BOXERS are skipping for joy after receiving a grant from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts to carry out essential work on their premises.

Lowe House Boxing Club, St Helens, have been awarded £16,500 to upgrade the old school they have occupied for almost 60 years. They plan to replace the central heating system, rewire the electricity supply and install new windows.

"We've tried to keep it in a decent condition but we still have something very different from modern gymnasiums and sports centres," says Albert Freeman, who has been involved with the club for about 55 years since joining the club as a 10-year-old.

The club was first opened in 1932 by local priest Father Finnemore and has quite a distinguished history, producing several professional boxers. One of those is ex-British middleweight champion Gary Stretch.

The club now has about 70 boys who box regularly and many have been involved in trips to Germany and major amateur competitions.

The building is also used by a Thai boxing club and for football training when the weather is not conductive to outdoor activities.

There are 304 awards totalling £2,670,229 in this latest list of monthly grants by the Foundation.

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