A boxing gym has had a defibrillator donated by a charity to help create a safer space.

The Flowhesion Foundation is a Bolton charity encouraging communities to live better and works closely with sports clubs in the town to do this.

Premier Boxing in The Haugh, a community boxing gym where pro athlete Samir Aftab trains, approached the foundation to ask if they could get help with installing an AED defibrillator.

The boxing gym relies on the public to help keep it running and has already helped countless young people stay out of trouble and off the streets.

Head coach, Rasib Muhammed said: “We needed a defibrillator, because it’s a requirement by England boxing to get an affiliation and in case there is any emergency at the gym, so we are fully equipped to tackle cardiac failure.

“We are really grateful for the support they continue to give us and can see how serious they are in investing in small clubs like ours to improve community cohesion and inclusion in the town.” 

Vanessa Stoneman, development co-ordinator at Flowhesion was moved by the gym’s story and commitment to young people in the community.

She said: “When Rasib came to me, I felt his passion and commitment about boxing and how he has been working with some of the most vulnerable kids in our town.

“It simply was not an option for us to let the club have its registration put in jeopardy because it could not afford to put an AED on site.”

READ: Amir Khan teams up with Round4Round to fight knife crime in Bolton

An AED is a portable machine that can administer an electric shock to someone’s heart if they are in cardiac arrest.