Last week I visited Gemini Amateur Boxing Club in Speke to tour their facilities and talk to their team. The gym, which opened in 1998, is for all ages, with boxers from 5 years old right through to seniors. Importantly, though, it is more than just a boxing gym, it is a vital hub for the local community.

John Rice and his team teach respect and discipline to children through boxing training while also offering classes and sessions for older people and women that don’t just encourage physical fitness but help with mental health as well. Classes for women are just £1. On Saturdays they have a dedicated autism-friendly session for children who would struggle in mainstream training that is attended by 20-30 kids a week.

Having children of all ages in training also helps promote community cohesion and gives kids a focus that has helped them avoid being pulled into crime or gangs in the area. John told me training builds self-confidence and teaches a respect for others that is reinforced in competitions that Gemini takes part in across the region. This is why trainer Mike Boyle and the team are looking at launching a campaign against knife crime locally that I am very happy to support.

Gemini is a registered charity that relies on fundraising and donations to keep the gym going and to take kids to competitions. I am helping them to find new funding avenues to expand their facilities and for equipment like a dedicated minibus. I will be keeping in touch and continuing to supporting them going forward.