LAUNCESTON Amateur Boxing Club’s long-term future is up in the air after its current home was sold for development.
The club’s current gym is situated in a unit at Troods Yard, Priory Mill, Newport, near to Launceston Steam Railway.
However, the unit has been sold to developers, meaning the club, which has been based there for the best part of the decade and is affiliated to the Amateur Boxing Alliance, need a new gym.
Head coach, Des Charnock, is already on the case, but knows that a solution needs to be found.
Des said: “We’ve known that we may have to move out for a couple months now. Homes have been built around the unit for a while and now they’re going to knock it down for more houses.
“Bob’s (owner Bob Martin) been very good to us in helping us and has only charged us £60 a week rent which is nothing really.
“But we need to get moving and I’ve already had a look around potential sites and contacted the town council but they don’t have anything for us at the moment.
“A couple of potential options have been way too expensive, as we can’t really afford much rent. I also had a look on the Units for Let website but for a 1,000 square foot area, they’re charging a minimum of £600 a month and we can’t simply afford it. We’re a community-based club, who charge £1 a night for boxers to come and train.
“But I’ve found a perfect location near to the multi-story car park and I’ve sent a letter to the owner and am awaiting his response.
“The venue would be perfect and provide us with exactly what we’re looking for. I’d never been in there before and it’s absolutely massive. The upstairs area is a 40ft by 30ft space, which would give us a 1,200 square foot area.
“We need to be able to get in a 20ft by 20ft ring, be able to hang 12 to 14 punchbags and also have enough floor space for all of our exercises and we’ll still have room after.
“All we’d have to do is put in a staircase but we’d be able to do that. We own all of our equipment, so it’s simply a case of finding somewhere, which is affordable.
“We only earn money through fees and our boxing shows so we don’t have lots of money to spend.”
Launceston Amateur Boxing Club has been in existence for over 50 years and have punched well above their weight in recent times, producing area and national champions as well as Olivia Orchard who won a bronze medal in the European Championships in Poland in 2012 and reached the quarter-finals of the World Championships in Bulgaria a year later.
They also currently have two professionals in their ranks — Wes Smith and Jordan Platt — who are both undefeated at the early stages of their career.
At the moment the club has 55 members, both male and female, ranging from the age of eight to 45, and is open from Monday to Friday throughout the week.
Des believes that the club is pivotal in the local area, adding: “We’re giving a place for people to vent their frustrations, follow healthy living, stay on the right side of the law and most importantly learn a new skill.
“Over the years we’ve done extremely well with the likes of Olivia Orchard and boxers representing our country. We’ve also had lots of area champions and people reaching the latter stages of the nationals so we’re a successful club.”
Although the club’s future is up in the air at the moment, Des insists that whatever happens, a solution will be found.
“At the moment we’re open to all suggestions. We’re willing to share if we really have to so all options will be considered.
“Wes (Smith) has already said that he’d be happy to move all of our stuff out to his family farm in Altarnun. While that would be fine for the seniors, it’s not a viable option for the kids as they’re the future of the club and we need to have the gym in the town.
“However, I will not let the club fold and we will find something. We have a committee of volunteers who put their heart and soul into the club, so we will do whatever we can to ensure that the children of this community have somewhere to go if they want to learn how to box.”
If you have any suggestions or want to find out more information, contact Des on 07850 444186 or email [email protected]
Alternatively, to find out more about the club, visit their Facebook page at ‘Launceston Amateur Boxing Club’.