Spalding Boxing Academy head coach Stuart Possnett hopes to expand, and plans for new parent's room with CCTV footage

A town boxing club is aiming to expand - but has issued a plea for funding to help keep the ball rolling.

Spalding Boxing Academy’s head coach Stuart Possnett has been spearheading improvements at the gym in recent weeks. The major change is set to be the addition of a room where parents can watch their children in action.

This will be made possible by club member John Stephenson (46), who has successfully acquired four CCTV cameras after a social media campaign.

Parents are currently unable to watch their kids in action at the club, based in Pinchbeck, due to child safety rules. This means they often sit outside in their cars until training sessions have finished.

Mr Possnett, who set the club up just over three years ago, said: “We’ve got a chance to expand the premises, but the building needs doing up.

“We want to fund a bit of that, but it will make a parent’s room so they can come in and there will be cameras around the gym.”

Mr Stephenson added: “He wants to turn the back room into somewhere the parents can go and sit, and actually watch their children’s’ progress with the boxing. I’ve managed to secure four cameras and a hard drive, so I’ve already done that for him.”

As part of the club’s expansion, Mr Possnett also aims to make some repairs to the building’s roof and add some internal alterations.

He says he does not require any planning permission for this and has his landlord’s approval - but he has issued an appeal for any potential sponsors who could help to fund the project.

“When parents start saying they need to cut costs, £50 a month to send a boy boxing is quite a lot of money,” he said.

“I’d love to get that back down to £25, to £2 a session. That’s what I need to do - to get someone on board to sponsor half of our rent so I can bring the prices back down so the kids of Spalding and Pinchbeck can afford to come.

“Imagine a brother and sister coming - how can they afford it?”

The club’s new parent room will be kitted out with a new coffee machine, with boxing sessions being broadcast onto a TV screen so they can watch in real-time.

However, Mr Possnett says the footage will also help the boxers themselves.

“Say we’re sparring when other clubs come to visit - we can then sit down and look at it, what we’re doing right and what we’re doing wrong,” he said.

“You can keep telling a boxer about what they’re doing wrong, but when they see it then it helps them so much more than me just telling them.

“They will learn a lot from it. The days are gone when you get in the ring and get hit ten times before you learn.”

Mr Stephenson added: “It would be good for the community. I just know that long after I’m done, you’ve got all the young up-and-coming kids.”

lContact Mr Possnett at 07563 976230.