Maverick Stars Trust boxing project one - Wimborne ABC

What Wimborne ABC stands for

Wimborne Amateur Boxing Club was set up to bring boxing to the local community in Dorset and help educate youth through sport.

It is a not-for-profit club that has boxers from 10 to 40 years old competing across the south and nationally.

There is also the chance to take part in the GB Boxing Awards programme, which gives youngsters a chance to gain recognised certificates they put towards their education.

Dave Rimmer is the Head Coach and is a qualified Level 2 England Boxing Coach, Professional Boxing Trainer and a Level 3 Personal Trainer.

He is keen to continue the growth of Wimborne and offer top-class sessions for boxers of all ages.

Supported by £2,500 of funding from the Maverick Stars Trust, the Girls in Gloves project, as explained below, is one way of engaging with young people.

The Girls in Gloves project

The Girls in Gloves (GIG) Project has been initiated with two aims:

– To help tackle the rise in mental health problems among young women and girls

– To increase female participation in boxing.

In today’s world, young girls have to contend with countless pressures, stresses and potentially negative influences including bullying, peer pressure and feeling excluded, which can leave them feeling depressed, anxious, lonely and with low self-esteem.

The GIG program is trying to address these issues within schools by promoting wellness and positive mental health through boxing and fitness.

The proactive approach to mental health gives girls the chance to focus on something positive, be a part of a team and be able to talk about anything they feel is bothering them.

The GIG program is also trying to address and change the stereotype that boxing is a man’s sport. Women’s boxing is on the rise, and, although still behind in numbers to men in terms of participation, more and more girls are picking up the gloves, which the project aims to capitalise on.

Aimed at nine to 16 year old girls

The project’s target audience is girls aged nine to 16 years old. The aim is to have a minimum of 20 girls for each six-week project initiated within schools.

What will the girls get out of it?

Over the six weeks the students will learn basic boxing skills:

– How to wrap their hands

– How to adopt their stance

– How to move correctly

– How to throw and defend the basic punches.

But they will also learn vital skills to aid their ongoing wellbeing:

– How to deal with stress

– Talking about problems

– How to deal with bullies on and offline

– How to spot possible problems in others.

A project with long-term sustainability

As Wimborne Amateur Boxing club is not-for-profit, they are also holding fundraising events to support the project, in addition to applying for funding from the Maverick Stars Trust. The club also host regular boxing shows, sparring days and holiday camps to support their activities.

A very successful all-female show was held on Friday 12th April with girls from clubs around the country travelling to take part – and the evening was a huge success. The club intend to make this an annual event, with all proceeds going towards our Girls In Gloves project.

There are also sponsorship packages available should small business wish to get involved.