LION Initiative | Community, Strength & Wellness

About Lion Culture Initiative CIC

Lion Culture Initiative is a Community Interest Company based in Liverpool. A CIC means all income is reinvested into our programmes. No shareholders. No profit extraction.

We run four programmes for men, women, people leaving prison, and young people. Every programme is built on the same foundation: leadership and management principles applied at the individual level.The frameworks used in elite sport and high-performing organisations are universal. We make them accessible to people who need them most, and deliver them through physical training and honest conversation.

What we teach:

Conflict resolution
Change management
Goal-setting and accountability
Personal values and behaviour
Network building
Communication and leadership

What Is The Lion Culture Initiative?

We exist because too many people are failed by systems that do not meet them where they are.
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We do.
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Our main work is with men in and leaving HMP Liverpool, and with care leavers and young people aged 18–21. We also support people leaving the Armed Forces. Different routes, same turning point, you lose your roof, your routine, your income and the people you belonged to, all at once.
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Through physical training, group workshops and expert-led education, we give people the skills to manage conflict, handle change, set goals and build real support networks. Then we stay with them, free weekend sessions, community walks, a peer group and one-to-one mentoring, for as long as they want us.

We are a Community Interest Company. Everything we earn goes back into the communities we serve.
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LION Culture Initiative CIC, registered in England, no. 15807574.

Our Approach: Leadership Skills for Real Life

At the heart of every programme is a leadership and management framework applied to the individual. We teach:

Conflict Resolution

Manage disagreements, de-escalate situations, and communicate under pressure.

Change Management

Adapt to new environments, major transitions, and unfamiliar challenges.

Goal-Setting

Set meaningful targets, build accountability, andmeasure progress.

Values and Behaviour

Understand what drives you and build your decisions around it.

Network Building

Form lasting relationships with peers, mentors,and community organisations.

Self-Leadership

Build the self-awareness, resilience, and discipline that lasting change requires.

Our Four Programmes

Each programme applies the same core framework within a specific community and context.

Men's Performance Programme

A free weekly programme for men. Physical training, honest conversation, and expert-ledhealth education. A space where silence is replaced with community.

• Saturday 08:00 Boxing and Cardio | Cinetico Fitness, Halewood, Liverpool L24 9TJ
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• Sunday 08:00 Strength and Conditioning | Elev8 Gym, 17 Vulcan St, Liverpool L3 7BG
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• Expert talks: stress, sleep, diabetes, prostate and testicular cancer
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• Group goal-setting and personal development
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• Coffee and open conversation after every session

The Lioness Programme

Built for women ready to invest in themselves. Structured fitness, confidence, leadership skills, and a community where women grow together.

• Structured physical training led by qualified coaches

• Personal values and goal-setting workshops

• Network building with peers and mentors

• Communication and confidence development

• Inclusive, supportive, and welcoming to all

The Prison Project — evaluated by Liverpool John Moores University

Delivered monthly inside HMP Liverpool. Men leave with a plan they wrote themselves, where they'll live, how they'll earn, who to call when it goes wrong. Independently evaluated by Liverpool John Moores University, with a foreword by the Governor.

• Structured training, physical sessions and healthy routines
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• Conflict resolution, emotional regulation and change management

• Values, goal-setting and a release plan including accommodation

• Communication and employability skills

• Continued support after release, weekend sessions, peer group, mentoring

• Connection to housing, resettlement, community networks and employers

• Delivered with prison governors and probation services

Lion Culture Futures

For young people who need direction, belief, and the skills that school alone does notalways teach. We work with school leavers, those in alternative provision, and young people at risk.

• Sport and physical activity as a gateway to personal development

• Leadership, communication, and teamwork workshops

• Values and goal-setting for early adulthood

• Mentorship from practitioners with lived experience

• Pathway planning into employment or further education

Delivered under the Liverpool City Region Youth Guarantee Trailblazer, supporting care leavers and young people aged 18–21 into housing and employment.

Support Real Change for Real Men

Make a Donation Contact Us

Be Part of the Solution

This isn’t just about fitness. It’s about mental strength, emotional wellbeing, and genuine human connection. Every week, men show up for themselves and each other, in a space where silence is broken and real change begins.

Too many men are fighting silent battles—stress, isolation, health concerns they never talk about. We're here to change that. But we can’t do it alone.

By donating to the LION Culture Men’s Wellness Programme, you’re not just supporting an initiative, you’re helping create a future where men are empowered to speak up, show up, and grow stronger.

Changing Lives Through Movement, Community and Courage