Boxing Clever for Mental Health and Life Chances With Living Legends

In the presence of Legends! Bristol's Chris Sanigar and Frank Bruno

 It is very seldom you get to meet two boxing legends within two days.
I remember watching the Bruno vs. Tyson fight, and I remember, still with devastation and dread, the Michael Watson fight, that changed the way boxing safety was policed for ever.

Since then, both these living legends have soldiered on through very tough times. Frank's mental health issues were made very public, and doctors said that Michael Watson would never walk or talk again.

But both men are not only walking and talking, they are taking up the fight to help others through the sport they love. Frank Bruno is supporting Empire Boxing Club's new scheme, helping people with mental health, through boxing, in conjunction with the mental health services. I went to a session and saw how uniquely effective boxing can be. 

The amazing Michael Watson: 2nd row, third from the left

Michael Watson was in Parliament to launch "Fight for Change" - a Lambeth based charity, helping young people find a career and a future for themselves through boxing. As professional fighter, Jevon Young said,  "Boxing saved my life. I probably wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for boxing".

The All Party Group on Boxing , of which I am chair, is working on a report to shine light on all these remarkable schemes. I have never, ever seen anything tackle those toughest social challenges like boxing. We waste so much money on interventions to the 'hard to reach' which don't work. For so many, only boxing has the reach, and for so many, it's definitely the right hook.

Find out more:  www.fight4change.org.uk/‎

Or about Empire Boxing Club  HERE

2442 Air Cadets Squadron - the proud Legacy of 'The Few'

Is the blurring anything to do with the toasts with port? Who can say...

When I was very young, I often thought about going into the military. My granddad was a colonel in the Middlesex Regiment and my mum had been brought up in a military family - staying at boarding school, going back to various different homes, Cyprus, Germany, as her mum and dad were posted around the world.

I still have a copy of a photo, signed by Montgomery, of my granddad receiving the Military Cross for bravery, from him; so in some ways, the values of military service were still around in my family as I was growing up even though my grandfather died when I was six. 

However, I never did go into the Services, but now the British Military Tournament has been resurrected I take my family every year, and my admiration for our armed forces is tremendous.

Cadets drill in the co-op carpark...

I may not have received a medal for outstanding bravery over the weekend - but I was still very proud to receive my certificate for being made Honorary President of Westbury-Trym's superb 2442 Air  Cadets Squadron  at their Annual Dinner in Westbury Village Hall. The Cadets did themselves proud, especially with some beautiful readings and poems.

My grandfather, Colonel Rex Waller, receiving a medal for bravery from Field Marshall Montgomery

Whenever I see the Cadets in action I am impressed by their discipline and maturity. The cadets may hail from all sorts of different backgrounds, but they are all absolutely united in their identity as cadets. I sometimes feel very old as I look on the discipline, and ethos of duty and service that these young men and women encompass, and am conscious of being grateful that our next generation hold such values so proudly. I hope that values like duty, service, and bravery will not be seen as 'old fashioned values' - but values of today, alive and vibrant in young people like our superb 2442 Squadron Air Cadets.

Entrepreneurial Heaven - Angelberry

It was evidently a real chore to sample the multi-flavoured, multi-topping'd delights of Angelberry. Yes, I know, tough, but someone has to do it.

It's good to see a success story:  This is James. He chose not to go to University but to get straight in there and try to set up a business of his own.  His first venture,  "James the Green Grocers" ( anyone in Westbury on Trym will know where he is!) has been a great success and now he is branching out - to the naughtier allures of frozen yogurt in his new company Angel Berry

I met with James to discuss what we can do better to support small businesses, and the challenge of getting a loan. James has been lucky to have some great advice and support, but his success just shows what our next generation can do not only in terms of getting jobs, but creating jobs, with a bit of advice, start-up help, a loan, and some grit and determination.

Just look at all that fruit...   !

And for anyone worried about the calories, the good news is,the yogurt's virtually fat free! ( and hey, a bit of sugar now and again does no harm!)

Southmead's Ds Streets for world championships!

As I arrived at The Bear and Rugged Staff for my 'Pub Politics' session, the upper level of the pub had been mysteriously cleared of the pool table... It soon became clear. The landlord Richard had organised a big surprise performance by Southmead's very own Streetdance group, Ds Streets.

Their performance was really impressive - and they are raising money to go to the World Championships in Blackpool later in August.

We all chipped in, and at the pub alone they managed to raise over £400. They need more, and they are also fundraising to afford some basic equipment like mirrors and a proper sound system.

