A community organisation in Woolwich that helps young people through boxing has been nominated for The Young Londoners Award, in association with Sported, at the London Sport Awards.

Power Mobile Gym is a community interest company that prides itself on empowering young people through boxing but also through employment pathway programmes and CV development.

Shannia Richardson-Gordon, from Beckenham, is the director, founder, and head coach of Power Mobile Gym and launched the organisation in January 2020.

The 21-year-old said: "It means the world to be recognised.

When the nomination came out on social media, there were no fewer than 60 young people who shared it, and it impacts the community a lot.

“Everyone's always like, 'oh yeah, you're the one who got nominated for a London Sport Award’.

"For me and my boxers, on an emotional level, it would be a huge thing, and we would hang it up with pride in our new gym. It would be a great way to open it up."

Over the last five years, the annual London Sport Awards, in association with the City of London Corporation, has grown to become the biggest celebration of grassroots and community physical activity and sport in the city.

And this year’s showpiece event will once again recognise, celebrate, and shine a light on the stories of the incredible individuals, groups and organisations for their outstanding work across the capital helping Londoners of all ages and backgrounds to be physically active.

Power Mobile Gym is a mobile organisation that aims to tackle even the most vulnerable and isolated groups within society, including refugees and victims of knife crime.

And Richardson-Gordon added: "We've been invited to go to Jamaica and do a camp with Lennox Lewis, so we've got big plans in the pipeline. I'm determined to help young people through the power of boxing.

"I refer to the young people who attend these sessions as my family and not my boxers – because that's what they are.

"With the increasing levels of youth violence, there's a lot of frustration among the younger generation. There are people who can come into the gym one person and leave a completely different person."

One of those who Richardson-Gordon has helped is Shahram Khalid, from Woolwich, who credited his coach with changing his life for the better.

The 17-year-old said: "I just fell in love with it.

The coach was funny, I loved the environment, it was right next to my house, but we were also getting to go to different places as well, so it was just perfect.

"During the lockdown, I was bored at home, I was playing games and getting bigger and bigger, so I needed that outlet to release everything.

"When you're doing this boxing thing, your coach is telling you what to do even when you're not at the gym, she's telling you to go for a run, do this, make sure you go here, so it's a win-win situation."

The London Sport Awards, in association with the City of London Corporation, shines a spotlight on the unsung community heroes helping Londoners of all backgrounds to enjoy the benefits of physical activity and sport. Find out more about the Awards and how London Sport aims to make London the most physically active city in the world at www.londonsport.org #MakeYourMark