“Can you stay until I leave school in S6?”. Thomas' relationship with his SOHK mentors was not always so good. Before SOHK, he was struggling at school and was often disruptive, but learning rugby helped Thomas flourish and improve his behaviour and wellbeing. Read more
“When this 6”5 man broke down in floods of tears in a park on an SOHK course, it was clear that the tipping-point had finally been reached.” Read about Jorge's transformation from hardship and homelessness to employment and security. Read more
Read about Josie's experience volunteering with SOHK Wales at Maesteg School and how it has helped her navigate the next few steps on her career path. Read more
Shaun was doubtful of his own abilities and uncertain about what SOHK would bring. He felt helpless and was uncomfortable sharing his problems. The adults programme has since been transformative in his life. Through rugby, he has overcome his previous injuries and lack of confidence to gain friendships and a fresh perspective. Read on to hear his inspirational story. Read more
We are living in the golden age of podcasts. Podcasts are perfect to listen to whilst taking a long walk, cooking or doing daily chores but with so much out there it's difficult to know where to start. No fear - School of Hard Knocks has got you covered. We've created a list of our favourite sports-based (mainly rugby!) podcasts for you to enjoy. Have a scroll, then plug in and chill out. Read more
Lisa is one of the many people who has felt the effects of Covid-19 and the jobs crisis. Every opportunity she thought would be a new start seemed to lead to disappointment. Take a look at how SOHK's Back in the Game course helped her move forward. Read more
We’ve curated a short list of inspiring and thought-provoking sports-based documentaries - and School of Hard Knocks would know all about that having started as one! So, have a gander and stick something other than The Confession Tapes on the tele. Read more
Joe signed up to School of Hard Knocks’ Adult Course through a volunteering programme; he was both excited and anxious on his first day. Having become accustomed to a fairly isolated lifestyle, he found being in groups uncomfortable. Despite these initial concerns he felt welcome, valued and understood by the people around him. He found that he shared experiences with many other participants and could be himself without judgement. For the first time he felt like he was part of a team. Read more
Earlier this month School of Hard Knocks held its first ever online auction. We had some incredible lots on offer such as an hour with rugby legend Sam Warburton and our most popular auction item - a signed Finn Russell shirt. Thanks to your support we are thrilled to announce that SOHK's Summer Auction has raised a grand total of £20,000! These funds will go towards empowering individuals facing social inequality and ensuring that no child or adult is ever left behind. Read more
Jamie started on School of Hard Knocks’ Schools Programme just over a year ago. His behaviour had become unmanageable at school and he constantly found himself in trouble. Since starting the programme Jamie’s behaviour and way of thinking has changed dramatically. Jamie’s teachers not only find him much easier to handle, but have noticed that he contributes positively in lessons, asks insightful questions and has more respect for others. Read more
When School of Hard Knocks started working with Macy on the Schools Programme, she was getting involved in fights on a regular basis. Not knowing how to handle her behaviour, Macy's school recommended she get involved with SOHK. Each week the team found a new way to engage Macy more and more with the rugby sessions so as to help her improve her confidence both on and off the pitch. Macy now mentors other students, trains with Quins Girls Rugby and dreams of playing internationally for Wales. Read more
When we met Jo just under eleven months ago, her attendance at school was well below average. She had started to find it increasingly difficult to control her emotions, which in turn caused her relationships with peers and teachers to suffer. Eleven months since starting on SOHK's Schools Programme and Jo now feels much happier, more confident and secure in herself. Read more
When Lisa started on School of Hard Knocks’ Adult Course, she felt as though she wasn’t doing anything with her life. She spent her days alone inside her house and had few people to talk to which impacted negatively on her mental health and caused her to develop poor self-esteem. Just under a year later and Lisa has completely transformed. She has gone back to playing rugby and has continued to meet up with her SOHK course-mate. Read more
When we met Karen in January, she had a lung condition called COPD which was gradually getting worse. She was a heavy smoker and was rarely active. Upon completing SOHK's Adult Course, Karen not only found a job that she now loves but also found an incredible passion for rugby. She decided to further explore her newfound love for the sport and took part in a homeless rugby initiative where she played at Murrayfield stadium during half-time between Edinburgh and Ulster in front of 5,000 fans. Read more
The physical element of our Adult Courses was why Aggie started at School of Hard Knocks, but the people were why she stayed. She found that though her course-mates had different stories, their experience of life was very similar to her own. Aggie felt understood by the people around her which subsequently engendered a supportive environment for her to thrive and fulfil her maximum potential. Read more
School of Hard Knocks is excited to be working with The Welsh Rugby Union to help individuals find a renewed sense of purpose and employment with our online, high-impact Back in the Game Course. Read more
In Partnership with Cloud Digital, Positive Transformation and Mrs Whelan’s soaps School of Hard Knocks have been donated 500 artisan soaps Read more
We're excited to announce that from Wednesday 26th August to Friday 4th September School of Hard Knocks will be holding its first ever online auction! We are aiming to raise a total of £30,000 from our online Summer Auction, to ensure that we are able to reach and support children and adults for many more years to come. Read more
Just over under a month ago we officially launched our new partnership with consulting firm Moorhouse. Read more
As a direct response to those who have lost their jobs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, School of Hard Knocks have created a shortened, online and high impact version of our standard eight week course. Read more
School of Hard Knocks exists to empower and support individuals facing social inequality, and we need to do that in every aspect of our work. It is our job to step up and dismantle unjust systems that have pervaded our society for years. We have made a commitment to continue with and deepen the conversations we are currently having internally, and actively look for ways to turn talk into action. Read more
I’m writing to you today because we urgently need your help.The lockdown, caused by the Coronavirus, has hit School of Hard Knocks pretty hard and has placed real strain on our resources and finances. I’m not saying we’ve been knocked down; let’s call it a pretty hefty blow! But if there is ever a time we have to practice what we preach, it is now. Why? Because I honestly believe that the need for our work in the UK will soon be greater, by some distance, than at any other time in our existence. Read more
This week is Nutrition and Hydration Week, so we thought we’d share some of work we do around nutrition in schools. Nutrition is a huge part of the personal development sessions we deliver within schools. Getting your nutrition right not only helps with physical health but also significantly contributes to one’s mental health, better preparing young people to succeed in school. We deliver a three-week block around this important topic in our Schools Programme. Read more
This International Women’s Day, School of Hard Knocks wants to get as many girls and women talking about their achievements as possible - and that includes YOU! We want you to take to Twitter and Instagram and post about what you are proud of using the hashtag #IAmProud. We’ll be sharing what some our own staff and participants are proud of, so keep your eyes peeled and don’t forget to tag us (@sohkcharity) into your own posts! Read more