Arthur’s Gym Proves to be a Knock-Out on National TV

Rhydyfelin amateur boxing club Arthur’s Gym will appear on this Saturday’s National Lottery Live, BBC One, 9:50pm.

National Lottery funded Arthur’s Gym offers boxing and fitness coaching to local people, including some of the community’s most disadvantaged, to make regular exercise part of their everyday lives.

Arthur’s Gym was once a derelict building. Following £13,000 of National Lottery funding, it is now a thriving community gym and a force for change in the area.

Set up by Commonwealth gold medallist boxer, Jamie Arthur, today the gym helps to improve the health of community members through boxing and exercise classes, and lifestyle advice.

Jamie said “Thanks to funding from The National Lottery we can help young people in the area develop their boxing talent while teaching them respect, offering a fun alternative to hanging around on the streets.”

For Robbie Davis learning to box at Arthur’s Gym has improved more than his fitness. After Robbie was discharged from the army for medical reasons, he found himself unemployed, drinking on the streets of Rhydyfelin.

The National Lottery funded project has given him the confidence and motivation to get his life back on track, and Robbie is working towards setting up his own business as a personal trainer.

Robbie said “Jamie has taught me manners, self-belief and how to have confidence to speak to anyone – I have a stutter when I’m nervous but it rarely happens anymore. I would honestly say since I have been with Arthur’s Gym I have become a better person.”

Jackie O’Sullivan, spokesperson from the National Lottery, says “Arthur’s Gym is a great example of how the £33 million raised by National Lottery players every week changes people’s lives for the better.”

“Thanks to National Lottery players, an astounding £30 billion has been raised since the National launched in 1994 for a range of fantastic projects all over the UK. No matter what your interests, the National Lottery funds something for everyone.”

To find out more about how National Lottery players’ money is supporting people, projects and places across the UK, visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk.

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