A new community boxing club is being launched in Warrington this week to help tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the Chapelford area.
The club, which will be run by LiveWire, has been set up thanks to funding from Cheshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, David Keane.
Staff from LiveWire will work with children aged seven to 16 years to encourage them to take part in boxing workouts and fitness drills. The club will also provide a base for young people to exercise, learn new skills and socialise.
It is hoped the activities on offer will help promote community cohesion and deter young people from causing trouble on the streets in west Warrington. It will run each Friday night between 7pm-9pm from Chapelford Primary School.
This is the second boxing club to be established by LiveWire in Warrington. Westy Boxing Club, which has been running in the south of Warrington since 2015, has helped dramatically reduce the number of ASB call outs in that part of the town.
The project will be led by Paul Flannery, neighbourhood engagement officer, at LiveWire. He commented: “We’re really pleased to have been granted this funding by Cheshire Police to run a boxing club in Chapelford.
“It will build on the work already carried out by LiveWire’s Friday Night Doorstep Sports Club which was launched in west Warrington in 2016 to try and tackle ASB in the area.
“On average, 70 young people across the town were taking part in the Friday night doorstep sessions every week and we hope that we can engage with more young people in west Warrington through the new boxing club.”
A launch event for the Chapelford club will be held next Friday (17 February) with Commonwealth gold medal boxer, Courtney Fry attending to officially open the club.
David Keane, Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, said: “I set up the Safer Communities Fund to encourage our communities to take a leading role in the prevention and reduction of crime and support us in having a police service connected to our local communities.”
“I am proud to be able to support Chapelford community boxing club and I hope that local residents embrace this community led project. I fully support the aims of increasing both community cohesion and the promotion of positive activity to support young people and I look forward to visiting the club to see the impact it has on local community.”
A launch event for the Chapelford club will be held thisFriday (17 February) with Commonwealth gold medal boxer, Courtney Fry attending to officially open the club.
The project will be supported by Sainsbury’s, who will be providing refreshments at the launch night and each week for the young people taking part in the activities.
David Keane
