Tackling Inequalities Fund: How we have benefited – Underdog Boxing Club

Like many other clubs, Maryport’s Underdog Boxing Club has been hit by government closures because of the Coronavirus Pandemic and the lack on income that has resulted. That’s why Head Coach Wayne Fox was relieved and delighted to secure a Sport England-funded Tackling Inequalities Fund grant to help pay rent and purchase vital sanitiser and cleaning equipment.

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Making the gym COVID-safe

In successfully applying for a Tackling Inequalities grant, it has allowed us to purchase sanitation products and requirements that have enabled us to meet government and England Boxing’s guidelines to keeping the boxing club COVID-19 safe during the restrictions during the pandemic.

All of us at Underdog Boxing Club would like to thank Sport England and England Boxing from the bottom of our hearts for the help and support given during the pandemic.

Planning for the future

In addition to the sanitiser and cleaning equipment that we are using when the gym has been open in between lockdowns, we have also been able to purchase four new AIBA-approved headguards, eight pairs of sparring gloves for the kids and young adults at the club, two full-face headguards, a set of air pads and a couple of groin protectors.

Once contact boxing is permitted to return in the future, this will be put to great use in the club’s newly-purchased boxing ring.

Community ‘relies heavily on gym’

The community relies heavily on the gym being open to help with anti-social behaviour in the town as we are a seaside town with very little for the kids to do and they can often resort to causing trouble and drinking.

By keeping the gym open, it gives them a place to go and a chance to burn off the energy.

We currently have around 20 members, of which half of were involved in some kind of anti-social behaviour while the gym was shut. Getting them back into the gym and active again gives them a sense of purpose.”

More about Underdog ABC

Underdog ABC is a small boxing club in the town of Maryport on the western coast of Cumbria.

It specialising in teaching grass roots England Boxing skills to boys and girls as well as seniors over the age of 18.

The club has set up a PayPal account to allow online payments that reduces contact during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

It has also posted online videos for members to follow and set challenges when the club has been closed for the two lockdowns.

If you would like to find out more about Underdog ABC, you can check out their website and follow them on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

About the Tackling Inequalities Fund

Underdog ABC is one of more than 65 clubs in some of the country’s most deprived communities to which England Boxing has distributed £150,000 from the Tackling Inequalities Fund, funded by Sport England. All clubs given grants had either received no other funding, or were in a critical situation where other funds had been exhausted.

You can find out more by clicking here, or contact the England Boxing Club Support Officer in your region.

Some images are pre COVID-19.