Derek Mapp
Chairman of the British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA)
Chairman of BABA Derek Mapp said: "GB boxing is leading the way by providing grass roots ambassador's connections with 2012; through engaging recreational boxing or participation. A promise made by 2012 to increase and sustain sport is certainly a promise that will be fulfilled through GB Boxing Tutors/coaches and the GB national boxing awards programme. This pathway into our valuable part of society is volunteering. Key principles the Boxing Tutors engage in are the awards delivered should be fun, encourage physical activity and be rewarding."
Keith Walters
Chairman of the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE)
"This is a huge step forward for the sport of Amateur Boxing and the intention is to roll out the GB National Boxing Awards Recreational and ASDAN CoPE Educational programme all over the country. The 6 level GB National Boxing Award scheme, provides an excellent entry route into the core skills of Amateur Boxing for recreational boxers or boxers joining boxing clubs and preparing for their first bout". It also gains a credit per award towards the ASDAN CoPE Boxing GCSE Educational Qualification.
Keith Walters added; the GB Boxing Tutor Course, works well for young boxers wishing to gain their first teaching qualification in Amateur Boxing, as once they complete the GB Boxing Tutor Course they can then deliver the awards (Non Contact and supervised) in their local boxing gym to new youngsters joining the gym. Due to the nature of the national award programme and the success they are having in changing opinions of amateur boxing. People are now coming back into our sport as titlees, setting up clubs and making essential links with our schools and pathways into our clubs. We as an association need to get our young boxers on the teaching platform of the sport, as early as we can, as they are our future National, Regional and Club titlees.
Mark Abberley
CEO ABA of England
The ABAE fully supports the work the GB National Boxing Awards programme is doing to inspire a new generation of participants.
The Boxing Awards have taken amateur boxing to a new audience by introducing young people to the sport in an environment that is familiar to them, such as their school or local youth club.
The Awards provide an introduction to boxing by teaching the basics of fitness, discipline and technique, whilst also providing a platform for young people to explore further opportunities within the sport. Many continue to use boxing as a way of increasing their fitness levels and making friends, and others go on to compete at a high level.
The Boxing Tutor Course equips existing coaches with the skills they need to make non-contact sessions fun and engaging, whilst also providing other providers of activities for young people such as PE teachers and Youth Workers with an opportunity to find out about how to provide an introduction to the sport in a non contact fun way. By developing links between schools and community boxing clubs, and by strengthening existing relationships, the programme has made the sport more accessible and inclusive than ever before.
Ms Penny Mordaunt MP
Portsmouth North MP
"It's boxing, but not as we know it. These courses offer an approach to education and encourage a state of mind that instils a sense of discipline, dedication and hard work into the pupils who undertake them. To misquote Lady Thatcher - Boxing is the method; the object is to change the heart and soul. I would encourage any school to look at the boxing awards as a way to engage their pupils in a safe and productive out-of-school activity which will show positively in their academic work."
"The dedication of 'Q' Shillingford and his team of coaches in Portsmouth is inspiring, and the atmosphere of friendly discipline that has been achieved in the clubs is a model to which schools might aspire."
Ms Charlotte Leslie MP
MP for Bristol North West/Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Boxing Group (APPBG)
"Equipping future generations of boxers, coaches and tutors with the skills and qualifications they need is absolutely vital. The GB Boxing Awards are playing a very major role in this and for many young people are a gateway to not only to volunteering and working to helping other young people enjoy boxing, but also a gateway to recognition, achievement and qualifications in other areas as well."
Mr Willie Burns
Amateur Boxing Scotland (ABS) Performance Director
ABS Performance director Willie Burns who stayed and watched the GB Boxing Tutor Course commented: Fantastic, this is just what our sport needs, ABS will look to be running the GB Boxing Awards all over Scotland and qualify as many GB Boxing Tutors to work all over the country introducing boxing to young people from all walks of life, I see the GB National Boxing Awards and Educational programme as a pathway to introducing boxing to every child in Scotland and a great vehicle to getting our sport in the main stream, either recreationally, educationally or competitively.
Councillor Lee Hunt
Cabinet Member for Culture & Sport Portsmouth City Council
Amateur boxing clubs across the City of Portsmouth, led by the Heart of Portsmouth, are having a huge impact on local people of all ages. The GB Boxing Awards programme and the ASDAN CoPE Boxing Educational Qualification is helping to promote fitness, learning, mutual respect and love of sport for thousands of young people who might otherwise have been passed by. Local and national politicians are seeing the benefits of boxing programmes including non-contact, women's boxing, schools and education with support from mums, dads, brothers, sisters - bringing whole families together creating a sense of pride and well-being and community leadership for others to follow. Now corporate businesses, local authorities and local communities are backing these boxing-led initiatives as they see young people engaged in enjoyable activity and striving for better all the time, rather than just hanging around on street corners. Everyone wins!
Dr Matt Long
Level two athletic coach/youth worker
I cannot speak highly enough of the GB Boxing tutor course run as part of the GB national boxing awards. The success of the course was in no small measure due to the charisma and infectious enthusiasm of 'Q' Shillingford. Whilst issues like risk assessment and health and safety were competently dealt with, they were not allowed to dominate and strangle the course. As an athletics coach to youngsters, many of the drills and exercises taught on the boxing tutor course has a transferable value in the track and field context and I have been able to apply them in my coaching. By setting us group tasks throughout the day 'Q' was able to maximize the informal learning between members of the course. I, for instance, worked alongside someone with an amateur coaching license in boxing and I learnt from him, just as I was able to give him knowledge from an athletics context. The GB boxing tutor course is a worthwhile investment of time and money and will definitely encourage and develop boxing to the wider audience.
