🥊 What is The 0161 Project?
The 0161 Project is a community-driven alternative education provider based in Manchester, dedicated to supporting young people who are at risk of exclusion, facing social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) challenges or struggling with traditional school settings.
Rooted in the historic Collyhurst and Moston Boxing Club, 0161 blends physical activity, mentoring, and vocational training to deliver tailored programmes which help young people build confidence, improve behaviour, and develop essential life and employability skills.
The 0161 Project aims to re-engage learners by offering a practical, supportive learning environment where students can thrive emotionally, socially, and personally, not just academically. With a strong focus on inclusion and community, 0161 creates real pathways for success beyond the limits of traditional and mainstream schooling.
The 0161 Team says: “Our partnership with Kloodle has been truly transformative for both our mentors and the students they support. The platform has provided a meaningful way to capture and evidence student progress – whether that be in personal development, academic growth or social-emotional learning.
Kloodle has proven especially impactful for students who may not typically engage in self-reflection. Through the platform, they are able to recognise how far they’ve come building a greater sense of confidence and ownership over their journey.
For our staff, it has been invaluable in ensuring the important, often unseen, work they do is acknowledged and documented. It has also significantly enhanced our ability to report effectively to schools, external agencies and has become an integral part of our EHCP review process.
The Kloodle team has been exceptional in tailoring the platform to meet the specific needs of our students and the requirements of our service. Their support and flexibility have made them an essential partner in the work we do.”
📜 The Transformative Power Of Boxing
The project began with a simple mission: to utilise the power of boxing to support our most vulnerable young people in education those at risk of exclusion and potentially becoming long term NEET.
The 0161 project believes that boxing and physical activity can be powerful tools for positive change in the lives of young people. The aim is to help build confidence, discipline and broader life skills, as well as address mental health challenges.
The 0161 Project has grown significantly across a number of venues and now offers a full menu of group-based intervention, part time alternative provision, one-to-one mentoring and an innovative specialist SEMH post-16 programme which initially set out to offer only sport learning pathways but now provides broader vocational routes and personal development, partnering with other organisations like Kylie’s Kitchen (catering), Inspire (hair and beauty), and the Nationwide Cycling Academy (bike maintenance).
📍 Locations
Originally 0161 was just at one boxing venue but have now expanded to numerous sites for alternative provision and specialist colleges across north Manchester and surrounding boroughs of Greater Manchester in Barry Oldham and Rochdale.
In 2023, the 0161 Project expanded its reach by opening a new headquarters in Collyhurst, supported by the Far East Consortium. This facility coordinates activities across its four educational sites in Manchester, supporting over 130 young people per week through various programmes, including group-based, one-on-one sessions, and post-16.
These locations serve as safe, structured environments where young people can explore their potential and access meaningful opportunities to support the respite of, and the reintegration to, mainstream education. The spaces are designed to foster a sense of belonging and provide access to specialist facilities for vocational learning, mentoring and wellbeing activities, ensuring that students receive consistent, localised support tailored to their specific needs.
The project’s holistic approach and community partnerships have made it a vital part of the Manchester community, offering alternative education services to mainstream schools, independent schools and other agencies working with vulnerable young people.
The Students
The young people who attend The 0161 Project for alternative provision are typically aged between 11 and 16 and have been identified as being at risk of permanent exclusion, struggling with behavioural or emotional challenges, or needing a more personalised educational setting. The project works closely with schools, local authorities, and families to provide early intervention and wraparound support. Students benefit from small group teaching, individual mentoring, and a flexible, understanding approach which helps them rediscover a love of learning, build resilience, and find positive pathways into further education, training, or employment.
In the specialist college the students are 16 to 25 years old. As these students are older, the outcomes are linked to positive employment. Consequently, the programme is focussed on developing employability skills and finding work experience and placements with local employers.
🎯 Programmes and Objectives
A key feature of The 0161 Project is its diverse range of hands-on and engaging activities which promote both personal and professional development. The learners study core subjects like Maths and English at post-16. Because of the history of the organisation, boxing is at the front and centre of the activities and all students are given the opportunity to box and improve their physical and mental well-being.
