Newly-affiliated Goole off to a flyer

Goole Amateur Boxing Club is off to a flying start after the community came together to help set up and fund the newly-affiliated club.

The town has the second highest deprivation rates in the East Riding of Yorkshire and has been crying out for a boxing club for the last few years.

Now the former High Sheriff of the East Riding of Yorkshire, together with the Moorlands Community Charity and the support from several other local charities and organisations, have come together to make it happen.

Since the club opened last month in the former Barclays Bank on the main high street of Goole, 560 people have now registered interest and are undertaking taster sessions.

It includes boys and girls aged eight to 17 and men and women aged 18-plus. The club is also delivering women-only sessions once a week.

“It was a big community effort, we had local charities, organisations and businesses come together to make this happen,” said the previous High Sheriff of the East Riding of Yorkshire, Andrew Horncastle.

“They all put a lot of work in to ensuring we had an appropriate venue with a lease and the volunteers and coaches with relevant experience and qualifications who could help put in place all of the policies and procedures to deliver boxing safely and to affiliate with England Boxing.

“We worked very closely with St Paul’s Amateur Boxing Club in Hull, and they were a huge help, as were the Moorlands Community Charity who was and remain key in the development of the club.

“We also had a lot of support from, the HEY Smile Foundation, Goole Youth Action, The Rotary Club of Howden, Humberside Police, Cat Zero and England Boxing.”

“Financial support came from the Police and Crime Commissioner Communities’ Fund, Wind Farm Fund, the Tribune Trust, The Rotary Club of Howden, the W A Horncastle Charitable Trust, the Horncastle Group and Beal Homes. St Paul’s and Humberside Police also helped the club by donating equipment and furniture.”

The main aims of the club are to reduce anti-social behaviour and help disadvantaged young people and families by providing them all with a positive activity to do locally.

Like St Paul’s, the club wants to create not just champions in the ring but champions in life.

Moving forward, there are plans on starting a four to seven age group on Saturday mornings and to move from taster sessions to a regular timetable, including getting some boxers carded.

The club would also like to support more veterans to get involved in boxing and volunteering, with two of the club’s current coaches ex-army.

Mrs Jacky Crawford of the Moorlands Community Charity said: “Huge thanks must go to Neil Begbie, who managed the opening, and to head coach Renetta Edwards and the brilliant team of new coaches who have quickly bonded in to a great team.”

Goole ABC is seeking more volunteers to support them to open more hours and to target more groups in need in the community to have a safe place to train. It is also planned to use the facility more widely to bring more community benefit.

To find out more about Goole ABC and to get involved by clicking here.

If you need help to set up or develop your club, contact your local Club Support Officer by clicking here.