The boxing mum making peace

In the last few years London has witnessed an alarming rise in knife crime with 64 deaths in the first 8 ½ months of 2018. Four years ago, 20-year-old youth worker Dwayne Simpson was murdered whilst trying to protect a friend. Last year his mum Lorraine told Songs of Praise “I was helpless… but God is holding us all together as a family and a community”.

Dwayne had started a boxing club as a safe place to bring together rival gang members. Lorraine has continued it in his memory and it’s since been given the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service as well as a commendation from the Police and recognition from the Prime Minister.

Fast forward 18 months and Lorraine again speaks to Songs of Praise. Presenter Sean Fletcher visits the boxing club and even has a go in the ring himself. Lorraine explains “we teach discipline, we teach how to focus. The energy is just so charged with unity.” She says life in South London is difficult for many children. “Unless they’re supported, they start making bad choices. That has got to the extent of young people carrying knives…. They call it post code war. Reeling off a list of South London communities she says “if you’re from Angell Town, you won’t go to Tulse Hill. If you’re from Tulse Hill you won’t go to Stockwell. These areas are warring against each other, to the degree that young people wear bullet proof vests as part of their attire.”

But Lorraine is seeing young people from these different postcodes coming to Dwaynamics to learn to box. Lorraine says “and that’s what brings me great joy. Because when Dwayne died, he would go to the different gangs. He tried to bring peace. Whenever I come in here and I see the children working together in peace and harmony, it brings such joy to me.

Visitors to the boxing club are full of praise for Lorraine’s passion and commitment in the face of tragedy. One local police officer, with whom Dwaynamics has a healthy working relationship, says “she’s brought the community together, but not only that she’s brought the police and the community together… to look after and help young people. Boxing is just a way of getting people through the door but there’s many other things going on in the background.”

Young people themselves recognise how the club has changed their lives. One says “She gave us all a second chance. Cause if we do something bad, she took us in, taught us like how to do things and make us go the right path.”. Another comments “so people from different areas that would normally have problems, have come here and now don’t have a problem. Or grow up knowing each other and not have a problem because they’re doing boxing together.”

Another club member says, “Here you have the situation where a life was lost. And Lorraine could have stopped there. But she’s in fact saved many lives by continuing this project and opening it up for the community.”
One of Dwayne’s friends who has seen the club grow from its early days, says “He wasn’t my son but he was my friend. And to see what [Lorraine] has done is an example to show that, even though a bad thing has happened, you can make brilliant things out of it.

Lorraine reflects “[Losing Dwayne} has been the greatest challenge in my life. And it’s the word of God, it’s my relationship with God that has helped me. If I didn’t have that knowledge, and the power of the Holy Spirit working in me, I wouldn’t be here. Jesus is the centre of it all.”