Programmes include vocational training in areas such as construction, mechanics, catering, and hair and beauty, giving students real-world skills and experience. Alongside this, the project offers enrichment activities including sports, creative arts, music production and outdoor education. Academic support in core subjects like Maths, English and Science is also available, as well as one-to-one mentoring and therapeutic support focused on mental health, wellbeing, and behaviour management.
Programmes Offered:
- Seconds Out Programme: An individualised programme combining non-contact boxing, PSHE and mentoring for KS3/KS4 students to prevent exclusion or re-engage them with mainstream education.
Alternative Provision Curriculum: Includes accredited elements such as:
- AQA Unit Achievement Awards in Boxing and PSHE
- Level 1 Boxing Award
- Level 1 Employability Skills
- Level 1 Vocational Award
- Functional Skills in English and Maths
- Hook to Employability: A bespoke post-16 vocational and practical programme for young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) aiming to reduce NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) outcomes, with supported work placements.
- Healthier You Curriculum: Promotes physical health, nutrition, fitness, and mental wellbeing through structured boxing and sports leadership activities.
- Standing 8 Curriculum: Focuses on mental health awareness, resilience, peer mentoring, and the impact of social media on mental wellbeing.
- Protect Yourself at All Times Curriculum: Educates about gangs, county lines, online exploitation, peer pressure, and substance misuse, giving students strategies for making positive life choices and staying safe.
- Bee Inspired Curriculum: Motivational programme showcasing success stories of resilience and achievement among athletes and business leaders to inspire young people to overcome adversity.
The Objectives of The Programmes are:
📲 Why Kloodle is the Ideal Tool for The 0161 Project
For an organisation like The 0161 Project, where the focus is on building confidence, resilience, employability and life skills alongside alternative education, Kloodle is the perfect digital companion.
0161 uses Kloodle to track and showcase the skills and character development of every young person they work with – whether they’re building teamwork in the ring, developing self-discipline through fitness routines or gaining practical skills in a work placement. Kloodle allows mentors and staff to capture these moments and map them to core character attributes and employability competencies, giving students a clear, personalised picture of their growth.
Importantly, for students who may struggle with traditional academic settings, Kloodle helps them build a positive, visual record of success – not just in qualifications, but in how they’re growing as individuals, into young adults. Through photos, videos, reflections and structured feedback, young people gain ownership of their achievements, confidence in their identity, and a practical tool to support future transitions to employment or education.
Personalised Action Plans And EHCPs
Many of the students at The 0161 Project have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), reflecting their complex needs and the tailored support they require to thrive. Even those without formal EHCPs often need personalised action plans to help address barriers to learning, behaviour, or wellbeing. Kloodle is an ideal platform to support this approach as its flexibility allows staff to map each activity or intervention directly to the outcomes and objectives set out in a student’s EHCP or action plan.
The EHCP on Kloodle is dynamic and visual, so progress can be tracked in real time, with students, mentors, and schools able to see how each experience – whether it’s a mentoring session, boxing activity, or vocational task – is contributing to the young person’s development and future goals. With its accessibility features and flexible design, Kloodle aligns seamlessly with 0161’s tailored, therapeutic, and vocational approach. It turns every gym session, mentoring moment, or accredited unit into visible progress, which is fuel for self-esteem, motivation, and future ambition.
Outcomes Are Critical
The 0161 Project is more than an alternative provision – it’s a transformative model that blends physical activity, mentoring, and vocational opportunity into a coherent journey of growth. And underpinning that journey is Kloodle: the digital tool that brings each student’s story to life.
With every boxing session, mentoring hour or vocational skill learned, students build their Kloodle profile, capturing not just qualifications, but real, observable personal development. The platform allows staff to generate individualised report cards, which are shared with schools and families to highlight achievements, challenges, and next steps – fostering transparency, trust and tailored support.
For many students, especially those with EHCPs or action plans, this reporting process shows how activities link directly to personal goals and outcomes. And for post-16 learners, their Kloodle profile is much more than a record of achievement, it’s the foundation of a CV, a portfolio of employability and a gateway to placements and future careers.
At The 0161 Project, every young person has potential. With the right environment, the right guidance, supported by Kloodle to capture their journey, that potential becomes visible, trackable, and ultimately, unstoppable.
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”
— Muhammad Ali
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