Brondesbury Chapter

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At four outdoor gyms across London this summer, teenagers have been learning to lift, balance and control their own body weight. Whether they know it or not, they have also been taking part in something with a significance that goes far beyond physical fitness.

The exercise bars themselves carry a powerful message. They were made using steel recycled from knives taken off the streets.

A £10,000 grant from the London Freemasons’ Charity has helped Steel Warriors to provide free weekly calisthenics classes for young people aged 13 to 19. Running until the end of August 2026, the programme took place throughout the summer at the charity’s outdoor gyms in Finsbury Park, Ruskin Park in Lambeth, Langdon Park in Tower Hamlets and the Carpenters Estate in Newham. We believe that around 200 young Londoners have participated.

Steel Warriors was founded in 2017 by Ben Wintour and Pia Fontes with an inspiring idea: confiscated knives could be melted down and turned into something that strengthened communities rather than damaged them. Its first outdoor gym opened in Tower Hamlets, and the organisation has since grown into a wider “sport for good” charity using calisthenics, coaching and mentoring to support young people affected by violence, crime and social exclusion.

Calisthenics is a particularly accessible form of exercise. Rather than relying on expensive machines or gym memberships, it uses a person’s own body weight through movements such as pull-ups, dips, squats and holds. Each Steel Warriors gym is free to use and designed to offer both a visible stand against knife crime and a positive community space in which young people can develop strength, discipline and self-confidence.

The summer classes supported by London Freemasons were led by coach-mentors, with an average of around 20 young people expected at each weekly session. The aim is not simply to make participants fitter. The programme is intended to improve mental wellbeing and resilience, strengthen relationships with peers and trusted adults, and help young people engage more positively with their education and communities.

For Steel Warriors CEO Jenny Oklikah, that regularity is important. The grant provides “consistent, free access to safe training spaces”, she said, at a point in the year when access to positive activities can be especially valuable.

“These sessions are about far more than fitness,” she added. “They create belonging, confidence and trusted relationships that help young people thrive.”

That combination of physical activity and human connection lies at the heart of Steel Warriors’ approach. Alongside its public gyms and community classes, the charity works in schools and youth settings and helps young people explore potential pathways into the health and fitness industry. Its coaches therefore serve not only as instructors, but also as mentors.

The gyms themselves act as permanent symbols of transformation. Steel Warriors’ early research with youth centres, police and community groups explored some of the reasons why young people might carry knives, including fear and a desire for protection. Its response was to create places where confidence and physical strength could be developed without violence; and where a weapon associated with fear could be recast as something constructive.

It is hoped that this summer’s programme will produce measurable results. Steel Warriors says that typically 90 per cent of regular participants report improvements in their mental and physical wellbeing and 80 per cent report better engagement with education and stronger relationships with peers and adults.

For London Freemasons, supporting the project means backing an initiative that combines a clear stand against knife crime with practical opportunities for young people. “The work that Steel Warriors are carrying out within our communities is fantastic,” says Will Clayton of London Freemasons. Anything that helps to get knives off the streets while offering young adults “a better pathway for the future”, he added, is something London Freemasons can be proud to support.

The £10,000 donation has helped ensure that cost is not a barrier to participation and that young Londoners have access to structured, supervised activity throughout the summer. A knife taken off the street is already one less potential source of harm. In the hands of Steel Warriors, its steel gains a second purpose: helping young Londoners to build stronger bodies, stronger communities and more hopeful futures.

This article is part of Arena Magazine Issue 61 – Summer 2026.
Arena Magazine is the official online magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in Arena Issue 61 here.

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