A BOXING club that helps train young Whitchurch people has thanked its community after it raised more than £6,000 for its new premises.

Fort Boxing Club is set to take ownership of a new unit on the Waymills Industrial Estate ahead of a September opening, and has raised £6,500 through two events.

Dan Bailey, the club’s founder, said a bingo night at The Archibald Club in Whitchurch plus a running event between the town and Ellesmere has helped raise the funds and he thanked all those who helped.

He said: “We had a bingo night and there’s people we’d like to thank for doing an amazing job.

“They are Samantha Smith, Denise Cooper, Rachel Terry-Smith and Joyce Baldwin and it was arranged at the Archie.

“We had an amazing turnout – more than 100 people to play bingo and we raised £1,335 on that night and there were a number of businesses in the town who supported us.

“I want to thank the business community that donated the generous prizes for the bingo so much, from myself and the boxing club.

“We’ve had so many ups and downs and put so much in, but we’re in the position now we’re a stable boxing club for the community.

“It’s not just about boxing, but it’s about discipline and gets them off the streets and gives young people a purpose and routines and focus in life.

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“It’s about what it can do for you as a person.

“We also had the Fort Boxing Club fundraising marathon, doing relay runs to Ellesmere and back, with more than 25 people who took part, with 50 family and friends cheering us along.

“We had checkpoints handing out fresh fruit or water that was provided to us, with team members acting as marshals.

“From that and the bingo, we’ve raised £6,500 and then Joyce put on sandwiches and cakes for a little gathering.

“Medals were provided by Jodie Baldwin and it was a real success but couldn’t have been without the community we have.”

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Dan added that the money will be used for kitting out the new gym after a long period of uncertainty for his small club.

He said: “We had to move out (of Bronington) in 2022 so we’d been training in Whixall Social Club twice a week.

“Prior to that we looked for planning permission on new-build units but at the last minute Shropshire Council refused that.

“That was a kick in the teeth but straight after that, another unit became available on Waymills and it’s going through the solicitors now.

“I get the keys for the new gym on Monday and then it’ll be early September when it opens to the public.”