Help Wellingborough 'good guy' Ray win the fight to refurbish dream boxing gym

A Wellingborough sporting legend who has taught more than 4,000 children and adults to fight has asked local firms to throw their hat into the ring to help a boxing club.

Ray Revell has been training boxers for 54 years in three different venues and now Wellingborough Amateur Boxing Club has been offered a permanent home but needs help to refurbish the space.

Using the back rooms in Wellingborough town centre gym, Énergie Fitness, the venue now needs to be transformed into a full-time gym and training zone.

Ray, 71, said: "It's been my dream to have a proper boxing gym ever since I started. Everywhere else I had to put the equipment away at the end of the evening but now we can have a real boxing gym."

Starting out at a youth club on the Hemmingwell, the booming club moved into Kingsway Boys Club for 30 years. After a bout of ill health and a two-year break the club restarted in 2001 boxing out of Weavers Leisure Centre.

Now Weavers Academy have asked the club to leave the leisure centre.

So far an electrician and a plumber have stepped forward to help but Ray and his team of five coaches are looking for the ceiling and floor to be removed and replaced.

Michael Young, who trained with Ray as a boy and now takes his four children to the gym, has been helping to create the new space.

He said: "We need help from the community and we are appealing for local businesses to get involved. It would be great if companies could give their time or materials at a discount or even for free.

"We have been down there painting and clearing out the rubbish but we really need some expert help with taking down the ceiling and replacing the floor."

Ray, a HGV driver, has trained girls and boys throughout his career with MMA star Brad 'One Punch' Pickett, a former Wellingborough Amateur Boxing Club member, and current women's cadet national champion Loleta 'Lolly' Spencer.

Ray said: "We have a diverse boxing club which makes the challenges that face the coaches on a regular basis, very rewarding.

"The club's ethos is everyone who boxes and gets through the ropes is a champion.

"In today's society and the constant mainstream media raising the issues of youth crime, knife crime and general lack of anything to do for the young people there has never been a better time in Wellingborough, in our opinion, for this club to exist and be available for the youth of Wellingborough."

In order for the gym to reach the England Boxing standards, the rooms will need electrical rewiring, new lighting, toilets that require reconnecting and modernising, a shower area, new soft flooring which will need to be levelled, screened and painted.

Michael added: "Ray is a legend and he's helped so many people in this town. If anyone could help us it would be really helpful.

"He has helped so many kids stay safe and off the streets. He is a really good guy."

To help Wellingborough Amateur Boxing Club call Ray on 01933 222924 or go to their Facebook site or go to their Go Fund Me page to donate.

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