Express & Star

Spar-a-thon at Boxing Club in Dudley

Around 400 people took part in a 12-hour spar-a-thon to help raise funds for a community boxing club.

Published
Dale Flute, of Tipton, and Arron Lennon, of West Midlands Fire Service, were among those taking part at Priory Park Boxing Club, Dudley.

Bosses at Priory Park Boxing Club in Dudley held the inventive fundraiser from 7am until 7pm on Saturday, hours before one of the biggest fights in the sport's history between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor.

The club's members, from as young as four-year-old, were joined by friends and family, as well as West Midlands firefighters.

The fire service uses the gym for training and crew members were keen to get involved.

Club chairman, Paul Gough, said, "All of the money raised will go to the Priory Park charity.

"It will help us to invest more in kids and to keep them off the streets.

"Boxing here gives them something to do and gives them goals to work towards."

Two rings at the club were in use throughout the spar-a-thon at the club off Priory Road.

Mr Gough, added: "To do what we do costs quite a bit of money. Putting things on like this help us to achieve what we want to do.

"This club is about giving kids on the estate somewhere to go and be focused.

"We hope that they can go on and become good community people.

"Over the years we have produced a lot of champions and have stopped people going down the wrong path. The more money we raise the more people we can help."

Visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/priorysparathon to donate money is support of the club's work.