New home is a knock-out success for the Sunderland boxing club which produced an Olympic medallist

Sunderland Amateur Boxing Club has moved into Havelock Tower, in Hylton Road, in a move that not only places the club in a more central location, but also provides more space and improved facilities.

Formed in 1968, the club was previously based in Barnes Junior School and has seen a number of famous faces move through its ranks, including Olympian Tony Jeffries and England Boxing National Junior Champion Laylie Heath.

The club has pulled no punches in making its new home the best it can and invested heavily in the refit, taking it from an unused Duke of Edinburgh Awards Centre to a state-of-the-art boxing gym.

Club Chairman Owen McGhin said: “We’re very excited about this move and the opportunities that it will bring for the club.

“We’ve always been committed to bringing the benefits of boxing training for positive mental and physical health, and we’re proud of the work we’ve done in the city over the last 53 years.

“We have some great memories of our old gym and we trained some fantastic fighters there. But this amazing space will allow us to bring a new dynamic to the club, offer better facilities and hopefully attract more young people to become involved.

“We’re ready to produce even more great local boxing talent in our new home.”

Giles McCourt, associate solicitor and real estate expert at North East law firm Muckle LLP, negotiated the lease on behalf of the club and said: “I am delighted to have been able to support the team at Sunderland Amateur Boxing Club as they move to their new gym.

“Their old premises, which have clearly served them well for the past 53 years, weren’t fit for purpose – particularly in light of what the club wants to achieve in the future. I can’t wait to see the talent that they produce in their new home.”

Owen added: “Working with Giles and the team at Muckle has been fantastic. Giles has made the whole process so easy, and his experience and expertise were vital in securing the site of our new home.”

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