Our boxing gym keeps kids off the streets and now we've been given a £10,000 investment
A Blackpool boxing gym is celebrating a £10,000 investment.
The team behind Brian Rose Boxing Academy has welcomed the investment, saying it is a “real help” for the future of the gym and the young poeple it supports.
Money invested has helped to fund a minibus to increase the scope and impact of the community engagement happening through Brian Rose Boxing.
The project targets young people across Blackpool between 11 and 18 years of age and offers positive alternatives through boxing and mentorship.
Funding came from Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw’s Commissioner’s Community Fund, which supports work with young people to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
Speaking about the cash injection, Brian Rose said: “it means we can take the kids sparring, we can take them to different competitions. Also helps us picking kids up from alternative schools and things like that. So it's been a real help. I'm forever grateful for any grants that we get.”
Dan Coyle, head coach, who co-owns the gym with Rose added: “ if it's helping them mentally and it's keeping them off the streets and that's what we aim to do. We don't just focus on the kids that are going to make it.
“We focus on leading kids down the right path. we've got loads of examples that kids that bit mischievous getting into trouble, they've been brought to me and they've now got a job. You know, they live a normal life now, I've got many examples of that, the went down the right path and that's what all we aim to do.”
He added: “Obviously working in schools and working with kids all different ages for so many years. I feel it's an aggression issue. So to get aggression out, they come somewhere safe. They trust everybody.
“Like I say, you know, there's different ages, different levels, but they all come in, all get treated exactly the same. And then they get to hit a bag, you know, do a circuit, hitting the mats, things like that. Just get any aggression out and, and just enjoy a session and you make it as warm and as welcome as you can.”
Money invested has helped to fund a minibus to increase the scope and impact of the community engagement happening through the academy, which was co-founded by Rose, one of Blackpool’s most decorated boxers.