King's Trust Axes Girls' Boxing Programme Amid Safeguarding Row
The King's Trust, the flagship youth charity founded by King Charles, has made the controversial decision to cancel a specialised boxing and fitness course designed for disadvantaged girls and young women. This move came after concerns were raised that the programme's eligibility criteria could permit biological males to participate, rather than restricting attendance to biological females only.
Course Cancellation Follows Parental Safeguarding Alarm
The 'Get started with Boxing and Fitness for Women' course was scheduled to run in Bristol from 23 to 27 February. Aimed at females aged 16 to 25 who are not in employment, education, or training, the initiative promised to help participants gain qualifications, build confidence, and discover their strengths. However, the programme was advertised as open to 'female identifying/presenting' individuals, which triggered significant safeguarding concerns.
A concerned parent contacted the charity to express alarm, describing the course as a 'wonderful idea' but stating they were 'appalled' by the inclusion criteria. The parent emphasised that allowing biological males to box with or against teenage girls and share intimate spaces like changing rooms and toilets was both unfair and unsafe. Specifically, they highlighted the risk of a 25-year-old biological male potentially punching teenage girls during sessions.
Charity's Response Sparks Fury from Women's Rights Advocates
Instead of modifying the course to be single-sex, as requested, the King's Trust opted to withdraw the offer entirely. In an email seen by the Mail, a charity employee cited the Supreme Court's decision and the 'specific nature of the activity' as reasons for cancellation. This response has ignited fierce criticism from women's rights organisations, who argue that the charity is denying vulnerable young women valuable opportunities.
Su Wong from SEEN in Sport, which campaigns for single-sex women's sports, accused the King's Trust of preferring to 'deny young women the chance of participating at all than possibly offend someone'. She urged the charity to reinstate the course, stressing that programmes labelled 'for women' should be exclusively for biological females to ensure safety and fairness.
Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at Sex Matters, echoed this sentiment, stating it 'shouldn't have taken a Supreme Court judgment' to clarify that biological males should not be allowed 'to punch women for sport'. She condemned the charity's decision as outrageous, noting it undermines its mission to support young people's physical and moral development.
Legal Context and Charity's Stance
The Supreme Court ruled in April 2025 that sex under the Equality Act refers strictly to biological men and women, not self-identification or gender recognition certificates. This judgment has influenced the King's Trust's evaluation of its programmes. The charity confirmed it withdrew the course while assessing its offerings in light of this ruling, though it has not committed to reinstating it as a single-sex initiative.
Originally launched by King's Trust ambassador and Olympic gold medallist Nicola Adams—a vocal advocate for protecting women's sports for biological females—the course webpage has since been removed. The King's Trust, established in 1976 to aid disadvantaged youth, has helped over a million young people, but this incident has raised questions about its commitment to women's safety and rights.
Women's rights groups acknowledge the charity's positive work but demand a reversal of the cancellation, arguing that excluding biological males is essential for safeguarding and equality. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions in policies surrounding gender identity and single-sex spaces in the UK.
