A HULL boxing club will soon be cooking up a storm thanks to well-known construction company Houlton.

St Paul’s Boxing Academny, on North Church Side in the city centre, is currently undergoing vital refurbishment work which is being carried out by the Hull-based firm.

The £500,000 refurb includes new male and female changing facilities and toilets, disabled facilitites, complete new flooring, doors, windows and a host of other much-needed improvements.

It also includes a new kitchen, which Houlton is generously funding to the tune of more than £10,000 through the YORhub’s 4 Good Fund scheme – a construction framework used by local authorities and organisations in the Yorkshire region.

Managing Director, Andrew Kingston, said: “When you’re appointed on a YORhub framework scheme, you’re obliged to set aside a small percentage of the contract value to donate to a good cause through the YORhub 4 Good Fund.

“That builds up over time so you can amass a significant amount, and as sponsors we get to nominate as a company how we spend it.

“We’re delivering two contracts that involve St Paul’s – one for Hull City Council to reroof the gym and the adjacent Hepworth Arcade, and the internal and external refurbishment on behalf of the club itself.

“As a result, we’ve learned a lot about the fantastic work that goes on at St Paul’s and the number of people the club has helped over the years.

“It is vital places like this get the support they need. We knew St Paul’s was fund raising to cover the cost of the refurb and were short of their final target by quite a margin.

“So we felt the best thing to do was to recommend a donation our YORhub 4 Good Fund to help the club on its way.”

The money, which totals £10,401.40, has been ring fenced to pay for new, state-of-the-art kitchen facilites at the gym.

This will enable staff to provide refreshments for members and their families during training sessions, and to visiting fighters on competition nights.

Head coach Mike Bromby said he was extremely grateful to Houlton for helping St Paul’s raise the much-needed funds.

He said: “Everyone at the club is so grateful to Houlton for this donation. A high quality kitchen facility is essential for the club, for boxers, their families, and visiting teams.

“The fact we now know that is taken care of is a huge relief.

“We’ve had some fantastic support from local companies, individuals and organisations to get us to this point and we can’t thank them enough.

“However, we still have a little way to go, so any further help would be gratefully received.”

St Paul’s Boxing Academy started life in Hull in 1948 but moved into its current gym in the 1970s.

The gym has remained unchanged since that time and has gradually fallen into disrepair, until it became no longer fit for purpose.

Houlton started the refurbishment in May this year, with the work forecast to be finished by the end of September.

So far, St Paul’s has raised nearly £380,000 of the £500,000 needed to pay for the work, but still needs to find the remaining £120,000.

To help, email info@stpaulscio.co.uk or donate directly to the club’s Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/stpaulsboxing.

(Left to right) Mike Johnson, Operations Director, Houlton; Andrew Kingston, Managing Director, Houlton, handing at cheque for £10,401.40 to Mike Bromby, Head Coach at St Paul’s, and; Dave Collins, Site Manager for Houlton at St Paul’s Boxing Academy

 

Andrew Kingston, left, Managing Director, Houlton, squares up to  Mike Bromby, Head Coach at St Paul’s