Owner of RM ABC Boxing club has weeks to raise £11k or club will close

A heartbreaking appeal for help was posted on the Facebook page of RM ABC Boxing and Fitness yesterday, Monday.

The Wilderspool boxing gym, which trains children and adults and was handed the Warrington Guardian Best for Fitness title in 2023, detailed money troubles that could lead to the gym inevitably closing if a large sum of money is not raised by New Year.

In a statement on Facebook, the gym said: “Potentially devastating news, our five-year lease ends in the new year.

“We have been informed by our landlords, if our existing lease has not been paid in full, we will have to leave.

“We hope to raise enough funds to be able to keep the club running. We currently need £11,250 by the New Year if we are to succeed.”

Member of RM Boxing and Fitness in Wilderspool (Image: Supplied) Clarifying why the money is owed in such short notice, owner Daniel Warburton explained that the gym first got its lease five years ago in February, “exactly two weeks before lockdown”.

But due to the restrictions of lockdowns during the pandemic, like many other businesses, RM ABC Boxing struggled to open and so nine months passed before its doors officially opened to the public.

“We accrued around £15,000 in rental arrears,” Daniel said. “Since then, we have managed to pay some off, but now as the lease comes to its end, we have been informed if the outstanding is not paid by New Year no new lease will be given.”

The statement went on to detail how owner Daniel and co-owner Sarah have both partially funded the business in the last five years from their own pockets.

It continued: “The club has never made even close to half of its rent each month, but Danny paid it and volunteered every single night for the past five years without taking any money from the club he also invested all of their life savings to kit the community club out.

“We help so many people from all different backgrounds in many different ways, we deliver core boxing sessions completely free of charge, we take kids out on day trips, we have parties for kids too.”

A parent, Louise Horabin, whose 11-year-old son has attended the boxing club for a number of years, could only give praise to how the club has supported and helped him during his time there.

“Ryan has been going for just over three years,” she said. “He started off in the specific ADHD class but then integrated into the minis boxing class.

“He also has one-to-one sessions with sarah twice a month. Ryan has severe learning difficulties and no cognitive memory but that's never a problem for Danny or Sarah.

She continued: “They just go over it again for him. There are very few classes in Warrington that make children included and welcome.

“To sarah and Danny it's just normal. Ryan is included in everything and nothing is an issue.

“They take time out of their holidays and take the kids on days out. This year they went to Gulliver’s World, they put on a Halloween party. They genuinely care about the kids but also teach them discipline.”

Owner of the boxing club Danny Warburton (Image: Supplied)In a final word on the appeal for help, the boxing club said: “We would be devastated to lose all we have worked for, so hopefully the community can rally, and we can do a couple of fundraisers but we have only two months.

“If anyone wants to sponsor us or make a donation please get in touch, and we shall be now sharing our first fundraising act, please donate.”

In one of the first of many fundraisers planned, Daniel is preparing to hike from the club, located on Causeway Avenue, to the Great Orme in Llandudno, Wales.

The gruelling trek will cover approximately 80 miles, and Daniel will be taking on the challenge in a bid to raise vital funding on December 5.

He will be “sleeping rough” each night until he reaches the destination and is expecting it to take around three days to complete the journey – while battling freezing cold December temperatures.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up for the hike to allow those wanting to support the club, to donate money to the cause. You can visit the page here.