Traffic Lights System Boxing Club is Green for Go in Lambeth

During a special event yesterday, Traffic Lights System Boxing Club, Lambeth Council and Powerday Foundation opened a new community facility that will enable the club to extend its activities and engage more young people across the community, particularly women and girls.

The event was attended by World Middleweight Champion George Groves; club leaders Richard Vassell, Natasha Thomas, Daniel McCarthy and Wayne Jones; Lambeth Council Mayor Councillor John Paul Ennis; and Powerday’s Tara Crossan.

They revealed how a £150,000 ‘Mixed Economy Approach’ investment has enabled the Vauxhall-based boxing club, which was formerly a disused community centre, to create a first-class training facility that provides male and female changing areas.

Founded two years ago, Traffic Lights System Boxing Club prides itself on having a positive impact on the lives of young people in its community – particularly those at risk of getting involved with anti-social behaviour and crime.

This new investment will enable it to accept youngsters and deliver invaluable physical and mental wellbeing activities to people across Lambeth and marginalised young people.

Thanks to the investment, the boxing club will now expand its work with local schools and colleges, providing extra curricula intervention programme for young people.

It will have a strong focus on women, girls and young people who are at risk, by delivering an invigorating and controlled sporting environment away from street culture and postcode rivalries.

Richard Vassell, Head Coach at the Traffic Lights System Boxing Club, said: “For two years, we have worked tirelessly to create this hub for safe controlled sport and social integration that will benefit the lives of thousands of young people from across Lambeth.

We will achieve this by highlighting how physical and mental well-being can be improved by attending our open-to-all, volunteer-led classes and using our new gym and fitness equipment.

“Our thanks go to Lambeth Council, Powerday Foundation and OCO Ltd who have all provided investment and commitment in delivering what we celebrate today.

These facilities are a positive platform and a commitment from the community and council to empower locals to do more for young people across ‘Lambeth’”

Mayor of Lambeth – Cllr John Paul Ennis, added: “I am really pleased to see that the Traffic Lights System Boxing Club is being supported by a unique partnership of local authority, voluntary and commercial partnerships to offer more opportunities for our community to benefit from sport and particularly boxing.

This will help shape young people’s lives with positive interventions that make a noticeable difference to their health and mental-wellbeing.

“As a community, we need to continue to work hard to offer our young people all the options available so they can have the best opportunities in life to shape their desired futures.

It is essential that we provide them with safe and controlled spaces like Traffic Lights System Boxing Club where we can help them learn new skills that will develop their characters and negate negative influences’, whilst adding real time social value to the community and residents.

Michael Crossan BEM, Chairman of Powerday and the Powerday Foundation commented: “The club first came to our attention when it was looking for support to safeguard and expand its volunteer provision. Richard and his team of volunteers are a true inspiration and we are proud to have helped create them this new facility.

“We are passionate about improving the lives of Londoners and this iconic, community-based club is just one of 100 positive projects we’re involve with.

Through our partnership with London Boxing we have attracted more than £15m of funding, over the past decade, that has benefited young people, clubs and projects across the Capital. We continue to take great pride in enabling each of the clubs we support to flourish.”