In case you haven't met me, I'm Kate Dakers, one of the founders of NPBA, currently living in Spain but I continue to sit on the NPBA Board of Directors and have a keen interest in the club's activities.
As most of you will know, Alex Munsie's stepped down, both from the board and as Head Coach. She's moving on to a new project and we wish her all the very best and thank her for all the time and effort she has given the club over the last years. Alex will be coaching a few classes at the club, so you'll still see her around.
First piece of good news!
We're pleased to say that Fie Hopper has taken on the role of Head Coach and Chris McCord will be our Performance Coach, helping those who want to develop their skills along the competitive pathway.
The rest of the team: Alex, Ness, Rachael and Josie will be joined by Emma Quittenton, a Boxercise instructor who's recently moved up north from London.
Second piece of good news!
There have been some changes to the board and we are now six strong, including me, Kirsten Fussing, Fie Hopper, Rachel Tighe, Josie McNamara and Katherine Wackerbarth. Between us, we have the skills, knowledge and desire to continue to develop the club, even through these tough times.
Third piece of good news!
Our members have been as generous as ever and our request for volunteers was successful. We've now filled all the volunteer roles we advertised and are excited to have such a wealth of expertise and energy supporting the club going forward.
Funding Officer – Jo Ruane
Club Secretary – Liz Green
Child Welfare Officers – Janette Logan and Jack Lopez
Club Treasurer – Katherine Wackerbarth
Fundraising Officer – Rachel Tighe
A huge thank you to everyone who's stepped up and volunteered their time, we have a fantastic team in place now.
Final piece of good news!
We can now announce that we've been successful in receiving funding from the Social Enterprise Support Fund who provide essential financial help to social enterprises during Covid-19. This is part of the National Lottery Community Fund and is distributed by UnLtd who support people who are driving social change.
This allows us to have Josie McNamara in post, managing the day to day running of the club and she becomes your first point of contact for club matters. Josie has already made a significant difference in the smooth handover from Alex and is steaming ahead with exciting new projects. Please feel free to contact Josie at any time if you have ideas/thoughts/feedback regarding the club.
The funding also means we're in a secure position for at least the next 6 months, regardless of what happens with the pandemic. Not many boxing clubs can say that these days, so we're truly grateful for this.
We've been working hard to ensure we provide a safe space for you to train in, meeting all current regulations as set out by the government and our governing body, England Boxing. Although our classes are at capacity, we've added some more to this month's timetable.
Thanks so much for continuing to support the club, the coaches and each other. It's been great to see (from afar) many of you back in the gym and enjoying your training.
Keep healthy and safe everyone.