Award-winning Borders boxing club fighting to find a new home

An award-winning boxing club in the Borders says it is on the ropes after being priced out of its current gym.

Hawick Boxing Club has been like a conveyor belt, consistently producing title-winning fighters over the past decade or so.

But the coaches and other volunteers say the club has been hit with a 60% hike in monthly rent and now faces a race against time to find a new home.

Current junior 54kg British champion Rosie Swailes said: “It would be heart-breaking if the club was to close – I’ve spent most of my life here and it means everything.”

The property management company that owns the gym has been approached for comment.

Hawick Boxing Club has been in its current premises for more than six years.

The two-tiered gymnasium has enough space for two sparring rings, a vast bag training area, toilets and kitchen facilities.

As well as 16-year-old Rosie, the club has produced countless other British, Scottish and regional champions during its time at Princes Street.

But it also has a wider community benefit with up to 60 children and young people attending training on week nights.

It also hosts an outreach programme for pupils struggling at school, and acts as a drop-in for many older, retired boxers.

Coach Ryan Stewart said: “It is vital for the community that we find a new home – we don’t just teach the young people boxing, they learn about respect and self-discipline.

“We just found out a few days ago that the rents on the building had been reviewed and we need to leave in six weeks’ time.”

He added: “It’s not going to be easy to find somewhere big enough in such a short space of time, but the response from people in the town has been overwhelming.

“A lot of people are trying to help us.”

Although the boxing club can cover the current rent and other bills through memberships, it relies heavily on sponsorship and external funding sources for renewing and upgrading equipment.

The club said the proposed 60% increase would not be affordable or unsustainable – forcing it to make a frantic search for new premises before the end of October.

Coach Andy McFarlane said: “The club is run entirely by volunteers and every penny that comes in is invested in the club – there’s no spare money.

“We know it would be a big miss if we were forced to shut the doors – we have a great reputation in Hawick and the wider Scottish Borders.

“Our goal is to get the council on board to help us find a permanent base, somewhere we can call home and build an even better club, without the threat of being priced out again.”

Although everyone connected to the club is concentrating on finding new premises, preparations will continue at the gym for upcoming bouts and title defences.

Rosie, who recently defeated the European champion, added: “When I was younger I was overweight and was picked on a bit, so when I first came here I had no confidence.

“The coaches kept pushing me and over the years I grew in confidence, got healthier and happier, and got quite good at boxing.

“This club means the world to me.”