OUR STORY
Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy is proud to be the UK’s first women-led boxing club and our doors are open to everyone.
Our mission is to make positive contributions to the physical and mental well-being of our community by providing a safe, inclusive space where people of all ages, backgrounds and genders are welcomed and empowered through boxing, exercise and social connection.
We run several timetabled sessions per week, along with workshops, courses, holiday clubs, and free access to sport for those who need it most. Many of our programmes are funded so that financial barriers do not prevent people from accessing the benefits of sport and exercise. We are dedicated to making fitness accessible, especially in our rural area where opportunities for organised indoor sports are limited.
Each year, we support around 400–500 individuals, with a total of 6,000–7,000 attendances. Our members range in age from 7 to 77, and come from diverse social backgrounds, ethnicities and genders. While we primarily serve the communities of Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd and Todmorden, we also welcome participants from further afield. Our work extends beyond our gym, reaching into local schools, social services, youth and community groups.
More recently, we’ve been on a huge journey to move our club into the ground floor of the Trades Club. What started as a plan to create a fully accessible, flood-resilient, energy-efficient community hub has taken countless hours of fundraising, planning and building work. Thanks to the backing of funders, local partners and our community, the space opened on September 1st 2025. We are offering more classes than ever before and look forward to welcoming even more people into a space where everyone is welcome.
Our Values
Safe
Inclusive
Empowering
Fun
Respectful
Set up as a Community Interest Company in March 2018, we’re affiliated to the North West Counties ABA and our coaches are England Boxing trained and registered.
NPBA COACHING TEAM
Fie Hopper - Head Coach
Fie joined the gym in 2017 as she wanted to learn a new skill. Having done the first 3 levels of the Boxing Awards Fie decided to get involved in coaching and is now qualified as a Level 1 Coach with England Boxing. Alongside her boxing qualification, Fie has a PT qualification and her aim is for everyone to realise the confidence a strong and healthy body can give you.
Josie McNamara - England Boxing Level 1 Coach
Josie coaches our girls-only classes on a Wednesday afternoon. Following 20 years working in sports marketing for lifestyle brands and governing bodies, Josie brings her passion for helping young girls get involved and stay involved in sport to NPBA.
Khalid Ayub – Professional Boxer & England Boxing Level 1 Coach
Khalid’s love for boxing began aged 3 with a punch ball at home, and by 10 he was stepping into the ring for his first amateur fight. He went on to win 29 of his 32 bouts, earning 4 national titles, 2 GB titles and representing England at the European Championships. Now a professional boxer with 4 fights to his name, Khalid brings his skills and passion to coaching at the club, alongside delivering 1-1 boxing and fitness sessions.
Liz Jefferson - England Boxing Level 1 Coach
One of our original club members, Liz decided to get involved in coaching in 2023 and is now regularly seen assisting and coaching in the club on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Rebecca John - England Boxing Level 1 Coach
Rebecca joined the club in 2018 after being encouraged by her 7-year-old daughter. In 2022, Rebecca qualified as an England Boxing Level 1 coach, recently developing a specialist interest and trained in strength & conditioning. Rebecca hopes to make fitness engaging, fun and accessible to all.
Ryan Wilkinson - England Boxing Level 1 Coach
Ryan joined the club in 2022 and progressed quickly in the ring sparring each week. With a degree in dance and experience in martial arts, in 2023 Ryan wanted to get involved in coaching and took his boxing tutor certificate, followed by his England Boxing Level 1 qualification in August 2025. Ryan now coaches several classes through the week mainly on a Monday and Thursday.
All our coaches are fully qualified, DBS cleared, insured and First Aid trained. Our Level 1 and Level 2 Boxing Coaches have also been through safeguarding training with England Boxing. Our fitness instructors have all the relevant qualifications and requirements to teach their sessions.
Safeguarding
The Club Welfare Officer is Nina Grimes. Any safeguarding issues or concerns relating to any of the coaching team, should be addressed to Nina. You can find more details here.
NPBA Support Staff
General Manager: Josie McNamara
Head Coach: Fie Hopper
Treasurer: Katherine Wackerbarth
Social Media Officer: Rebecca John
Welfare Officer: Nina Grimes
NPBA Board Members
Fie Hopper - Chair
Fie joined the gym in 2017 as she wanted to learn a new skill. Having done the first 3 levels of the Boxing Awards Fie decided to get involved in coaching and is now qualified as a Level 1 Coach with England Boxing. Alongside her boxing qualification, Fie has a PT qualification and her aim is for everyone to realise the confidence a strong and healthy body can give you. Outside of boxing, Fie is a Watch Commander for the Fire Service.
Kate Dakers - Honorary Chair
Kate coached at an amateur level from 2012-2019 and before moving to Spain in 2019 was one of our Level 2 Coaches and a Talent Support Coach with England Boxing. She grew up in Zimbabwe - competing in sports most of her life and fell in love with boxing after leaving ten years of Karate behind. Arriving in England at age 33, it was too late to start an amateur career when the upper limit was then 35, so she took to coaching. Committed to removing the barriers for participation in boxing for girls in the local area, she set up NPBA in a bid to provide a safe, supportive, female coaching environment at the club.
Katherine Wackerbarth - Treasurer
Katherine started boxing late in life; she came to the club to support her daughter who was a newly-qualified coach and discovered that she loved hitting things (and gaining new skills). In her professional life she has always worked with numbers and business processes, whether for large corporations or small community groups, and is very happy to be able to use this experience in her role as Treasurer.
Josie McNamara - Club Manager
Following 20 years working in sports marketing for lifestyle brands and governing bodies, Josie brings her passion for helping girls get involved and stay involved in sport.
Nina Grimes - Welfare Director
Nina has enjoyed boxing for many years; she joined NPBA in 2022 after relocating back to the North. Nina worked as a primary school teacher for many years, she was a Designated Safeguarding officer and worked closely with families, both adults and children, to support their well-being. Nina is a regular attendee of the Over 50s class.