From trauma to triumph, She Beasts, a powerhouse social enterprise founded by a survivor-turned-coach, is breaking new ground with the official launch of its Breaking Glass Ceilings youth programme: an expansion that signals a bold new chapter for the organisation and the Midlands communities it serves. Born from lived experience, She Beasts has been building a movement over the past four years: empowering women through fitness, mindset, and trauma-informed coaching. Now, the team is turning its attention to the next generation.
Sadie Jones, founder of She Beasts CIC, and a trauma-informed coach, leads inclusive programmes that bring together females across generations, from girls aged 8 to 17 to women in their late teens through to their 60s. Her own journey began in a chaotic environment, marked by domestic violence, estrangement from her parents, and time in care. A teenage mum at 17, she was told she’d never succeed, but she chose a different path. In her twenties, she left Birmingham, built a career in finance, and used sport as a lifeline. In her 30s, she retrained as a personal trainer, competitive bodybuilder, and Master NLP Practitioner.
Through coaching, she found her true calling: helping women who had experienced trauma to rebuild. This led to the creation of She Beast as a social enterprise, where income from paying clients funds free support for women in refuges. Her mission is rooted in lived experience, resilience, and a deep commitment to giving back.
Breaking Glass Ceilings is She Beast’s new innovative youth programme focused on prevention and empowerment. Designed to reach young people early, it addresses important topics like body image, nutrition, healthy relationships, and decision-making, helping participants navigate life’s challenges with confidence and resilience. Using She Beast’s signature energetic movement methods, including rebound boots, trampolines, and boxing, the programme actively engages young people in a fun and dynamic way, literally breaking through physical and mental barriers.
Originally created for girls aged 8 to 18, the programme has recently expanded to include teenage boys, reflecting the belief that breaking barriers is a journey for all genders. Older participants (16–18 years) can earn diploma credits that contribute towards further education and open doors to summer job opportunities in gyms and fitness centres, blending life skills with tangible qualifications.
Launched as a pilot with Heart of England in North Birmingham, Breaking Glass Ceilings is now growing across the Midlands thanks to support from Sport England and Knight Frank. This expansion includes partnerships with local youth groups such as Brownies units, schools like Nelson Mandela School, and other community organisations.
The programme runs in six-week cohorts, blending physical activity with vital wellbeing education. Sessions cover nutrition basics, hormone and body awareness, healthy relationship building, and life skills, encouraging young people to become coaches themselves, passing on what they’ve learned to family and friends. This peer mentoring approach strengthens learning and builds leadership.
Many participants come from vulnerable backgrounds affected by trauma or disadvantage, making this programme a crucial alternative path to break cycles of violence, exploitation, or crime. At its heart, She Beast believes true wellbeing starts from within, combining mindset, nutrition, and self-respect to fuel lasting transformation. With lived experience as their guide, She Beast mentors don’t just teach theory; they share survival, growth, and hope, showing young people that their past does not define their future.
Sadie Jones, Founder of She Beasts added: “I want to see a community that truly thrives, and I believe that starts with how we eat, how we move, and how we speak to ourselves and each other. That’s the skill set we aim to build, and it forms the foundation of the entire programme.
My vision was to create a social enterprise that works with women in the community who had disposable incomes to pay for training and then using that revenue to support women in refuges. I told the refuges: ‘You don’t need to pay me. I’ve been there. I just want to give back.’ The She Beast Academy was created to train coaches with lived experience of trauma and transformation. We now offer Level 3 Diplomas, enabling women from our programmes to become certified coaches. Ten women are currently enrolled, with one set to qualify by September and the rest by year-end.
Seeing these incredible women succeed is the reason we launched the ‘Break Glass Ceilings’ Campaign, in order for a community to thrive we must start with the younger generation – It’s all about prevention. Our goal is to equip them with tools that last beyond the programme. We want them to walk away with more than just physical strength. We want to see confidence, awareness, and hope. Many of the young people we work with come from environments affected by trauma, substance abuse, or systemic disadvantage. Some may be more vulnerable to falling into cycles of domestic violence, exploitation, or crime. This programme offers them a different path.
At the core of She Beasts is the belief that wellbeing starts from within. Looking good is a bonus. But it’s the internal work, the mindset, the nutrition, the self-respect, that truly transforms lives. We share our lived experience throughout the programme. Everyone involved in She Beasts has overcome something, whether it’s domestic abuse, sexual trauma, addiction, or mental health challenges. That’s what makes us powerful mentors.
We don’t teach from theory. We teach from survival and growth. And we show young people, in every way we can, that your past doesn’t define your future. Who you become next is entirely up to you. You rise. You fall. You rise again. That’s not just training. That’s transformation. That’s what it means to be a She Beast.”
If you’d like to know more about, She Beasts CIC and the Breaking Glass Ceilings campaign, please visit their website.
