Meal Mates

When lockdown forced Midland ABC Boxing Club to shut its doors, coaches Lee Cochrane and Keith Dallas moved from teaching youngsters how to jab to delivering meals to the elderly.

The considerate move saw the pair delivering meals to those in need in their north Belfast community, with Lee providing food from his own house to the older people he was looking out for.

In acknowledgment of their community service, The National Lottery, which has provided essential funding to the club, surprised the dynamic duo with a selection of brand-new boxing equipment. The club is among the thousands of sporting organisations supported by some of the £30m raised per week for good causes by National Lottery players across the UK.

The amateur boxing club in Tigers Bay – established in 1974 – is widely known as the place where Carl “The Jackal” Frampton, the Northern Irish former two-weight world champion, learned his craft.

To thank Lee and Keith for their work during the pandemic, NI boxing legend Carl Frampton surprised them with a visit to the Midland club where he sparred with the boxing coaches and provided a range of new boxing equipment from The National Lottery.