Charlotte Gilley boxing

Maverick Stars Trust to boost boxing clubs across the country

February 25, 2019 | by Matt Halfpenny

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A new charity is set to invest £67,500 to support boxing clubs in some of England’s poorest communities.

Maverick Stars Trust has been founded by Charlotte Gilley, who wanted to give something back to the sport after training at a local gym.

After going on to box competitively, her Trust is now donating £150,000 towards the £400,000 needed to build a new purpose-built facility for her club, Timperley ABC, this autumn.

Seeing the hugely positive impact it will have on the local community, Charlotte is also backing other life-changing boxing projects all around the country.

Maverick Stars Trust has pledged to support 27 projects to the tune of £2,500 in each of England Boxing’s nine regions, which will tackle issues such as knife crime, mental health and holiday hunger.

“I want the Maverick Stars projects to draw in boxing people it doesn’t do already,” said Charlotte.

“Boxing Gyms are great for getting people to come in, compete and keep fit, but there is so much more they can do – and a lot of the clubs don’t realise the capabilities they’ve got.

“My ethos is that I don’t want to say no to anyone if they have something worthwhile to give. There are a lot of pots of money out there, but you have to tick so many boxes first.

“Having witnessed at first hand how good the volunteer workforce is, I’m really keen to support them. Coaches and volunteers only have a limited amount of time that they can offer to the sport.

“The Maverick Stars Trust will offer a range of support, including assisting clubs in applying for funding and helping create sustainable clubs for the sport and its members to thrive.”

England Boxing’s Head of Community Development Ron Tulley, along with his team of CSOs, are delighted to be helping the Maverick Stars Trust with their projects.

He said: “The passion of Charlotte to use the power of boxing for good has been evident from the moment we first met her, and her determination to make a difference is inspiring.

“Charlotte knows that boxing really can change lives and we’re extremely grateful for her generosity in funding projects within some of our poorest communities, which I know the clubs who work tirelessly in those areas will be hugely appreciative of.”

Find out more about the Maverick Stars Trust at: www.maverickstarstrust.co.uk and follow the organisation on TwitterFacebook and Instagram.