A BOXING club that attracts around 150 youngsters every week is warning that it could be forced to close next year unless it can attract enough money to build a new gym.
The Pinewood Starr has been a fixture of the borough since 1966, and over the years has produced a wealth of amateur boxers who have gone on to win more than 70 national titles. But its base in Pinewood Leisure Centre in Wokingham Without has seen better days and the club’s owners are looking to move into new purpose-built premises – however they are struggling to raise the £200,000 needed to build it.
Les Stevens, the gym’s head coach and a former fighter himself, said that the club already has the land and planning permission, but the length of the lease proposed by Wokingham Borough Council wasn’t long enough to attract funding from groups such as the National Lottery.
“We raised enough money to get the plans drawn up and planning permission,” he said.
“We couldn’t get any grants because the council would not give us a long enough lease. We’ve got a lease on the gym for 12 years and I think the minimum that they need is 20. And we just we just couldn’t raise any money.”
His passion for the gym is clear – and it is a popular venue. On the night The Wokingham Paper visited, there were around 60 boys and young men in the club, taking it in turns to fight or have a go on a punchbag.
Stand alone heaters are dotted around the room to keep the boys warm. Paint peels off walls and damp pervades all corners. But despite that, the lads give it their all and are clearly a tight-knit unit.
Mr Stevens said: “This year alone we had eight schoolboy champions. We’ve had several boys representing the country which is a great honour. And we just want to go from strength to strength. And we will, but we need help.”
He added that the coaches are all volunteers who don’t get paid and give up their time to take boys to contests all over the country. A minibus is something else the club would like, but again struggle to afford.
But for now Mr Stevens’ eye is on getting the new facilities.
“We’ve got the building, everything’s ready to go. We just need the right funds,” he said.
The wait was affecting morale he said.
“But we battle on,” he said.
Cllr Stuart Munro, executive member for business and economic development and regeneration, said: “Wokingham Borough Council has proposed terms for a new lease to Wokingham Without Parish Council.
“As negotiations are ongoing with the parish council it is not appropriate for us to comment further.”
