Marcellus Baz

Marcellus Baz BEM heads charity-based organisations in Nottingham, offering community sports facilities together with outreach to, and mentoring of, young people. In 2016, Baz was named the BBC Get Inspired Unsung Hero at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards for his support of young people in Nottingham, UK. He received the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to youth boxing and the community in Nottingham.

Baz has been interviewed about youth violence, knife crime, and UK drug culture. He also completed a TEDxYouth talk in 2018 entitled Your Tribe is Your Vibe.

Early life

Baz was born and raised in The Meadows, Nottingham. As a youth he spent a lot of his time on the streets and soon turned to selling drugs and carrying weapons. He took up boxing at a leisure centre, however hand injuries from a knife attack ended his chance at a boxing career.

Charitable work

Baz registered the Nottingham School of Boxing as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in September 2014. It is the sister organisation of Switch Up, a Community interest company that uses its profits to facilitate sport, mentoring, counselling, education and to deliver outreach services to young people in Nottinghamshire.

In February 2022, Baz established links with Mansfield District Council to take over a former community sports hall as a boxing gym.

Awards and honours

• BBC Sports Personality of the Year Unsung Hero Award: 2016
• 2016 BBC East Midlands Get Inspired Unsung Hero award
• Sport Nottinghamshire Community Champion of the Year
• British Empire Medal: 2017
• 2017 UK Coaching National Community Coach of the Year
• Ambassador of UK Coaching
• 2017 Community Coach of the Year, Nottingham Post Sports Awards