Repton Boxing Club, based in Tower Hamlets, is claiming charity status due to a lack of funding from Sport England.
In deprived areas, amateur boxing clubs are often the first point of call for the younger generation looking to participate in physical activity.
But without a tangible investment from Sport England, the body responsible for funding grassroots sport, many gyms rely on donations to see them through difficult times.
London Marathon Foundation, which has distributed over £100m to sports clubs since 1981, is a key supporter of Repton.
London Marathon Foundation head of funding Joe Thompson said: “Tower Hamlets is on the iconic marathon route, so it is a really important borough for us.
“Repton is like a refuge for the younger generation; it allows them to find mentors that they trust, who can give them a positive outlook on life.”
During the pandemic, the closure of clubs meant that people, especially those living in deprived areas, had fewer outlets to exercise.
Recognising the effect this had on people’s mental and physical health, the London Marathon Foundation now places a greater emphasis on developing grassroots activity in built-up areas.
Joe added: “Funders often think that just investing money and launching initiatives from the top-down will solve some of these issues [in deprived areas], but actually, it’s much more effective to work from the grassroots-up.
“Pronounced health inequalities in areas of high-density housing with a lack of open space were identified, so we targeted places like Tower Hamlets.
“There should be more investment across the board into grassroots sport and physical activity; it is a key aspect of the nation’s health and wellbeing.”
A lack of funding for boxing clubs became clear in September of this year, when the Lynn AC in Camberwell, London, was saved from closure following a £10,000 donation from Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport.
Since then, Sport England has announced a £250m investment to increase activity levels in areas of deprivation, targeting between 80 and 100 local communities.
Yet despite this investment, over 3,000 deprived areas will remain without access to a sustainable form of funding.
This is shown by the Index of Multiple Deprivation, which gives 32,844 small areas in England, all divided into 10 equal groups, a deprivation rank.
Perhaps more important, when considering the impact of amateur boxing gyms, though, are the supplementary measurements of the indices of deprivation, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in 2019.
The Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index measures the proportion of all people aged 0 to 15 living in income deprived families.
It shows that eight London boroughs are ranked in the 10% most deprived Local Authority Districts.
The average rank is calculated by looking at small areas in a Local Authority District where children are most affected.
Graph showing deprivation ranks
Sport England’s investment will be distributed directly to Local Authorities, who will then allocate funding for individual clubs and associations.
Yet Repton, a community-rooted space, continues to search for different methods to sustain itself.
The gym is perhaps most commonly recognised as a backdrop, used by filmmaker Guy Ritchie, to depict a hang-out for East London gangsters.
While this notoriety has allowed chairman David Robinson to explore different revenue streams, the barriers in the way of access to funding have led to economic difficulties during Covid and, more recently, concerns over the future of other gyms amid the cost of living crisis.
He said: “Because of our reputation, we do survive better than other clubs.
“We got through it [Covid] on sponsors and then, when lockdown ended, amateur tournaments.
“The first thing they [Sport England] ask when you apply for grants is what do you want the money for?”
David estimates that around 50% of boxing clubs claim charity status.
The fact that they are volunteer led, without a great deal of resources, means that many could be faced with rejection when applying for funding from Sport England.
As a result, charitable donations are needed to meet the basic standards for safety at clubs like Repton.
David said: “The building was once in a diabolical state; we needed a new floor and roof.
“We put on and attend various dinner shows in order to keep ourselves going, as they are a great opportunity to receive donations.”
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