Swoffers has come out fighting for boxing in Guernsey by giving financial help to the Guernsey Amalgamated Boxing Club. We created a promotional video to encourage participation in the sport.
The video highlights that boxing is primarily non-contact, and it appeals to all ages and abilities, particularly those who might not enjoy the mainstream team-based sports. There are massive physical, mental, and social benefits to boxing.
Check out the video below, although spoiler alert, you may be inspired to get involved with this sport’s resurgence.
Swoffers has also gone the distance by sponsoring the club’s van. It’s being branded up in livery, which is another way of making this sport more visible.
Since November last year, the island’s new boxing development officer, Mandy Hobart, has been taking non-contact boxing into schools. The goal is to improve fitness and behaviour, and reduce bullying and truancy. Mandy said boxing helps to instil confidence and self-respect.
‘I’ve had a great reaction from the schools, the pupils have loved it because it’s something different for them. And the van is an absolute godsend because there’s so much gear and equipment to carry round. The van means we can go into the schools and reach out to the community.’
At the boxing club in St Martin’s, participants range from age 8 up to 73. Mandy stressed that no one gets pummelled or receives a bloody nose.
‘I always promote it as non-contact. It’s non-contact for a really long time, unless you become a Billy Le Poullain of the world. We don’t let anyone hit each other until they can defend themselves, it’s a long way off. I would say out of a hundred we normally get maybe one person who moves on to that. When I coach my ladies who are aged up to their 70s, they do pad work, bag work, foot work, partner work. It’s just about having fun, getting some exercise, and socialising.
‘It’s a great workout from your feet up to your mind, it’s a full fitness, cardio workout for the body. And you have to really concentrate on what you’re doing, you can’t think about anything else, so it empties your mind of all your worries. For that hour session you forget everything else that’s going on in the world. You have to completely focus on what you’re doing.’
Andre Austin, a director with Swoffers, said he was very impressed with the professionalism of the club’s coaches and volunteers, and the diversity and underlying community ethos.
‘There’s a perception that boxing is just about punching each other, but it’s not at all, and we wanted to try to help change that misconception. The reality is that 98% of people who go will never fight. It’s a great sport for anyone to try, especially youngsters who might be struggling at school. Boxing has a reputation for creating well rounded individuals, it establishes dedication, a good mindset and a positive attitude, so that obviously has spin-offs for the classroom.
‘Swoffers is the heavyweight of the local estate agency world, although we are very nimble on our feet, so supporting boxing felt like a natural fit.’
