Boxing club aims a knockout blow at knife violence
BY RACHEL ADDISON
shuz@slpmedia.co.uk
A South London boxing club promoted its anti-knife campaign with a charity boxing dinner last week.
New Cross-based Double Jab Amateur Boxing Club, the London Sports Club of the Year for 2017, hosted the event at Croydon’s Hilton Hotel to support the Jab Don’t Stab initiative on Thursday.
The dinner showcased the club members’ boxing skills, shared their stories of progress and promoted its campaign to tackle knife crime in London.
Club supporter Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, attended the event and said: “Double Jab has developed an impressive approach which combines sporting excellence with social action.”
The Jab Don’t Stab campaign strives to provide a sanctuary for young people away from gang violence.
Founded in 2012, the club, which is based in Angus Street, has previously been endorsed by Prince Harry and Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick for its efforts towards youth development.
Michael Harris, head coach and winner of the BBC Sports Unsung Hero award in 2016, said of the club: “Within the club our mantra is Hard work, Dedication and I believe these are the two things you need to be the best version of yourself in both sport and life. By introducing every person that comes through our doors to that philosophy, we aim to encourage people to achieve in every avenue of their lives and I’m proud to say we’ve done this time and time again.”
The club now has more than 1,000 members and has seen a string of successes, including two national wins with a Southern Area Champion and an Elite London Champion. Mr Harris said: “The measure of our success is not just the amount of championship titles we’ve won, but rather the number of lives we’ve change for the better.”