New facility offers opportunity for renamed Ashfield Spartans to expand

An affiliated East Midlands club has moved to a new, bigger gym – shortly after changing its name to better reflect the community in which it operates.

Ashfield Spartans Boxing Academy opened its new facility on Saturday (29th April), with Notts-based professional Ryan Amos (pictured below) cutting the ribbon.

The new-and-improved space is just a stone’s throw from the old venue and features two rings, various equipment, a classroom for alternative provision, female and male changing rooms, toilets, a store area.

The club were previously known as Mansfield Boxing Academy from its inception, but wanted to better reflect the subsequent move to Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

It also gives a nod to the name of an old boxing club no longer in existence that used to run in the area in the 1970s.

The extra space will allow a team of six coaches to cater for around 50 boxers at any one time – more than double the capacity of the old one-ring venue.

“The last five weeks it has been non-stop – painting, having rings delivered, putting rings up, so I can’t wait until this coming week to actually start coaching again!” said coach Stewart Nubley (pictured top).

“The old gym was smaller, so the extra room means we can now spend more time with the boxers – and welcome more boxers to the club in the future.

“The area might not get the best press or be looked at it a positive light, but we want this club to help change that, reframe it, and look at things in a positive way.

“We are looking at it as a safe place for all people and moving on into the future we want to help a local charity deliver some of their sessions.

“It’s not about the boxing really, it’s about building up people and if they go into the sport then that’s great.”

Find out more about Ashfield Spartans on the club’s Facebook page by clicking here.

Watch a full video on the club’s launch by clicking here.