Warburton awarded MBE for his sterling community work at Sheffield City

Brendan Warburton, the founder and head coach of the Sheffield City Boxing Club, has collected an MBE from HRH Princess Anne at Windsor Castle.

He was bestowed with the honour for his services to boxing and to the community of Sharrow in Sheffield.

Brendan has been the head coach at his gym for the last 11 years after two local gyms joined together.

The tough, inner-city neighbourhood has seen more than its fair share of trouble with shootings and gang violence but Brendan believes that the sport he has dedicated his life to – with its emphasis on discipline, focus and respect – is almost uniquely placed to provide a better alternative to local people.

“I was really honored to be awarded an MBE,” he said. “The gym is very community focused; we change a lot of lives, and it would not exist without the wonderful people, young and old, who are members of Sheffield City Boxing Club.”

The club has many members of the community attend of all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and genders.

Some want to become the next champion whereas others attend purely for the fitness and social aspect.

The club also opens its doors to around 400 students a week from local schools and the city’s two universities. They also have a group of professional and amateur fighters who train there.

Community is at the heart of the club and Brendan dedicates a lot of his time to support local charities and organisations including Centrepoint Homeless Charity, Sheffield United Community Foundation FC, SEN Schools, South Yorkshire Police, and female-only boxing sessions.

The club continues to expand, and they often have to train outside because the space they have indoors is not big enough to meet the demand. They are currently looking options to expand the gym space so they can continue to help and change people’s lives.