A fitness charity that makes outdoor gyms from knives confiscated by the police says it is fighting violent crime by giving young people support and a sense of purpose, writes Maxine Brigue…
Founded in 2017, Steel Warriors uses moulted-down metal from weapons seized by the Met to make callisthenics gyms around London.
The charity — which has grown to six gym locations — empowers at-risk young people through their free classes, school visits and gym programme at Brixton prison.
Callisthenics is a form of strength training that uses body weight and compound exercises to work multiple muscle groups at once.
Jenny Oklikah, Steel Warriors’ chief executive, told Southwark News that they chose callisthenics as their sport of choice because it is “attractive and exciting” for young people when they see someone who is good at it.
Oklikah, 54, said: “Callisthenics is great for functional fitness and great for goal setting.
“Young people will set goals on what they want to achieve then take that ability to set and achieve a goal into other areas of their lives. For example, schools report many young people not getting on with mainstream PE or sport but getting on well with callisthenics.”
One 16-year-old boy who was excluded from mainstream education said: “As soon as I started Steel Warriors classes I knew I had found something I liked. I was always quite sporty but didn’t really get on with sport at my school.
“I felt like it was for a different type of person. I felt comfortable here, like it could make me better and give me a focus. I look up to my coaches, Tayo and Colin. I see that I could be more like them.”
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For each of their gyms, — located In Lambeth, Haringey, Stratford and Brixton — Steel Warriors require two tonnes of steel or 8,000 knives. After receiving the knives from the police, the charity, which is the first of its kind in the UK, shreds and melts the steel into form.
Oklikah said: “We get great results. 75 per cent of young people who come to our sessions say they feel better about themselves and more than 90 per cent say they learn new things.”
Alongside their public park gyms, Steel Warriors run mobile events in schools and a 10-week programme in Brixton prison.
Oklikah added: “This is a collaboration between Steel Warriors, the Metropolitan police and Brixton prison, and we are seeing very strong early results.
”We found that younger men who are more attracted to callisthenics are less likely to be in prison educational and vocational programmes so we also provide access to educational support for the prison’s literacy and numeracy classes.
“We’re also adding an awards ceremony at the end so that men who have excelled in this round can support men on subsequent programmes.”
Jenny Oklikah grew up in northwest London and joined Steel Warriors as CEO last year — bringing with her six years of experience working in organisations that provide sport, mentoring and employment support.
Oklikah said: “I have a strong connection to Steel Warriors’s work due to my long-standing commitment to social justice and providing opportunities for young people to develop skills, talents and future prospects.”
Every week, callisthenics world champion and Steel Warriors coach, Simone Ming, leads sessions in Denmark Hill’s Ruskin Park on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Ming, 33, said: “The community we have grown here is unmatched.
”We have a very mixed group of people coming to our classes from six-year-olds up to pensioners from all backgrounds. It’s a great place to really feel included in a great sport.”
Steel Warriors, which focuses on choosing areas with higher levels of deprivation, is expanding to Enfield and looking to open three new locations by the end of this year.
Ming added: “One of our members told me that he was on the wrong track but I encouraged him to come to one of the classes. He was able to build up his skillset and change his whole life around. This member is now a personal trainer and a coach for Steel Warriors.”
Steel Warriors have 12 full places for the TCS London Marathon 2026 but are looking for runners to participate in the following three years. Each runner will commit to a minimum fundraising target of £2,500 which will cover six months of free community classes.
For more details on how to support or donate to Steel Warriors check out their website: https://www.steelwarriors.co.uk/marathon and Instagram: @steelwarriors.
