Phoenix boxer Isabella, 12, delivers aid to Ukrainian families in Warsaw

A young boxer from Phoenix ABC, Nottingham has travelled with her father to Polish capital Warsaw to deliver aid to Ukrainian families following the outbreak of war.

There is no sports provision for the Ukrainian youngsters – and very little for them to do all day – as they wait for transit to another country, or to another part of Poland, with some having been on site at the Global Expo Refugee Centre for more than a month.

The Cherrett family were due to travel to Turkey on holiday, but, after Isabella’s insistence, they decided to adjust their plans to travel to eastern Europe.

They received funding from the Nottinghamshire Hub Scheme, which allowed them to purchased £1,000 worth of sports equipment and travelled to Poland.

James Cherrett, farther of Isabella, said: “I am so proud, she is an ambassador to the sport, and as a dad I am just blown away.

“My daughter took it upon herself to put this idea together, and she spent nearly three days doing boxing sessions with the children, after which they nicknamed her The Little Boxing Girl.”

“Isabella showed such maturity the whole time we were there. Sports has no boundaries, and we spent hours with them, and it brought days of pure joy for the children and a break from the horrors they have endured.”

The next phase is to try and get funding to build a secure sporting area just outside the centre for the kids to enjoy and continue their boxing sessions.

James added: “We would like to build an outside area with astroturf, so the children have got safe open-air space to go to.

“We understand that this conflict isn’t going away, and they have around 400 to 800 people coming into this refugee centre a night, and they haven’t got anywhere to go.

“Our aim to try and bring some sustainable joy to them.”