Meet Stephen Bailey! Stephen is the founder of Littlehampton Amateur Boxing Club (LABC) and he set this amazing club up with the sole purpose of introducing the techniques of boxing to children with a goal to promote fitness, give them confidence and self belief when tackling everyday situations.
Our reporter, Vicky Vaughan, spoke to Stephen to find out more.
VV: Hello Stephen. So when was LABC born?
SB: Well, I have been boxing since the tender age of 9 years old – I eventually represented England winning over 125 ABAE fights.
VV: Wow, do you still fight?
SB: No, I retired from boxing in my 30s and then I became a coach. Boxing is in my blood.
VV: So why did you set up LABC?
SB: When I moved to Littlehampton, I discovered that there was no boxing club so I set one up myself about 18 months ago. Initially the club was for children and we started in a small hall. However, due to its popularity, the club has increased enormously. So much so that we moved to the large hall on a Sunday night with back-to-back classes for both juniors (under 17s) and adults (over 17s). It wasn’t long before older boys turned up and wondered was going on.
VV: It sounds like Littlehampton has been waiting for you to come along!
SB: Yes! It’s all been coming to together naturally and we are growing fast. We are now affiliated to The Amateur Boxing Association for England (ABAE), so our boys can now box for the club and represent their town in competitions. We have had lots of support from the council, and thanks to businesses like Proto Restaurant Group we can buy gloves and equipment. All money we receive goes straight back to the club.
VV: I understand that LABC helps in other ways too …
SB: Yes, both the parents and boys alike have said that the boxing club is a great way to channel excess energy that could be used in other ways, plus the club combines fun, hard-work, discipline and is a positive addition to what Littlehampton has to offer children and teenagers in the area.
The Fish Factory is sponsoring the Littlehampton Amateur Boxing Club by donating money for them to purchase new head guards for competition and training use.
If you would like to help by donating to this fantastic club, contact Steve Bailey on 07884 072572 or email him at littlehamptonabc@hotmail.co.uk.
