A Goole boxing club which has been punching above its weight since opening its doors has become an independent charity.
Goole Amateur Boxing Club was established by The Moorlands Community Charity in partnership with local businesses in 2021, to meet the needs of young people in the town. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength, attracting more than 200 members and 67 carded boxers ready to represent the club. Now, the club has become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in its own right, after being operated by The Moorlands Community Charity for the past two years.
Jacky Crawford, CEO at The Moorlands, said there had been a need for a community boxing club in Goole for a number of years, but previous attempts to establish one had failed. Jacky said: “We worked with St Paul’s Boxing Academy in Hull and with their help and the help of local businesses, we opened the gym in the former Barclays Bank premises in the town centre precinct. “It has been fantastic to be involved in what started as a pilot project and to see so many young people getting involved and taking part. “Youth provision in Goole has been reducing over a number of years. Here is a club that we hope will help turn the tide and go on to help many youngsters over the coming decades.”
Goole Amateur Boxing Club is run by a team of volunteer coaches, led by Head Coach Renetta Edwards. Boxers from the club regularly compete in tournaments across the UK, and the club is gaining a reputation of producing some talented young athletes. Renetta said: “Our sessions are very popular with groups of 8 to 13 year olds, 14 to 18 year olds and mixed adults, with some real stars of the future showing fantastic potential. “We hope to train boxers towards the highest level. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a future Goole boxer at the Olympics or Commonwealth Games?” She added that with all the success the club had achieved, the time had come for it to become an independent charity, with the official new name of Goole Amateur Boxing Club Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
Renetta added: “The Moorlands Community Charity has been fantastic and without it, none of this success would ever have happened. “The plan now is to continue to grow and offer opportunity to young people in and around Goole to develop and shape their lives. “Boxing does not just build fitness; the sport teaches discipline and respect, and that hard work pays off - all the qualities that employers look for. These are qualities that open doors to future career paths as well as building personal skills, self-confidence and improving social mobility - exactly the things we should be teaching our young people.” If you are interested in learning more about Goole Amateur Boxing Club CIO, go to www.gooleboxingclub.org or visit the club one evening to meet the team.
(L-R) England Boxing qualified coaches Owen Edwards, Zygimantas Butkevicious, Renetta Edwards, and Jessica Williams, and Andrew Horncastle MBE, at Goole Amateur Boxing Club, which has recently become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. (10-08-725 SU)
