Royal opening of RAF Coningsby Boxing Club powered by the RAF Central Fund

The Prince of Wales has officially opened a new boxing facility funded by the RAF Central Fund in his capacity as Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Coningsby, during a visit to the Station on Friday 18 November 2022.

The Boxing Club is situated in the heart of the RAF base and creates a central place where personnel can go to exercise and box. The new Club is the extension of a popular provision of boxing coaching during the pandemic and His Royal Highness was able to see and hear how the redeveloped club benefits the wellbeing of serving personnel.

During his visit The Prince of Wales expressed how good it was that there was an organisation like the RAF Central Fund to support serving personnel.

Ross Perriam, CEO of the RAF Central Fund said, “His Royal Highness – The Prince of Wales has long been an advocate of sport and clearly understands the vital impact it has on supporting the health and wellbeing of serving personnel. Our charity is therefore extremely honoured that he has been able to see first-hand the support we provide at a Station level and meet some of our beneficiaries. The Boxing Club at RAF Coningsby is one of our most recent grant recipients, enabling its members to convert a dedicated space into a safe and secure training environment with all the equipment needed to do their chosen sport.”

The new boxing and combat sports facility will engage service personnel interested in this type of physical activity in training and fitness and will offer classes for novice and casual participants as well as those with more advanced interest in the sport.  The grant awarded to RAF Coningsby’s Boxing Club has not only enabled its members to renovate an exiting space on station but the charitable funds have also been used to purchase a new boxing ring, punchbags, brackets and mirrors as well as loanable kit such as gloves and headguards to permit the training of those trying out the sport for the first time.

OiC of Coningsby’s Boxing Club and the Project Officer behind the new Facility, Wg Cdr David Redmond, said: “In line with the RAF Boxing Associations objectives to attract more female boxers to the sport it is intended that at least one women-only boxing session will take place on a weekly basis. The aspiration is that within six months of the centre being up and running we will have a female Level 1 boxing coach who can lead those sessions. It is hoped that the option to attend a female only training session will provide a more inviting and inclusive environment for those new boxers who are anxious about trying the sport for the first time in what can be a very male dominated training environment.”