A PROFESSIONAL boxer from Leamington has appealed for the community to pull together to support his local gym following a break-in which caused £10,000 of damage last month.
Danny Quartermaine, who has himself pledged £1,000 towards the fundraising total, is putting his weight behind a fundraising campaign following the break-in at Cleary’s community boxing gym in Whitnash in the early hours of July 28.
The 27-year-old IBF and WBO European super featherweight title holder has been coached at the gym since the age of 12 by owner Edwin Cleary, turning pro in 2019 after 90 amateur bouts.
He said: “When I first heard about the break in I didn’t believe it, as who in their right mind would want to do this to a community building. It has made me really very angry that someone would go to this much effort to break in and rob money from the gym, but then to persist to break and damage things in the gym, is beyond me.
“This is a place that creates a safe and good environment for kids growing up, allowing them to express themselves, learn discipline and also exercise at the same time.
“Being part of Cleary’s since the age of 10 has played a massive part in my life and just when the local community had got the gym facilities it deserved and the gym was thriving, this happened. It is now also putting a lot of strain on the gym to find ways of rectifying what has happened and to cover costs.
“I believe that Leamington as a community will all pull together to help out as it always does. Likewise with everyone involved with the club, with all the members, the boxers and the coaches.
“The gym has definitely taken a massive hit but I strongly believe we will overcome this, together.”
Edwin Cleary discovered the burglary, which happened between 4.30am and 5.30am, while opening for a regular kids’ class the next morning.
The intruder had stolen £200 from the vending machines but left £10,000 worth of damage in his wake. All the locked internal doors had been kicked off their hinges and every locker and cupboard emptied and ransacked.
To donate to the repairs visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kurt-canavan-3
