Club Case Study: Boom or bust in Bognor

After a threat of permanent closure during the Coronavirus pandemic, Bognor ABC has managed to save their club from turmoil and will soon be celebrating their success, with their 100-year anniversary in sight.

Head coaches Alan Wise and Paul Mason managed to secure a 10-year lease at a new venue in Bognor Regis in 2019.  After hitting many bumps in the road, which included the Coronavirus pandemic, the coaches were determined to get the club over the finishing line.

Alan and Paul worked really hard to raise the £44,000 that was required to transform the club.

‘The gym was in a bad way, everything needed to be replaced from the ceiling to the flooring and everything in between” Alan Wise advised us.

“We were very fortunate to have been supported by local businesses, friends and family who all helped out massively whether it was through cash donations or simply coming along and getting hands-on to get the work done that was required to turn this from a building site to a boxing club we could all be proud of.”

“£44,000, a lot of sweat and a couple of years later we were able to proudly open our doors to our local community.”

Clubs Support Officer for the Southern Counties, Max Segre visited the club earlier this week- and said ” “You can truly see the passion that everyone involved with this club has which meant they came together to make the gym what is it today.

The club has put a real focus on ensuring inclusivity is at the forefront of the club welcoming people from all walks of life by going the extra mile even on a limited budget with small details like having sanitary pads in the female toilets to make their members feel valued at Bognor ABC.”

Since the refurbishment, the staff and boxers at Bognor ABC have wasted no time in getting back into the swing of things. Just last weekend they picked up 3 medals at the Riviera Box Cup, with one of their boxers Alfie Lister picking up the award for the most outstanding boxer of the tournament out of just over 200 boxers.

You can find out more about Bognor ABC via their Facebook page ‘Bognor Amateur Boxing Club’  and Instagram  @bognoramateurboxingclub