Clayton Amateur Boxing Club has provided a safe space for hundreds of children and young people. Some are trying to turn their lives around, others from challenging backgrounds and many are just looking for a place to go in the face of cuts to youth services.
Head coach and volunteer John Brindle (pictured) works with vulnerable adults by day, and by night is renowned for the time and dedication he devotes to grateful families in Clayton-Le-Moors.
With more than 70 kids signed up to his boxing classes each week – they are the latest of hundreds who have passed through John’s gym doors over the years.
All the members are inspired by the club’s camaraderie and training, and some have gone on to find rewarding careers in the armed forces.
Another former club member and success story is Ellis Nuttall who was 14 when she began boxing with the club.
Ellis went on to win a national title aged 18 and has now opened a boxing club of her own, in Wigan.
This not for profit organisation run entirely by volunteers needs new premises and equipment to meet growing demand and to continue its work helping the boys and girls in the area to prosper and grow.
John’s fellow coach Martin Morley (pictured), a self-employed joiner and building contractor by day, explains why the club – currently housed in an old garage near Mercer Park – is desperate for funding.
“The place we are in now is an old garage which has no heating and a leaky roof. We need a better place to encourage more members to join.
“We’re treading water in terms of progression and struggling to get funding without a proper venue.
Please dig deep and keep this amazing community project alive and kicking . . .