Some advice

For sometime now, I've been thinking about opening my own boxing gym in Leicester where I live. I want to do it but finnances restrict me. The particular part I live in is pretty run down however there is plenty of vensues. Infact it's crying out for something like a boxing gym. I want to open an ABA gym if their any 606V2 out there willing invest or sponsor us and the future of boxing that would be great. I plan to get my coaching liscence and find a way to do it. If you can't help I'd like to hear your advice. My name is Andrew Hall

Its going to be very tough Andrew and I hope you can pull it off I wish you all the luck in the world pal good luck

Contact the ABA I there is a link to their website on the BBC boxing pages. You are going to need to find someone that holds the a Full ABA coaching cert. as that 's the minimum required to run a club, you can start with getting the assistant coaching cert and then once you 've held that for a year do the full coaching course. Good luck.

Andrew, from the top of my head, do some research. Contact your local government and ask to be put through to the Sport Development Officer (SDO) for the region.

When you get through push the social inclusion and Olympic Sport angle. Before phoning be prepared, find out crime rates in the area (basic demographics, age, ethnicity, gender etc), say you want to bring certain minorities into the sport which will foster good community relationships. GET THE POLICE ON BOARD (they are big on boxing and will sometimes provide money for boxing clubs in bad areas), get community leaders on board, find out if there are sporting opportunities provided by other gymnasia for the local community (say how you are necessary or could compete and become self-sustaining within a year [work out your expected numbers, subs and overheads etc]), find out if there any community halls with spare space (or safe unused buildings in a appropriate location), say that there would be advertising opportunities for businesses willing to invest (back of boxing vests, running kit, ring MC on club shows etc). Say things like it's a proven olympic medal sport but still requires more grass routes. If you want to give yourself the best chance becoming self-sustaining then advertise long before opening, focus the advertising (for the kids in a bad area appeal to their machismo, for their parents appeal to their fears, if you want middle class kids go "for the standing up to the bully angle" for their parents go for the martial arts discipline spiel). Get your coaches in place, or get potential coaches CRB'd before even applying for coaching coaches. You also need a treasurer. You can contact your fire section and see if they have any old gym equipment to donate or allow them to put fire safety posters up. All these little things help in getting support from the SDO.

Don't over charge the kids. I went to a fight academy in Sleaford last week and they were charging £5 per session. I'm on a decent wage but walked straight out. Low income families wouldn't even consider turning up. Go out to local youth clubs, YMCA's, community centres etc, tell the lads what you intend to do, whip up support and get them involved in fund raising. If the lads can help the club get off the ground then the moral in the gym, the sense of achievement, and the loyalty towards THEIR gym will be immense when it finally opens. It will also help when contacting the official channels to have a load of lads dedicated to the cause behind you.

The more research you do before phoning the Regional Sport Development Officer the more assistance he/she will give you. They will not help you if they think you have dreamt up this club on a whim. You need to sound professional, have contacted important sections of the community, worked out what monies are involved and LAY ON THE PATTER THICK. It's the regional sport development officers job to assist you fully, if you can convince him it is a worthwhile project. Don't forget to tell them EXACTLY what you want, if it is money... then tell them how much, if it is equipment then tell them what type, what quantity and how much . Don't forget to ask the SDO for other contacts besides his/her self.

DON'T EXPECT TO MAKE A PROFIT, nearly all amateur boxing clubs run at a loss (don't tell the SDO that).

I'm sorry i was unable to offer any financial assistance but I hope this advice helps in some small way.

Also, there are no clubs in the Sleaford Area...so...er.... if you set one up here then I'll coach one night a week.... as long as I can train for free

Thanks for the advice. I'll let you know how I get on.

I really racked my brains to help you as well.... so an explanation mark after the thanks wouldn't have gone amiss!!

!

Couldn't ignore this.........

1. Get your licence first.....Any prospective sponsor wants to be sure their is an expert running it...or find someone local who has one..

2. Send out fliers to the local area to gage interest and also to attract awareness in the scheme....

3. Find a local councillor looking for some publicity.... to fly with it (probably Labour or libdem) someone looking for exposure and good press who has contacts!! He may know of some grants that are available too!!

(number 3 is very important) and It won't be hard to find a Councillor interested I assure you..

4. Find someone who has experience in projects like these....lot's of clubs have to start somewhere!!! Someone who can tell you the pitfalls of an operation because he's been there before!! Projects like this usually die before they leave the ground..

5. Write to local celebrities who may give support....Local govt and business toadies listen to them..

6. Get the local paper and journos involved....When you have some kids interested get a photo in the paper..Nothing gets attention like smiling kiddies..

7. Get on the phone and try to get sponsorship from local businesses...This really is how a lot of sponsorship is gained.....They might not give you much but plenty of littles make a lot.....

Offer incentives like having their names advertised in the gym etc...

Then of course ...............

Find a prospective property that is suitably cheap and in the right area.....Easily accessible!!!

Get Parents involved......

Last of all good luck kid....I wish their were more people like you in this World ready to give more time to the kids and provide a service like this...

You're a better Man than I am...

Hope it works...................really do!!

As I said a above I'll let you know how I progress between you and TheMackemMawler I have a business plan. Thank you

Make sure it's a good one.......It's a recession and not a great time...

But please exhaust all the options I've given you....

http://www.abae.co.uk/aba/index.cfm/news/funding-opportunites-for-boxing-clubs/

i dont know if you've seen this site, but it might be of use to you.

also get girls involved, womens boxing if growing at a huge rate and would defintely go down well with the council if they thought you were helping getting women involved in sport.

good luck and let us know how your progessing

andrewmarkhall wrote:For sometime now, I've been thinking about opening my own boxing gym in Leicester where I live. I want to do it but finnances restrict me. The particular part I live in is pretty run down however there is plenty of vensues. Infact it's crying out for something like a boxing gym. I want to open an ABA gym if their any 606V2 out there willing invest or sponsor us and the future of boxing that would be great. I plan to get my coaching liscence and find a way to do it. If you can't help I'd like to hear your advice. My name is Andrew Hall

I used to box for a club in Belfast and they needed funding pretty badly, so being bored in work i decided to go on a crusade and fundraise for the club. One of the biggest funding opportunities was with Lottery Money ('Sport for all' i think it was called), can't remeber the exact name of the body that funded us but i think we got in the region of £12k for the first year.

Due to the ongoing issues with Catholics & Protestants i ensure i higlighted the fact that although the club was a boxing club it was a great place for kids & adults of all ages to cross the divide and train together, it was also a deprived area so that helped. These organisations love things like ensuring cross community involvement need it be different religions or different race should you go down that route .