Billingham is inaugural Community Club Impact Recognition Programme winner
February 2, 2022 | by Matt Halfpenny
Billingham Boxing Academy has been named as the winners of England Boxing’s Community Club Impact Recognition Programme for January, in association with STING.
The Tyne, Tees and Wear region club, based just north of Middlesbrough, have beaten off the challenge of Barrow ABC and Fusion Boxing to be the inaugural winners of the monthly award.
Its prize is a STING voucher which can be redeemed to purchase boxing equipment for members to use.
Billingham was chosen by a vote of England Boxing’s team of Club Support Officers, which highlighted the club’s host of community projects – Knockout Depression, Parkinson’s Punchers, Over 50s Golden Gloves, Project Fight Back and All Stars among them – as the reason for it getting the nod.
Its great work has seen it shortlisted for the Community Club of the Year Award in the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s Community Sport and Recreation Awards 2022.
Jayne Wallace, who along with Lisa Worth runs the Parkinson’s Punchers sessions, said the club is delighted to win and said: “We’re really honoured to be winners of the Community Club Impact Recognition Programme in January.
“It’s great to be recognised for all of the community work that we do alongside our regular boxing sessions, which help a whole cross section of people from our local community, and we also do a lot of work in local schools too.
“All of the coaches at BBA work extremely hard to keep all of these projects running, whilst turning out some very talented boxers at the same time. It’s brilliant that their efforts have been noticed.”
Tyne, Tees and Wear Club Support Officer, Laura Sargeant, added: “Billingham is a fantastic club providing lots of sessions all over at Billingham and its sister club in Thornaby.
“From Parkinson’s Punchers, inclusive sessions and even running job clubs and mental health classes, they are helping to support people in all walks of life.
The recognition with this first monthly Community Club prize is very much deserved, and its testament to the hard work and dedication shown by the whole coaching team.”