Dame Sharon Hollows
Principal of Charter Academy, Portsmouth
Dame Sharon Hollows (Principle of Charter Academy) said "The introduction to amateur boxing to Charter Academy has been fantastic, the sport has had a very positive impact on all our students, the GB National Awards programme allows all our students to enjoy and learn the art of boxing whilst achieving educational qualifications and of course learning a great Olympic sport. We will be rolling the GB Boxing Awards programme and the ASDAN CoPE Boxing Educational Qualification with our year 9's, 10's and 11's.
Dan Salcedo
GB Boxing project planning manager
"The GB Boxer's thoroughly enjoyed the GB Boxing Tutor Course and many who help out in their gym with the new boxers joining or who assist their coaches teaching boxing in schools are looking forward in using the qualification and delivering the GB National Boxing awards programme in their boxing gym's and local school's".
Daz Hoare
Royal Navy PTI delivering the GB National Boxing Awards at sea
The team are currently coming to their assessment in the Standard award with just the Bronze left to do. Clubz said the awards will all be completed by the time I leave in Feb 2010. From here when the ship returns to the UK people who have taken part can then move onto the contact side. The awards are really good and get all kinds of people involved they learn the basic boxing moves, health and fitness with diet all included. The Amateur Boxing Association is right behind the awards, and the awards also earn you accreditation points in the GSCE in boxing.
Ellie Reilly Network Rail
Wessex and Sussex Area Manager
"The positive impact the GB Boxing Awards and boxing training and competitive boxing has on young people is immeasurable, we have seen for ourselves by working with HOP what benefits the sport has had on young people and Network Rail are delighted to support HOP in the delivery of the GB boxing Awards programme in schools and the Network Rail safety message".
Miss. A. Nawaz
Youth worker and GB Boxing Tutor
The GB Boxing Awards programme has proved so popular that families in the children's centre now want to get involved and pass the GB Boxing Awards.
Waverley Boxing Club for girls is growing every week and is proving very popular within the community.
Dr Bronwin Carter
Disability Sports Coach Portsmouth All Sports
I can recommend the work put in by the Boxing Academy for disabled performers.
The different range of skills certainly suit any performer able or disabled. I have sent my AllSports members to Q's sessions and they have enjoyed every minute of it as well as making them fit. It is good for their self esteem and a joy to be part of it.
Jon Dennis
Head Coach Attleborough ABC
Attleborough ABC have been delivering the Boxing Awards now for 6 months. The coaching staff attended a course run by Q at our home gym, the course was set out well and in a format that was fun and clear
We had an instant response to the launch of the awards and We now have 30 + kids doing the awards at different stages. We have a member of staff Paul Goulding co-ordinating the delivery of the awards liasing with parents and arranging presentation of certificates and medals. Paul has gone on to pass his level one coaching qualification, delivering these awards has seen Paul grow as a coach.
Because of the Awards we now have attracted kids to come into the gym, success has been enjoyed by all the candidates, be it improving fitness, being involved in a club, or training to a goal in there chosen sport of Amateur Boxing
Julia Tompson
Cert CIH/Families Officer
Feedback from courses run in the Midlands area by PC Andy Whithall and local Police Officers:
As you know, one of my clients, KH has been attending the Boxing club all this week undertaking the National Boxing Awards Preliminary Stage and I wanted to say a huge thank you for providing him with this opportunity.
KH is currently subject to a child protection plan and in temporary care, due to neglect. He had particularly low self esteem, anger management issues and was on the verge of participating in crime. I have noticed a huge change in him as the week has gone on. Since the beginning of the week, his motivation has increased dramatically, as has his self confidence, his attitude and there have been no incidents of rage/anger within his current home. I have never known him to be so enthusiastic about anything before: the structure, routine and discipline at the club is what he has needed for a very long time. The GB National Boxing awards is a superb vehicle for engaging young people like KH
It is very rare that public sector professionals receive any praise for the work that they do, but I genuinely believe that you deserve massive recognition for the time and effort that you give to the Boxing Club (most of which I know is in your own time). Most children that attend the club have or are experiencing difficulties at home, and you and the club provide them with an opportunity to be themselves, and have peers/role models who are willing to give them the time and effort that they deserve.
I can't thank you enough, keep up the fantastic work!!!!
Becky Wright
Proud Parent
Feedback from courses run in the Midlands area by PC Andy Whithall and local Police Officers:
I am emailing because my three children (ages 6, 8 and 10) have today completed their GB preliminary boxing award with Andy Whitehall, Duncan Rollo and the rest of the fantastic team at Manor Hill First School.
They thoroughly enjoyed it and are now pestering me to find out how they can continue their progress. If there are any other similar schemes going on locally (as near to Stone as possible is preferable as I don't drive, but I would do my best to reach any other area if there isn't anything available) please would you let me know so that I could support my children in this new found interest?
I think the initiative and others like it that have been running through the Summer Holidays are wonderful, and the work the Police are doing in partnership with the C&LP and the ABAE is to be praised. They have worked really hard this week to encourage the children to be the best they can, both now and in the future.
Thank you all so very much for this. We are really grateful to have been given the chance to take part in the GB National Boxing Awards Scheme and can't wait to hear more from you about the next award.