Sport and politics combined once again to celebrate the launch of a new partnership at a Lancashire gym. Maverick Stars Trust is working with Love ABA Police Boxing Club on a series of new initiatives.
L-R Charlotte Gilley (Maverick Stars Founder), Jake Berry MP, Paddy Connellan
The Rawtenstall gym, under the guidance of Paddy Connellan, has benefited from the charity's 'subs for clubs' initiative. All members trained for free for the first two months post-lockdown. The project gave the club a financial boost and supported the boxers' families, many of whom have struggled during the pandemic.
Maverick Stars has also secured funding for the club with help from MP for Rossendale and Darwen, Jake Berry. The award will ensure the club continues its excellent community work.
"Now we have got a couple of coaches that come through the day one day a week, that opens up avenues," said Paddy. "We want to expand, we want to open it up to kids with autism, we haven't got that available to us at the moment but people have asked us for it."
To celebrate the new partnership, Jake attended a boxing session and even pulled on the gloves - albeit briefly! He said: "It's fantastic to see the work being done with so many young people; but in fact, an ABC is a lot more than that.
"I have lived in Rossendale for over a decade and I didn't know about the community work that is being done here, the outreach work to help people get back into the workplace, learn real self-worth, discipline, fitness.
“It's just brilliant to see it. It's a facility with boxing at its heart but this place goes so far beyond that."
