Seconds out! Boxers at a previous Ultra White Collar event punch their way towards getting some knock-out funding for Cancer Research UK
Anyone in Croydon or Sutton looking to get fit after lockdown and raise some money for Britain’s biggest cancer charity is being offered the chance to pull on their gloves and step into the ring and be their very own Raging Bull on a memorable night of boxing in front of family and friends.
A company called Ultra White Collar Boxing is staging a fund-raising night at the Westcroft Leisure Centre, Carshalton, in July, where they are bidding to add to the near £20million they and their citizen boxers have already raised for Cancer Research UK.
UWCB has set a target of raising £1million for the charity this July alone.
And Wannabe Tyson Furys won’t even have to pay a penny to train for the event being staged in south London on July 24.
Participants are given eight weeks of gym-based training under the guidance of experienced coaches before taking part in a bout in front of hundreds of their friends, family and colleagues.
More than 160,000 people from all walks of life have already taken part in previous UWCB events, most of them stepping into a boxing ring for the very first time.
Those taking part are asked to raise a suggested minimum of £50 for Cancer Research UK and sell tickets for their event. Gym training for the Westcroft event in July is due to begin in the week commencing May 31.
It is open to anyone aged 18 and over, and so far the eldest competitor to take part was 70.
For their bout of three two-minute rounds, competitors are evenly matched in their training group with boxers of similar ability.
Raging Bull: the ring walk can be inspiring, or daunting
Jon Leonard, who runs Ultra White Collar Boxing, said that for many, it is a life-changing experience as they report being fitter than at any other time in their life, eating more healthily and losing weight.
“Our efforts to raise money for this important charity to carry out its vital work have been hit very hard by lockdown,” Leonard told Inside Croydon.
“All our fundraising efforts are down to the incredible people who take part and put in eight weeks of hard work to achieve their goal.
“I would say to anyone in Croydon or Sutton thinking of taking part to give it a go – it is an excellent opportunity to take up a new challenge after the end of lockdown.
“Everyone is welcome. The bonds which are formed among our competitors are incredible with many people who would never have met in everyday life forming lifelong friendships.”
Training sessions and the boxing events will be covid-19 secure and in line with all government guidelines.
“The success of Ultra Events and the £22million raised so far is phenomenal,” said Simon Ledsham, the director of fundraising at Cancer Research UK.
“We are so grateful to the organisers behind each event, every person that signs up to take part and the generosity of their friends and family who sponsor them.
“We remain reliant on the generosity of the public to fund our life-saving work and we’re eagerly anticipating the return of fundraising events with all necessary covid-19 guidelines in place.
Anyone interested in taking up the UWCB challenge at the Westcroft Leisure Centre in July can visit: https://www.ultrawhitecollarboxing.co.uk/locations/croydon/
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