Councillor calls for boxing gym support

AN ECCLESFIELD Parish Councillor has called for his elected colleagues to put their support into a pop up community boxing gym.

Every Thursday from 4pm to 6pm, St Vincent’s Boxing Club, one of the oldest in Yorkshire, hosts a pop-up session at Thorncliffe Community Sports Bar in High Green.

It has proved popular and Cllr David Ogle, who has been vocal in his support for boxing gyms as a way to help lower crime, wants more support for the sessions.

Cllr Ogle said: “Thursday at the community pop -up boxing gym, it’s early evening, still warm but not as bad as it’s been. Ten kids training, usually more, but kids are away on holidays.

“The enthusiasm in the room is joyous to see, these kids are focused but having fun.

The pop-up gym is in its third year and is thriving with preteen girls and boys. “Parents talk of improved behaviour at school and home. Of amazement at kids insisting on eating healthy food. Greens! And wanting water not a fizzy drink – “Because the boxing trainers Paul, John Booker, Jonny Peat said so”, the mums are telling me.

“The pop-up gym is held at Thorncliffe Community Sports Bar in High Green, in the function room. The owners give the room time for free and have done so for almost three years.

“Equipment is sparse, as space is limited, but the quality of instruction from the team of three coaches is top quality.

“It’s clear to me and should be just as clear to any other local elected councillor, that this pop-up gym needs, and far more importantly deserves, our full support.

“One direct benefit to the community is that boxing gyms reduce crime and antisocial behaviour in the communities they serve, this is a clearly established fact.

“We are not going to get a copper on every street corner, we can create projects with a proven ability to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and boxing is one such project.”