A BOXING club believes its knock-out blow landing more than £340,000 in grants to expand will benefit its whole village.
Berinsfield Boxing Club’s headquarters is set to double in size after a four-year battle to win the bonanza.
South Oxfordshire District Council gave the club £206,230, while the Amateur Boxing Association of England gave £50,000, a further £50,000 came from Oxfordshire County Council’s Youth Opportunity Fund, and another £40,000 from the Oxford-based Robin Greaves Sports Foundation.
Building has started on a £350,000 extension, which will include a training area, an office, better changing facilities and a young people’s recreation zone.
Club member Mel Corrigan said: “It’s been a long, hard journey for us — but it’s all been worth it.
“It is absolutely fantastic for the club. We are a busy and growing club and this means we can stay on the same site.
“But it will also do things for the commmunity. We want to get the older people involved and run things like bingo nights. It won’t just be a boxing club.”
He said the club was successful in getting the grants as the donors could see the “worthiness” of the club.
Mr Corrigan added: “They can see what we are achieving. We are getting kids off the streets.
“Boxing teaches them discipline and that is a big thing. But it also keeps them fit and gives them another interest. Instead of taking their frustrations out on someone, they can hit a punchbag.”
He said the club was the biggest in the county and the improvements would mean it could soon have one of the best club facilities in the country.
He said: “The club goes back a long way — it just keeps getting bigger and stronger.
“We are grateful to all the organisations who have supported us on this project.
“We are looking forward to the club being a centre of excellence – by 2011, we hope to have achieved our club mark status. The extension will make a big difference for everyone who currently uses the club and we hope to attract more members with our excellent new facilities.”
Mr Corrigan’s son, Lee, is the club chairman and said: “It has been emotional because out of all the grants we applied for, we have not been declined once.
“It is an excellent feeling. It has done a lot for the club, but also the community as well. It has been an horrendous amount of work, but we took the bull by the horns and got on with it.”
Rodney Mann, the South Oxfordshire District Council cabinet member for grants, said: “The council is committed to helping promote fitness and healthy lifestyles and so fully supports this excellent project.”
The club is open for amateur boxing sessions for anyone aged from nine to 40 years old and has five qualified coaches.
