The Bradford wrestling church mixing sermons with suplexes

Sandwiched between the glass-fronted Science and Media Museum and the Alhambra Theatre, you'd be forgiven for missing Fountains Church among Bradford's better-known landmarks.

But on Thursday nights, the Church of England venue fills Glydegate Square with the sounds of spandex-clad wrestlers being slammed onto canvas and cheers of delight from those assembled in the most unlikely of venues for a grapple.

The venue has been combining baptisms and body slams for 12 months, with GT Ministries aiming to provide direction and purpose for young people in the city - whatever their beliefs - who may have lost their way for a variety of reasons. The BBC's We Are England film-makers went to meet them.

Dressed in a "Pray Eat Wrestle Repeat" T-shirt, Gareth "Angel" Thompson says he opened his wrestling ministry to help those who may have been forced to navigate difficult childhoods and volatile family situations.

"You look at the word 'wrestling' - they are wrestling with their demons, insecurities, their past, their circumstances," says the 35-year-old, who describes himself as a Christian, father, husband and pro wrestler.

Cris' wrestling character is called 'Pride', Gareth Thompson is known as 'Angel' and Emma is known as 'Blue Glasses Girl'

The father-of-two hopes the sport and its setting can help to save young people, much like they saved him as a child.

Gareth was sexually abused between the ages of seven and eight and slept in a retail park bin for two months after his mother, who had issues with alcohol, kicked him out on the streets.

He never returned home and stayed in hostels before finding work.

Gareth 'Angel' Thompson set up one of England's only wrestling churches in Bradford in 2021

"The two things that helped me get my life back on track are wrestling and the church," he says.

"The driving force behind the training school is sharing my story and using my past to help others - maybe someone who comes in the door hears something, that's the start of their journey."

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The low-cost training nights attract about 15 people per session, with a fundraiser successfully hitting a £3,000 target for the church to buy a wrestling ring.

Gareth (right) says he wants to help others build positive mental health through wrestling

Gareth, who has been a Christian for 10 years, continues: "Wrestling happens here on a Thursday, you've got food given to the homeless on Saturday and church on a Sunday.

"It's a little bit of everything for everyone, it's pretty awesome."

One of those helped by the ministry is Cris, who has been attending GT Academy sessions for the last seven months - and recently starred in his first "showcase" wrestling event in front of 160 people in the church.

"When I was younger I was bullied relentlessly for being weird," the 35-year-old says.

"I suffered from severe depression from the ages of 14 to 22, with various bouts thereafter. Essentially for five years I just didn't move, I barely left the flat. It was really bad."

His wrestling character is called Pride, which inspired supporters to wave rainbow flags during his debut fight.

Emma and Cris both say they have gained confidence from being involved in the church's wrestling events

Cris identifies as asexual, meaning he has little or no sexual attraction to others.

"I think that's why my wrestling character is so important - coming with the varnish, the rainbow laces, the cape. I'm making a strong statement that I'm here for the queer.

"Outsiders, weirdos, geeks, nerds, people who fall under any umbrella you find, why should they be pushed down because you don't like them?

"Everyone deserves to be happy."

Cris wears a rainbow cape as part of his costume for LGBTQ wrestling character 'Pride'

Church leader Linda Maslen, who helped to carry out six adult baptisms during a recent wrestling event at the venue, says: "I met Gareth three years ago, he said 'this may sound crazy but I'm a pro wrestler, I think we could use this'.

"That ultimately led to us buying a wrestling ring and we thought there actually could be an emerging worshipping community coming out of this."

According to the Church of England, around 7,000 adult baptisms take place a year.

Gareth says: "This idea of doing a wrestling church is not beyond reality, church can be whatever you need it to be to fit the audience.

"Jesus didn't set out a model saying church needs to be X, Y, Z."

Gareth credits both wrestling and the church for being pivotal in turning his life around

Emma, or Blue Glasses Girl, has a chronic pain condition preventing her from wrestling, but her role is to capture all of the backstage action as interviewer and social media guru.

"I get all of the backstage gossip," the 43-year-old says.

She says she experienced a breakdown in 2017, but being part of the wrestling academy over the last nine months has greatly improved her confidence.

Emma, or Blue Glasses Girl, interviews wrestlers before and after bouts and handles social media duties

"If you've come from a chaotic, difficult childhood like I did or you've had trauma in your background, you associate loud, noisy things - aggressive things and men throwing themselves about as being quite dangerous and unsafe.

"It is quite dangerous, but it's done in a measured, controlled environment."

Fountains Church is situated in the centre of Bradford close to the National Science and Media Museum and the Alhambra Theatre

She continues: "It's nice for me to see men getting physical together when it's not aggression or violence, I can see their mental health improving - it's a beautiful thing to observe.

"Gareth has made me feel part of the team.

"I come out feeling spiritually nourished and I feel great about myself, it brings out that creative side of me that makes me feel alive."

Fountains Church's weekend wrestling events attract dozens of people in Bradford city centre

Gareth adds: "What really excites me is we've got this community of people who are coming together to support each other through life's issues, whatever it throws at us.

"That's just awesome."

The Bradford Church of Wrestling will be broadcast on Friday 7 October at 7.30pm on BBC One in Yorkshire, the North West and Lincolnshire and will be available on the iPlayer straight after.