in life, there are wins and losses but what matters is the resilience to get back up and keep fighting for yourself.
We use this metaphor to help young people make sense of their own experiences. It’s a way of talking about struggles, strengths, and personal growth in a way that feels real and relatable. For example, we might ask: Who’s in your corner? What are you fighting for? How do you prepare for your next round? These questions help young people reflect, set goals, and take positive steps forward.
Overall, the boxing metaphor helps shift focus away from feeling stuck and towards building strength, strategy, and support, all things that make a big difference in and out of the ring.
Coaching offers a structured, goal-focused approach that helps young people make sense of what they’re going through and take steps toward positive change. It gives them the space to reflect on their experiences, set personal goals, and build the confidence to take action.
Through guided conversations, young people can explore their emotions and insights helping them understand themselves better and build practical strategies to move forward.
A coaching approach isn’t just about talking; it’s about turning reflection into progress. Coaching supports young people in developing self-awareness, resilience, and a stronger sense of direction, all key to navigating life’s challenges and growing into who they want to be.
When you bring movement and coaching together, something powerful happens. Non-contact boxing gives young people a way to release emotions, feel more in control of their bodies, and let go of things they might not have the words for. It’s a space where they can express what’s going on inside, physically and safely.
Coaching then gives them the chance to pause, reflect, and talk about what’s come up. It’s not about judgement or fixing people, it’s about listening, asking the right questions, and helping them figure out their next steps.
Life can be tough sometimes. It takes both strength and self-awareness to get through challenges. Boxing is a great metaphor for that, showing up, taking hits, learning to protect yourself, and keeping going. Coaching adds the tools to help understand those experiences and make sense of emotions and decisions.
Together, movement and coaching help build a strong mind-body connection. It’s a whole-person approach that recognises that mental and physical health are closely linked and that working on both helps young people grow in a more lasting and meaningful way.
How do we do it?
Our Services
We support young people through 1:1 coaching, group programmes and workshops.
After our initial review of a young person’s referral, we will allocate their case to a GRIT coach for an initial chemistry call.
This call enables the coach to understand the needs of a young person, find out more about what they are experiencing as well as figure out which of our services would best suit them.
Who We Can Support
GRIT is an early intervention service for young people aged 11–24. This means working with those beginning to show signs of emotional dysregulation, including anxiety or depression, school or work avoidance, early signs of self-harm, risk-taking behaviours (such as around sex, drugs, or alcohol), and difficulties with managing anger.
Our aim is to step in early, helping young people build healthier coping strategies and emotional resilience before things escalate further.
For those experiencing more severe mental health challenges, such as significant self-harm, suicide attempts, severe anxiety, a significant history of trauma, or those already under the care of CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), GRIT are unlikely to offer the level of support needed, particularly during times of crisis.
We can, however, work alongside other therapeutic input, but we ask that any young person under CAMHS care has access to 1:1 therapy outside of GRIT and a clear crisis plan in place.
If this isn’t already in place, we can help by signposting to other services.
We ask that all prospective young people and their parent or carer are ready to commit to their sessions with us and are open to learning new ways to manage emotions and take steps toward their full potential.
Have more questions? Why not check out our FAQs page or please email hello@gritcharity.org for more information.