Valerian Spicer, founder & CEO of Empower Box CIC, set up this social enterprise to empower adults and young people by developing their mental resilience, physical wellbeing, confidence and leadership skills through non-contact boxing programmes and certifications. Her mission is ‘to create a powerful global community where women and girls build strength, leadership and belief in oneself through boxing, and carry those qualities into every day life’

"For me, leadership means having an unwavering vision to make a difference, and the resilience to keep going when challenges inevitably arise. I didn’t enter a boxing gym until I was 30, yet went on to become Dominica’s first female international boxer, a world Top-20 athlete, and double Commonwealth Games competitor. This journey taught me to face fear and failure, overcoming doubt, cultural barriers, and gender bias. Boxing taught me that resilience isn’t about being tough, it’s about getting back up, again and again. I lead by example, showing that strength comes from perseverance, not perfection."

Thanks to the Shackleton Grant, Valerian will deliver a year-long Girls’ Boxing & Mindfulness Programme for young women aged 13–25 in Tower Hamlets. The aim is to directly support up to 80 young women from disadvantaged communities to build lasting resilience and improve mental health.