If you can donate, please email Dwain Trivett at martialparts78@hotmail.com - let's take Southmead's Ds Streets to the world championships - watch out Blackpool!

Fairbridge: Turning around lives ( and making great cakes)

One of the perks of being an MP is that occasionally it means being forced to sit down to a nice cup of tea and eating some sinfully enormous and rich chocolate cake. I know. Tough, isn't it...

My visit to Fairbridge was one of those tough times: The young people ( some pictured here) many at risk of exclusion, come to Fairbridge for a variety of activities that, in their own words ( and I didn't see any of the staff kicking them under the table to say this!) - really has turned their lives around.

One of my young constituents in Southmead had made an obscenely superb chocolate cake for the occasion - and cooking is one of the activities that the Fairbridge centre offers. It had banana and chocolate goo in the middle, and over cake and tea we discussed what the young people had gained from the scheme, what their future plans were, and I spoke to one young man who had benefited from Fairbridge, who has now come back to help and plans to be a youth worker. That, and the views of the young people themselves, is testament enough to the great work the organisation does.

Rovers gives a boost to Henbury Streetz Project

We've come a long way. From an idea I had after seeing a street dance performance at a charity dinner, to getting a new street dance group started at Emmanuel Chapel in Henbury!

The crew at Emmanuel Chapel have been superb in really making it happen, my mum has got involved to raise funds and now we have enough money for street dance every Friday, with beat-box on the cards for the future.

Our new group of talented street dancers and the team all went to the Rovers stadium to collect money. Sporting our new "Henbury Streetz Project" T-Shirts, we raised several hundred pounds on one day, and great fun was had by all. Many thanks to everyone who dug deep: And there was a Rovers victory as well! Thanks to Rovers and our intrepid team of fundraisers and dancers!

Tea(Street)Dance with mum

At the beginning of the year, I brought a Street-Dance team to Henbury's Emmanuel Chapel to start trial street-dance classes for local young people.

The classes were a huge success, and 9 weeks later, a significant group of young people had put together an excellent street-dance routine which they performed in front of the community (including their parents.) And the young people loved it so much that one of them anonymously, and unbeknownst to us, applied for Aspiring Communities funding themselves to continue it.

And my mum ( Who has always had a bit of a thing for street-dance) took it upon herself to fundraise to get enough money to secure the street-dance classes for the future. A few years ago she took up cycling, and recently won the European Triathlon Championships in her age-group - so she decided to do a big sponsored Bike Ride around the Bristol area to raise money for the street dance group.

This is just one of the fundraising events organised around her Big Bike Ride - A beautiful tea put on by Cynthia Reynolds and Carole Lye ( both pictured behind the tea table!) .

If you are interested in sponsoring my mum's bike ride for Henbury Street Dance, email my mum at janeleslie@hotmail.com for more details.

Henbury Students' community funday sets the standard!

Here I am with the "BS10 Big It Up" crew, at the superb Henbury Community School Funday, organised entirely by Henbury Students. Now one thing about being a candidate or an MP is that you get to go to a lot, and I mean A LOT of events and fairs. And I can honestly say I have never been to one better organised than this one organised by Henbury School Pupils.



There was food cooked by Henbury school pupils, with the help of the indefatigable ( and looking quite hot) Nick Merrick ; ( There was home-cooked curry as well as fat burgers and sausages), and entertainment and performances by Henbury School pupils.

I managed to get ice-cream all over my face and go berserk on the brick-a-brack stall which was selling off old videos for 10p a go. I spent a humongous £1.10 - and have a large bag of videos I intend to watch at some undetermined point. ( Including an old video of Dangermouse! for 10p! How can you say no to that?!)

Head-boy Ryan told me they'd been working to organise this since before Christmas, and having been behind some event organising myself, I know that something that seemingly flows as smoothly as today requires months and months of preparation. I was just delighted for the pupils that the one thing that couldn't be pre-planned came up trumps :- It was gorgeous weather.

Grand opening of the National Smelters Boxing Gym

This blog has followed the progress of the Avonmouth National Smelters Boxing Club new-gym build. From lowly beginnings ( some girders in the mud) to a superb new facility...

It has all been down to the dedication and work of coach Garry Cave and his team of helpers and volunteers. Today, I was honoured to help open the Gym .

After the club held its AGM and prize giving, I opened the gym with Garry, (left, black T-shirt) and regional boxing developer, Roger Eady (right)

I have blogged incessantly, including an article in the Telegraph, about why boxing is so important for young people. I remember getting cross when one lady told me 'it taught young people to hit' - I'm afraid young people are already perfectly capable of hitting without going to a boxing club. But what boxing does do is channel natural aggression and energy into a disciplined and highly technical sport, and helps young men feel confident enough to walk AWAY from a fight.

