OUR TEAM
HeadGuard is led by individuals committed to trauma-informed practice, emotional wellbeing, safeguarding, empowerment, education, and humanitarian outreach.
Together, the team combines:
lived experience
boxing and coaching expertise
wellbeing and educational approaches
and community-focused delivery.
OUR APPROACH
Human-centred. Trauma-informed. Community-driven.
HeadGuard’s work is built on the belief that movement, connection, education, and supportive environments can help individuals rebuild confidence, resilience, identity, and hope after trauma and adversity.
The organisation combines:
trauma-informed boxing and movement
mindfulness and emotional wellbeing
education and mentoring
safeguarding-led delivery
and humanitarian outreach
to help create safe spaces for empowerment, healing, and human connection.
CATHY BROWN
Co-founder and Director, HEADGUARD C.I.C.
Former professional boxer, coach, and founder of HeadGuard® and Boxology.
Cathy became one of the pioneering women in British boxing, becoming one of the first women in the UK to receive a professional boxing licence and later winning both the British Boxing Board of Control English title and the WBF European title.
Following her boxing career, Cathy studied psychology and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, developing a trauma-informed approach combining movement, emotional wellbeing, confidence building, and human connection.
Through HeadGuard and Boxology®, Cathy now works to support children, young people, women, and vulnerable communities affected by trauma, abuse, violence, exploitation, displacement, and adversity — using boxing, movement, mindfulness, education, and community support as tools for empowerment, resilience, and hope.
Cathy has delivered projects within the UK and internationally, including humanitarian outreach initiatives in Iraq and Nepal supporting women and girls affected by trauma, violence, displacement, and exploitation.
Cathy’s studies in psychology, cognitive behavioural approaches, mindfulness and life coaching inform her non-clinical educational and wellbeing work.
The roles above relate to HEADGUARD C.I.C. Cathy Brown is also the founder and a proposed trustee of a separate HEADGUARD CIO being established.
GAIL PORTER
Ambassador, HEADGUARD C.I.C.
Gail Porter is a Scottish television presenter, broadcaster and mental health advocate. She became one of the most recognisable faces on British television, presenting programmes including Top of the Pops, The Big Breakfast, Live & Kicking, Fully Booked and How 2.
Gail has spoken openly about her experiences of alopecia totalis, mental health challenges and periods of homelessness. By sharing her story with honesty and humour, she has helped challenge stigma and encouraged more open conversations about vulnerability, identity and emotional wellbeing.
She is an ambassador for several charitable causes, including Prince William’s Homewards programme, which works to prevent homelessness. Her BBC Scotland documentary, Being Gail Porter, received a BAFTA Scotland award. A regular attendee since she was a child, Hung Drawn & Portered was her debut show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023. She returns in 2026 with a new show, Gail Porter: Portergeist.
As a HeadGuard Ambassador, Gail brings warmth, empathy and a powerful understanding of what it means to face adversity, rebuild confidence and help others feel less alone.
GREG WILLIAMS
Co-founder and Director, HEADGUARD C.I.C.
Greg Williams co-founded HeadGuard® and Boxology alongside Cathy Brown.
With a strong background in boxing coaching, movement, and wellbeing-focused delivery, Greg has played an important role in developing trauma-informed boxing programmes rooted in confidence building, emotional resilience, safeguarding, and community connection.
Through HeadGuard and Boxology®, Greg supports programme development, coaching education, humanitarian outreach, and community wellbeing initiatives within the UK and internationally.
Greg has helped deliver projects supporting women and girls affected by trauma, violence, displacement, exploitation, and adversity, including humanitarian outreach initiatives in Iraq and Nepal focused on empowerment, movement, education, and emotional wellbeing.
Greg continues to support the organisation’s vision of using movement, connection, and trauma-informed approaches to help individuals rebuild confidence, resilience, identity, and hope.
The roles above relate to HEADGUARD C.I.C. Greg Williams is not a founder, trustee or member of the proposed CIO and would have no authority to control or bind it.