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09/10/2008
New club opens in Patchway
A new boxing club has opened in Patchway to help local people get fit and find potential future champions.
The Patchway National Smelting Amateur Boxing Club was officially launched during an open day at Patchway Sports Centre, where a gym, ring and several punch bags have been set up with the help of South Gloucestershire Council.
A £1,000 grant was also given to the project by the Bank of Ireland towards the cost of equipment.
Plans for the club have been in the pipeline for the past year, since Patchway family-school sport co-ordinator Rachel Nightingale started exploring the possibility of establishing a boxing club.
It is based within the Patchway Community College site in Hempton Lane and run by the National Smelting Amateur Boxing Club in Avonmouth.
Head coach Garry Cave said: "We already run a very busy gym in Avonmouth that has produced many champions over the years, such as Olympic medallist Nicky Wiltshire. We hope our new Patchway gym will produce many more boxing champions for the club.
"Amateur boxing is one of the most rewarding, challenging and safest sports available to young people today.
"It isn't about knocking people out, it's about outscoring them."
PE teacher Andrew Forward is among four teachers at the college who are Amateur Boxing Association-qualified coaches and they have been coaching youngsters during the school day at the gym.
He said: "Boxing has helped re-invigorate extra-curricular sport at the school.
"Pupils of all ages and both genders have been getting involved."
The club is open to anyone over 10 years of age, with sessions running on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at £2 for the under-17s and £3 for everyone else. They are coached by Lee Cummings and Jake Whiteside, who also works at Patchway Sports Centre.