Ironworks Martial Arts CIC

We’re thrilled to share that our Little Warriors project has officially wrapped up! Over the past 48 weeks, we’ve had the privilege of working with children and young adults across Durham, using martial arts to improve fitness, mental well-being, and confidence.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported this journey, we’re forever indebted to the TNLCF Awards for All for this funding—your generosity helped us create a positive space for young people to grow and thrive. We’re so proud of what we’ve achieved together and can’t wait to see what the future holds for our Little Warriors!

We are slowly winding down before Christmas with the last ‘Little Warriors’ sessions before the New Year! We are so proud of the achievements of our little warriors and very grateful to the TNLCF for making this delivery possible and supporting us in delivery of these life-changing sessions!

Great training recently in our Awards for All funded Little Warriors project and what a ride it’s been! We’re incredibly busy, but what a special community!

Hi everyone! The kit we’ve been collecting over the past few months has finally landed in Kenya! Thanks to Alan and his wife Hannah, the gear you helped collect is now with our friends in Kisumo. Please see message below from Alan. Thanks everyone!

To everyone who donated and took part in donating the martial arts kit to Kisumu.

I’m overwhelmed by how kind you were to do such a thing. It’s incredible. From the bottom of my heart - thank you.

It will no doubt benefit many people. More especially it will benefit children. Most of whom may never have the means to go to the local gym and more often than not, don’t have the money to even go to school.
The effects this will have for people will be much wider than all the things we know about as martial artists. Not only will it bring people together, help people become fitter and learn new skills... it could even land skilful people a job in the police (the police sometimes pick good fighters from the street and train them up as officers)...

Because the martial arts training is most likely going to be outdoors lots of people will come and watch and word will spread. Who knows where this could lead... if the Kenyan government lifts their ban on the UFC, maybe one day we’ll have a Kisumu champ!

Vincent who is receiving the kit is a lovely man - very kind, funny, patient, loves martial arts and is also struggling to make ends meet, but he seems to somehow manage it.

This will be another string to his bow.

I met his kids once and one of them is a tough little cookie... I put my hands up for him to punch them, before I knew it he was right at me, no smiles, pure determination and my hands were red raw. Somehow I reckon he’ll be leading the way!

The kit landed in Kisumu yesterday. My wife will meet Vincent very soon. She’ll do her best to get a video, certainly some photographs.

My heartfelt thanks,

Alan

Halfway through our Awards for All funded Little Warriors project and what a ride it’s been! We’re incredibly busy, but we still have room for a few more warriors to join our mission. Join us and our special community.

We have been extremely busy with our delivery of ‘Little Warriors’ over the past few weeks with the summer holidays. We’re very grateful for the funding from the National Lottery, Awards for All for making this project possible and giving us a chance to create enriching activities for children and young people during these holidays and beyond!

Martial arts and fitness sessions for young people in our gym and studio. Sessions are funded by the National Lottery Community Grant and we’re very grateful for this opportunity to support young people in our area to better their health and wellbeing!

Martial arts and fitness sessions for young people in our gym and studio. Funding by the National Lottery Community Fund - we’re very grateful for this opportunity to support young people in our area to better their health and wellbeing.

Thanks to Awards for All funding, we are busy delivering our ‘Little Warriors’ project for children and young people. The sessions started 12th of February and we are over the moon to see the amount of interest we received! Get in touch for more details. Sessions of martial arts and fitness available for ages 7-19.

‘Iron Fit Strong’, our project of self-defence for women, is running up until May with free sessions for women in our area. Thanks to Police County Durham Community Safety Fund for making these possible and helping us enrich and support our community.

FREE sessions here are Ironworks. We invite all women in Belmont, Durham area to join our Iron Fit Strong project funded by CDCF. A great way to feel empowered and resilient! Enjoy company of like-minded women in our lovely group and challenge your fitness!

August has marked a beginning of a new funded project here at Ironworks. Thanks to the Community Foundation Police Fund we can deliver a project of activity for women and continue to strengthen our community. Sessions will consist of various fitness sessions including group and individual training, self-defence techniques, and small group discussions about stress management, diet and nutrition and building confidence. Training will be delivered in a relaxed, informal, flexible manner with the combination of practical activity and group discussions, providing an opportunity for participants to discuss and explore sensitive issues.