Olympic champion Nicola Adams surprises young people in Dewsbury on visit to her Prince's Trust 'Get Started with Boxing' programme

As Goodwill Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, Nicola announced the programme with the charity earlier this year, and the first courses launched in West Yorkshire and London this week.

Supported by The JD Foundation, the course introduces young people to boxing and helps them to build the confidence, motivation and skills to move forward with their lives and start the pathway to employment.

Hosted by Prince’s Trust delivery partner West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Nicola made a surprise visit to young people on the course in Dewsbury as they were celebrating finishing the first programme.

She said: “It’s been a dream come true to visit my ‘Get Started with Boxing’ with The Prince’s Trust programme here today.

“Boxing gave me the confidence and opportunities to overcome challenges and to achieve my goals in life.

" It has always been a dream of mine to ensure other young people who are struggling have this same opportunity, and that’s why I teamed up with The Prince’s Trust to create this course.

“Using my experiences of the sport and the trust’s expertise in helping young people to achieve their potential, together we have created a safe, supportive space for those facing disadvantage.

"It allows them to learn something new, helps boost their confidence, overcome the barriers they face and develop skills for life.

“It’s been incredible and very humbling hearing from each young person about what they have learnt, how their confidence has grown and to celebrate their achievements. I’m so proud of all of them.”

The programme is a mix of practical and theory sessions, which help boost young people’s confidence, communication skills and develops their understanding of how fitness, and the fundamental techniques of boxing, can benefit their mental health.

Those participating also have access to The Prince’s Trust’s other confidence building and employability programmes.

Iyanla, 24, from Leeds, did the “Get Started with Boxing” programme to build her knowledge of boxing and get practical skills.

She said: “Boxing is something I’ve always been into, but this programme has been really eye-opening.

"The physical elements of the course were my favourite as I learned all about discipline and accountability. The course also made me realise how good physical activity is for my own mental health.”

On meeting Nicola, Iyanla said: "Nicola Adams is a super inspiring figure, especially as a female boxer, and it was great to meet her."

Jacob, 19, from Leeds, who did the course to improve his personal skills, said: “The programme had a really positive impact on my overall well-being and mental state.

"It gave me a routine, improved my confidence and the physical activity really boosted my mood.

"The skills I learned on this course will be really useful for my future, as I want to work for the fire service one day. And the fact that the programme was held at a fire station was a big plus.”

On meeting Nicola, Jacob said: "I really enjoyed this afternoon.

"It's not every day you get to meet an Olympic gold medallist and someone who is at the top of their field, like I want to be.”