New Chair of Trustees for Hull boxing academy

PASSING THE BATON: Andrew Horncastle MBE, left, has been replaced as Chair of St Paul’s Boxing Academy in Hull by David Garness

By Rick Lyon

A heavyweight of Hull’s business community has been appointed Chair of Trustees for St Paul’s Boxing Academy.

David Garness, Managing Director of property specialist the Garness Group, has taken over the position from another prominent figure in commerce, Andrew Horncastle MBE.

Mr Horncastle served as the boxing club’s first Chair of Trustees, and was charged with delivering a £1m refurbishment of the gym on North Church Side, Hull city centre, which had fallen into disrepair.

Since the work was completed two years ago, the club has been thriving once again with more than 700 members, and Mr Garness said under his tenure he is looking to build on the great work already achieved.

He said: “St Paul’s has been in the same building since the 1970s and it had fallen into such a state of disrepair that the future of the club was under threat.

“The work required to complete the refurbishment, from fundraising to managing the build, was immense and it is a great testament to Andrew, John Rutherford, Hull City Council, and everyone else involved.

“The next goal is to ensure St Paul’s is sustainable for future generations, both from a financial and human resources perspective, and during my tenure I will be focusing on achieving this so that the club is around for many more decades to come.”

Since the refurbishment was completed, St Paul’s has opened its doors to a number of community groups in the daytime, working with local colleges, charities, and sports clubs to provide a place to train and learn about the benefits of exercise.

The club is renowned for drawing membership from the less prosperous parts of Hull and preparing young people for a successful life by teaching them discipline, a good work ethic, and respect for other people.

Mr Garness added that while the club will continue to build on this, the focus will also be on training the boxing champions of the future.

He said: “St Paul’s has trained hundreds of champions over the years, not least Olympic Gold medallist Luke Campbell MBE, and currently has the best crop of young boxers in its history coming through the ranks.

“The community outreach is vitally important to this region and we will build on that, but it is producing world class boxers that puts St Paul’s, and Hull, on the world stage.”

Mr Horncastle said that in handing over the reins, he knew the club was in safe hands.

“David has been involved with St Paul’s since 2015 and has been Deputy Chair of Trustees since the board was formed,” he said.

“He has been a passionate ambassador for the club for all of that time and a great advocate of the many benefits of the sport of boxing can bring to young people.

“With him at the helm, I have every faith that St Paul’s Boxing Academy will continue to go from strength to strength.”