Heart of Hayling Academy volunteers are just the tonic
March 28, 2020 | by Matt Halfpenny
Benevolent volunteers at Heart of Hayling Boxing Academy have been ensuring in-need locals have not gone without since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak.
The club’s base at the Hayling Island Community Centre (HICC) has become a community hub for the whole island during the crisis, with members of the boxing gym and other groups joining forces as part of a coordinated effort to assist the elderly and vulnerable.
With all coaches DBS checked and trained in Safeguarding and First Aid, they have been tasked with delivering prescriptions to those who need it.
“It seemed obvious to repurpose our volunteer time once Boxing Clubs began to close,” said the club’s Mark Coates. “Boxing clubs are important part of their communities so we wanted to sustain our position as role models and leaders.
“It’s been natural to volunteer to take this particular mission as part of a community effort.
“I’m not sure how many we’ve helped, but it’s now at 60 a day and going up – we’ve been going for 10 days and began with 20 deliveries a day. It’s certainly in the hundreds and will hit a thousand by next week I suspect.”
More volunteers are welcome aged 18 to 69. Please call HICC on 02392 467545 and leave your details if you can help.
