A boxing gym is proving a knockout as it gives everyone a chance to train like a professional.

Elite Thai Boxing in Halliwell supports both amateur and professional boxers and is now putting on Special Education Needs (SEN) classes every Monday at 4pm.

The boxing gym prides itself in playing a vital role in the local community and now the Elite Community Hub is offering a blend of physical activity, social interaction, and personal growth.

Alex Matvienko, co-founder of Elite Boxing, said: “We built the Elite Community Hub during the Covid pandemic to give back to the local community.

"The range of classes the club have been able to offer since has changed people’s lives for the better."

The gym also offers and provides free funded kids’ classes, free over 50's classes, free veterans' boxing classes, men's mental health sessions, self-improvement seminars and works with various organizations to engage local youths, especially those at risk of becoming involved in crime.

Most recently, the gym has started a ‘Sound Bath’ wellbeing session which is a free guided meditation and sound therapy class set to become a regular event for the community at 11am each Wednesday.

Lisa Murray of The Karmic Collective CIC, which provides holistic wellbeing sessions, said: “Coming into the Elite Community Hub is part of us reaching out to people who might have never tried this sort of relaxation class – we even had a couple of people join us after their boxing classes at Elite Gym on the floor below.

“It’s a much different venue to the Forest Bathing sessions we hold at Smithills Woodland Trust, but it’s such a welcoming, airy space, that participants said they thoroughly enjoyed it and would be back.”

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'Proper Good Bolton' gave us mentoring support and a grant that enabled us to provide essential mental health first aid training to our directors and marketing tools to help us reach a wider audience and connect with brilliant organisations like Elite Community Hub CIC.

The CIC is also looking for volunteers to help with the sessions.

Lisa said: “Rising costs for energy, rent, staff etc mean that we are going to need the support of local businesses to keep our classes free and expand the community support we can offer.”

To find out more, businesses can email: elitecommunityhub@gmail.com