Team Pumpkin ABC is a Amateur Boxing Club based in Brierley Hill West Midlands we have a large number of Boxers attend the gym each week approx 120 and offer Referal placements for those that need it we have Referals from our partners such as West Midlands Police, Local Schools, Family Hubs, Support workers and Mental Health Charities.
The Gym is Community Hub We offer the Children Oportunities they may not otherwise get, We have placed many of them on First Aid Courses and Coaching courses during the school holidays taken them Ten Pin Bowling to watch Professional Boxing Events and the younger children to the Christmas Pantomine.
We have introduced a Healthy Eating Programme allowing us to give all the children Free Fresh Fruit to take home after every session many of the children had never eaten fresh fruit but through the gym we have spoken about the importance of Health and actively encouraged them to try it now 99% of the children enjoy the fruit and we have regular feed back from parents that their children now Eat Healthier.
We Work in partnership with West Midlands Police on tackling the ongoing Knife issues in the area after a number of our Boxers were victims of Knife crime and sitting on a summit with the local MP and Police and Heads of Schools we learnt there was a stigma in weapons surrender bins so we quickly decided to place one outside the gym we talk to the children about the impact of knife crime and encourage them to tell freinds and school mates if they know anybody that carries a knife to use the surrender bin and get it off the streets.
A minibus will allow us to offer more oportunites for the children those competing will be able to travel for sparring and bouts as a team and others can use it for leisure events and planned trips we offer throughout the year although we offer such events and provide them free of charge transportation is often a issue a minibus would resolve these issues.