But it is also the kind of family that builds up around a club like the National Smelters Club. At the prize giving, every boxer was valued, and I am always so impressed by one particular prize that's handed out: The Boxer's Boxer - the recipient is decided upon by the boxers themselves: They all go into a huddle and within 30 seconds, they have all mutually decided a winner. Try getting politicians to do something similar!




Garry just needs a bit more fundraising done before the gym is completely paid for. I intend to carry on helping and supporting the club, as well as boxing across the city; and now the madness of the General Election campaign is over, there's no excuse for me not to get the gloves back on and get back into the gym!

Manor Farm Boys Club

It was an inspiration visiting Manor Farm Boys Club. Not only has it resisted the tide of political correctness in holding onto its single-sex status, and it's original name, but it is also an example of what can be done, not by endless meetings and discussion, but by just using initiative and getting on with it.

The club is a bit of a tardis - much larger on the inside than it seems on the outside. And they have made superb use of space, with a new gym and an art room and store-cupboards in every available corner.

The club also owns a cottage in Wales for community adventure weekends, which it lets out to other youth clubs and organisations across Bristol. When I visited, they were also making use of the demand for parking spaces by people coming to watch the (sadly unsuccessful) Rovers game, and charging for car-parking.

It was really encouraging to see community minded people taking the initiative and making the club work - even more so when you realise that most of those now involved in the club came through it themselves and have grown up to want to put something back in. That's real sustainability.

Filton Sea Cadets - fundraising needed!

If more children were given the kind of opportunities those at Filton Sea Cadets get, to learn a multitude of skills and discipline, our antisocial behaviour problem would be much diminished.

I went to visit Scott Stevens, ( pictured) of Filton Sea Cadets to see if I could help them raise much needed funds to renovate their premises at Horfield's T.A Centre.

What struck me most was the manners and courtesy of the young people there. I had a bit of trouble getting in, initially - and one of the boys let me in and pointed me in the right direction, and with exceptional courtesy made sure I knew where I was going and how to find the person I had come to see.

Scott himself has invested huge amounts of his own personal time and money in helping to renovate the crumbling premises in which the Sea Cadets are currently housed. They need all the support they can get - and there are few initiatives that are more valuable than this one. So if you can help, get in touch with the Filton Sea Cadets, by emailing Maz: Mazbissell@blueyonder.co.uk

..............No, it's not Richard Dawkins fighting religion.

It's Lee Cummings from Southmead Boxing Club, taking some youngsters aged between around 9-12 from Upper Horfield for boxing lessons in Eden Grove church.
( you can just see one of their legs in the corner.)

It was amazing seeing the energy released from these young people and it made me realise afresh just how important exercise and activities are for youngsters.

Boxing is slowly but surely becoming more popular in schools and youth clubs across Bristol. I've said it once, I'll say it again: If you get the chance, go along and see what kind of work boxing coaches like Lee do. It's impressive.

From Girders to .... this!

Remember those girders I showed you back in July?

This is what they turned into - an almost completed brand new boxing gym.

But as with all things, it didn't happen by magic. It happened through the grit and determination of the National Smelting Boxing Club and Garry Cave, its coach.

There's still a few things to d0 - and Garry needs about £6000 to finish it all off... so if there's anyone out there reading this who's not been crunched by the credit crisis and has a few grand they can spare... get in touch with Garry today! This isn't just about building a gym, if the boxing I've seen at the club is anything to go by, this gym will help change lives.

Smelters' new boxing club on the brink of completion

The National Smelting Boxing Club's new gym is on the brink of completion. The club has raised over £60,000 for the new gym, so that it can offer boxing to the ever growing number of young men ( and women!) who want to take up the sport.

On Thursday night, as President of the Club, I went to the Smelting Club's big amateur boxing tournament which the club put on to raise the final few thousand left to complete their new gym.

It was a brilliant evening - everything was superbly organised and the evening was a real success. Pictured, is Tom Connors from the National Smelting Club taking on Dean Dodge from Yeovil. At half time, we were treated to a very professional performance from a local dance group. There was something for everyone.

We're yet to hear what was raised, but it's another step towards completion of a building that will not only house a sport, but will help build young people's lives.

Read my Guardian Blog on Knife Crime

Read my Guardian blog today on Knife Crime HERE

by the time the child is clutching a knife, ready to stab, they have already been drilled to know that if they do something bad, there will be no real consequences, apart from some desperate hand-wringing from society and a few emotional videos to tell them not to do it again.