School of Hard Knocks works with 37 schools across the UK. We are looking for a number of businesses to become SOHK Corporate Partners so that no child is left behind due to a lack of funding.

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Many of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and prolific leaders in business came from humble beginnings. They had to climb through windows and squeeze through gaps to find opportunities, but eventually someone opened a door. School of Hard Knocks (SOHK) works with people just like this; young people who are brimming with potential, but who come from challenging backgrounds and who are in complex and stressful circumstances.

The SOHK Schools Programme uses a combination of high-impact sport, predominantly rugby, and a unique psychology to help children who have not been given the same advantages others have, to realise and reach their potential. The programme is delivered over three years to facilitate long-term change, and is designed by behavioural specialists and expert psychologists to create internal change in participants, which in turn enables positive external behaviours.

Schools have been experiencing a major funding crisis for some time now, and with costs soaring, schools are being forced to make tough decisions to balance the budgets. When the toss up is between being able to keep the classroom lights on and being able to fund supplementary support programmes, it is inevitable the latter will come in second place; yet the need for our programmes have increased tenfold over the past few years, with there being a 191% increase in SOHK schools participants since 2021.

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Help us to close the gap

The cost of a SOHK Schools Programme is between £30-£32k per annum. This includes 38 sessions for up to 50 pupils.

The schools that we work with contribute whatever they are able, and SOHK raises funds to meet the shortfall. As a result of the funding crisis, we are seeing a rapid decline in financial contributions from schools and expect to see a number of schools drop out of the programme for the 23/24 academic year. The success of the programme relies heavily on consistency for these young people. Your support will enable us to continue working with all of our young people so that our programmes have a lasting impact.