Club Case Study: Empire School of Boxing

Coaches from Tyne, Tees and Wear club Empire School of Boxing have been honoured with town award.

Les and Margaret Welsh were presented with the Clubs Citizen of the Year award for their outstanding contribution for their support and development of young people.

Based in Blyth, Les and Margaret have been coaches for over 40 years and decided to open the club Empire School of Boxing 30 years ago.

As well as producing multiple national champions, and competing at the highest level of domestic amateur boxing, a major part of their work is trying to combat the drug culture that has hit their area, and being an alternative to crime.

“Some of their stories make you cry.”

“People in our town has come and benefited from our club, and we have produced champions a at every level but I must say it’s the people I love and their journeys.”

“We looked at the 24 hour clock and realised our club was being used every night between 6-9 and little elsewhere .. we now have classes for injured service men from 7 am .. and other groups use
our gym with boxing fitness the key for most problems like depression and anxiety.”

As well as asking the local schools to send along any bullied victims to train free of charge, they have received funding from the NHS to help people recover following operations.

“I think boxing clubs are vital to society for all these reasons and much more.”

“Everyone in our town put our club on a pedestal and call it a shining light and we love our town and the people in it.”

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