Local MP praise for Strelley’s community work

Strelley Community ABC has been rewarded for its hard work during the Coronavirus Pandemic with a visit from its local MP.

Alex Norris, who represents Nottingham North in parliament dropped in on the venue earlier this month to see for himself the good work being done to engage with local people.

Since the start of lockdown, the club has distributed almost 90 tonnes of food to their local community since lockdown, largely thanks to a partnership built with the FareShare programme.

Strelley has also recently received £15,000 from the Severn Trent Community Fund to deliver a boxing and healthy eating programme, where participants take part in boxing activity, alongside growing their own fruit and veg to encourage the fundamentals of a healthy lifestyle.

The MP has been alerted to the community impact the club was making by East Midlands Club Support Officer Alex Le Guevel, who sent out England Boxing’s ground-breaking research document ‘Evaluating The Impact Of Boxing Clubs On Their Host Communities’ to each of the regions MPs.

When Mr Norris saw the contribution Strelley were making in terms of changing lives for the better, he was keen to see first hand what was on offer.

‘It was an absolute pleasure to visit Strelley Community ABC in my constituency,” he said. “Boxing is a great sport for young people to get into – it teaches the importance of discipline and good personal health.

“The last few months have been very difficult for all of us, but community boxing clubs like Strelley offer an opportunity for local people to gain a skill and improve their fitness.”

Strelley has a proud history of delivering community boxing initiatives – often in tandem with Evolve Nottingham CIC – including working with those suffering from mental health problems, the elderly and young people at risk from crime and anti-social behaviour.

Club coach Gary Bulmer said: “Our club and the projects that we run have gone a long way to improving lives in so many ways. When lockdown came we were blown away by the requests from the community to get involved and help.

“We adapted to meet the need in difficult times, and our club has become a hub for the community to turn to for help and support.

“Boxing has done so much more than get people active here. It has created a support network and a platform for people to make real change.”

Find out more about the club by clicking here.

Pictured are, from left to right, Karen Swan, CEO Evolve Nottingham CIC; Alex Norris, MP for Nottingham North; Gary Bulmer, coach at Strelley Community ABC and Alex Le Guevel, England Boxing’s Club Support Officer for the East Midlands.