Abingdon has held a connection with Amateur Boxing since 1931 when the Abingdon Town Amateur Boxing Club was first established. Whilst it closed temporarily in 2017 due to it not having its own premises, they reopened in September 2022, using facilities at the Abingdon United Football Club.
Since reopening, they are Abingdon’s first ever club affiliated with England Boxing and currently have over 400 members of all ages, abilities and backgrounds now associated with the club. However, whilst their success is amazing, this rapid growth in membership has brought with it a need for the club to expand and get their own premises in order to provide suitable facilities for members. The club’s coaches have been working tirelessly to raise money, not only for the boxing club but also other organisations that they are affiliated to in Abingdon.
Abingdon Town Amateur Boxing Club has also established resources and activities to keep children and young teenagers off the street and fully engaged in their community by running a boxing scheme for disadvantaged young people to help maximise their chance of having a happy and productive future. These classes have been a great success, and the club is now striving to raise sufficient funds to enable them to build their own premises in order to expand further.
They are a charity based boxing club and have been able to secure a site on which to develop their own club facilities. This is now at the stage of applying for planning permission but in order for the club to move forward further they are calling on the help of people and businesses in and around Abingdon to pledge their support, either financially, with donated materials or giving their time to help with the build. If you have building design, technical or building skills or can offer support by donating building materials, you would be helping to create a legacy for the Abingdon community. A sort of ‘DIY-SOS!’
Paul Blair, Chair of Abingdon Town Amateur Boxing Club tells us more: “Abingdon has always been my hometown. I am now passionate about making a difference here and building a strong community hub for young people. We are a registered charity and rely on donations and sponsorship from local businesses and organisations. All of our teams involved in making the club success are volunteers and we keep our membership fees as low as possible to ensure that we are accessible to all those who want to join. A boxing club provides a safe environment for people from all walks of life. It brings structure, discipline and support to people’s lives from five years upwards, empowering them to make a difference. We work alongside The Abingdon Bridge so that we can assist as many people as possible in our local community by building their resilience and helping them develop the confidence to overcome life’s challenges.”
The club is also running a number of fundraising events this year to raise £10,000 to buy a club minibus to enable them to take the young people they work with to various events. If you are interested in supporting Abingdon Town Amateur Boxing Club by participating in these fundraisers: the Stairway to Heaven in Austria on the 11/15 July or The Monty at Abingdon United FC on the 27 September, please contact Paul Blair on 07394 518069. You can find out further information on Facebook Abingdon Extreme Fundraisers The Gift of Giving.
The club offers boxing sessions for 5 to 8 year olds, 9 to 15 year olds, and those aged 16 and over. They also have all female sessions.
If you are able to help support https Abingdon Town Amateur Boxing Club in any way, please contact the club via email atabc2022@outlook.com.
To find out more visit abingdonboxing.org
