Ali brings community event to Holmes Chapel

In September, England Boxing’s Northwest apprentice Ali-Yousri Assad and Everybody, a health and leisure charity, came together to deliver a one-day community engagement event focused on improving lives through sport and health.

The event took place at The Holmes Chapel Community Centre, which sits in the heart of the Cheshire village, and boasted a range of stalls for all ages – ranging from archery to car boot sales to a bouncy castle for the children.

A third party was also influential in making the event a reality: Holmes Chapel Boxing Club.

The club is run by a group of volunteer coaches, who offer coaching and competitive opportunities in boxing. They promote values of hard work, discipline and respect for yourself and others alongside promoting the club to the community of Holmes Chapel and the surrounding villages.

The latter has been a particular tribulation, with the village having mixed opinions upon the announcement of the club opening. Yet, through their hard work and commitment to the sport, Holmes Chapel Boxing Club is now a staple of the community and is the only club within an eight-mile radius.

Through the popularity of the club, and Ali and Everyday’s organisation of the event, over 60 people attended, enjoying the stalls and learning the basics of boxing, even going on the pads with some Holmes Chapel coaches and boxers.

A ‘boxers challenge’ was central to the fun, with the challenge set for participants to rub through a course of cones, throw 20 punches and sprint back, with the fastest to do so winning a prize.

Prizes on the day included medals, Holmes Chapel boxing hand wraps, Amazon gift cards and three free day passes to the boxing club.

Over 20 individuals were given free day passes, meaning not only was the event a success, but it boasts the legacy of giving those individuals the chance to improve their lives through sport.