Community Chest funding from the Sports Council for Wales has proved a knockout among junior boxers in Denbigh.

Denbigh Amateur Boxing Club has been awarded a grant of £1,000 towards new equipment, such as gloves, pads and head guards.

The club wanted to replace their tired equipment with brand new kit and are aiming to develop boxing sessions for secondary school aged youngsters in the area after being approached by Denbighshire 5x60 Officer, Rhodri Sellers to develop after school classes. The sessions, which are thought to be the first of their kind in Wales, will start on 24 February, 4pm at Denbigh Leisure Centre and are heavily focused on skill and technique as opposed to power, in line with SABA (Schools Amateur Boxing Association) rules.

Trainer and Committee Member, Nathan Hanika, said:

"We have a strong base of experienced, qualified coaches and we hope this grant alongside their volunteering will help the children of Denbigh.

"The boxing club has a great history of helping underprivileged and vulnerable children in the Denbigh area and we are looking to promote the club in local schools to make our sessions more accessible to the local community.

"The benefits of regular training and the release of any pent up aggression helps our current members, many of whom say the club has helped them to become better members of society. Respect for ourselves and others is at the forefront of every training session."

Training sessions happen every Monday and Wednesday night from 7-8.30pm at Middle Lane, Denbigh.

Elsewhere, 69Kg Light Welterweight Joe Lovell, 17 from Connah’s Quay has won the Young People’s Clubs of Wales Championship. The Deva Boxing Academy fighter came out on top after a hard fought battle with Victoria Park, Cardiff boxer Dougie Price in South Wales on 12 February. Lovell will now go on to face the English Champion in Bristol on Saturday 28 February.

Deva Boxing Academy Head Coach, David Evans said:

"Joe boxed very, very well and is a fantastic role model for the younger kids in the club. He’s been getting involved in coaching recently and spends a lot of time helping the youngsters, especially some of the autistic lads we have at the club."

Deva Boxing Academy has received various funding grants from the Sports Council for Wales, amounting to just under £10,000 that has gone towards new flooring, coach education and new equipment such as mitts and punch bags.

Since the inception of the Sports Council for Wales’ Community Chest scheme in 1999, communities across the length and breadth of Wales have been investing heavily in sports and physical activity projects.

Chair of the Sports Council for Wales, Philip Carling, said:

"Community Chest has been and continues to be a huge success and is very popular throughout Denbighshire. The increase in funding and the greater scope of the scheme will increase its effectiveness.

"Panels based in each of the 22 local authorities in Wales hold the purse strings and have delegated authority to award grants to worthwhile projects. We want to hear of bright ideas and projects that will get more people in Denbighshire more active, more often."

As a result of the popularity and undoubted success of the scheme, the Sports Council for Wales is raising the level of grant. Organisations keen to develop sport and physical activity in Wales can now receive up to £1000 for a qualifying project over a 12 month period.

The scope of the scheme has also been widened. Grants have traditionally been awarded to sports clubs and sporting bodies. Now most organisations seeking to develop physical activity and sporting projects will be eligible for an award.

The Community Chest has recently been infiltrating additional areas of work such as the voluntary sector (e.g. Voluntary Youth Clubs, Women’s Institute) and the workplace, as well as continuing to support projects in the health and education arenas. So while funding the local football club might get the younger members of the community moving, backing a walking group will encourage more adults to get active.