KNOCKOUT BLOW FOR BOXING CLUB
Fears for future after young boxers given notice to quit building
ABOXING club which has become a vital asset for a community has had notice that it will have to close with immediate effect. Kenfig Hill Amateur Boxing Club in Porthcawl has just been given notice to leave its current building.
The club first opened in 2017, and is based just above the Beachcomber pub on Porthcawl’s seafront. But it was only meant to be a temporary solution, as the building is not a suitable home for the club long term, according to the club’s coach, Ryan Osgood, who is also known as Ozzy.
He has worked there for almost as long as the club has been running, and is getting ready to move out by tomorrow. His worry now is that by having to close the club, the members will lose an essential part of their day-to-day lives.
There are between 15 and 20 young people that regularly use the gym, Ryan said, and they will have to find somewhere else to train if the Kenfig Hill gym closes for good. Ryan is also concerned that some of them will have to give up the sport completely.
He said: “They are amazing kids and deserve somewhere where they can come and train and be apart of something and take their minds off the real world for two hours.
“We are a family and everyone is made to feel a part of the family. We serve children and adults from all around the community, from all walks of life and all backgrounds.”
Ryan has been receiving a wave of messages from the young people he trains, with some of them in tears after hearing the news. His plan now is to try to find a space in the Bridgend area as soon as he can.
The boxing club has created two
Welsh champions since it was first established. And many of the youngsters have also taken part in a range of competitions.
Ryan added: “It’s heart-breaking. We need to find somewhere else now as quickly as possible. As long as we can all stay together, that’s the main thing. It’s been an awful week, I’m not going to lie.
“I don’t want to point fingers. I just want to find somewhere so that the kids here still have somewhere to go. We need somewhere that we can call our own so we don’t have to move out again in six months. The head coach is also really disheartened. I’ve really taken this on myself now because I’m determined not to let anyone down.”
The youngsters who have had their lives changed by attending the club have also spoken about the reality that their boxing gym could soon be no more.
Mya, 18, said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of this club and getting to meet all different people with the same passion about sports.
“The club has helped me a lot to develop my fitness, but also develop better discipline. I’m really grateful for the coaches and the help they’ve given me to start off my boxing journey and develop the skills I need.”
Brody Hart, 14, said: “The club means a lot, obviously winning my first Welsh title and the bronze in the GB but it’s not just about that. The amount of amazing memories I have with this club is crazy. This club meant so much to me.
“Everyone in there was like a family so to see it go was heartbreaking.”
Noah Bushell, 16, said: “This club has helped me become fitter and a better person, it has also helped me come out of my shell and make new friends and the club is like one big family.”
Reflecting on his experience so far, Jake Harries, 16, believes the club has something very special about it.
He said: “I have learned so many skills from being at the club and it’s made me the person I am today. Joining a local boxing gym allows you to be yourself and make memories.
“I wouldn’t recommend any other gym than Kenfig Hill ABC.”
Leon Lawlor, 22, added: “Kenfig Hill not only taught me how to box, it taught me what makes a good boxer.
It taught me mentality and to never quit, as well as a variety of training from strength and conditioning to the techniques and processes of different punches.
“The club means a lot to me because as well as its physical benefits, it also taught me a lot about life. And the positive mental effects and changes I have experienced from it alone have been nothing but beneficial.”
Lily Harris, 15, has noticed a huge change in who she has become as a person since joining the club, as well as progressing in the sport.
She said: “It’s made me into a great boxer but I’ve never always felt that way.
“Coming into the gym I had no confidence in myself but every time a session was finished I’d walk out feeling way more confident and resilient because I was surrounded by amazing coaches and friends.”
A father of two of the youngsters at the club, Luke Jones, has also seen how important it is to his children.
He said: “The level of training that they have received is top class. Especially Ozzie – he has brought them on so much. Our son has had two fights already and done amazing. And our daughter is just about to turn eight and start competing. We are completing gutted.
“There is no place like that around here for them that will give them this opportunity. It’s hard to find clubs to accept a young girl these days, but they need this skill all throughout their lives. We really hope someone can help. It will be such a waste of upcoming Welsh talent.”