Grand Opening of Crewe’s State of the Art Boxing Gym at Mirion Street

Young people in Crewe have a lot to celebrate, thanks to a partnership between South Cheshire Amateur Boxing Club and Crewe Youth Club. They now have a brand-new boxing gym and youth space at Mirion Street, the first purpose-built youth space in Crewe in over 60 years. It’s a collaborative project that’s been built by the community, for the community, and will give young people every opportunity to have fun and improve their health and life chances.

The new state-of-the-art youth space has been generously funded by the UK Government’s Towns Fund ((£1,190,402), the UK Government’s Youth Investment Fund (£820,622), the Garfield Weston Foundation (£150,000), the Community Ownership Fund (£300,000), and the Improved, Greener, Communities Facilities Fund (£15,000).

Stephanie Peacock MP, Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth, joined young boxers, and special guests at a ribbon-cutting event (27 June 2025) to mark the centre’s opening. Over 70 guests joined together to celebrate the new youth space, including young people and their families, boxing coaches, Crewe Youth Club and South Cheshire Amateur Boxing Club Boards of Trustees, members of Crewe Town Board and representatives of other funders and supporters.

They were joined by the Chair of Cheshire East Council’s Children and Families Committee, Cllr Laura Crane, Crewe Town Council Mayor, Councillor Sally Graham, Connor Naismith MP for Crewe and Nantwich, and Tony Davison, Chair of Crewe Town Board. The celebration included a tour of the brand-new facilities and equipment and an opportunity to meet young boxers as they shared their ideas and ambitions for the new gym.

The Mirion Street Centre is part of a two-stage project and Stage 1 is to relocate the South Cheshire Amateur Boxing Club from a crumbling Victorian warehouse to a modern sports and recreational facility. The building was designed by NC Architecture, constructed by PGS Projects, and project-managed by Construction-Q.

The new boxing gym has been built on a large 1.13-acre site in the centre of Crewe. Around two-thirds of the land has been used for the development, leaving plenty of space for outdoor activities and future development for the benefit of the youth community. The building is a modern, double height space with a mezzanine floor. Sustainability is at the heart of the build; it includes solar panels, LED lighting, a heat recovery system and insulation made of natural materials. The outside space will include a new running track, attractive landscaping, and car parking spaces, including points for electric charging.

Nathan Clarke, Head Coach at South Cheshire Amateur Boxing Club, started boxing at the age of 13 at his local boxing club. Nathan has dedicated his working life to inspiring young people and giving them every opportunity to learn, grow and develop vital skills for life.

Connor Naismith MP for Crewe and Nantwich added:  

“Having been engaged with this project since long before the General Election, I am over the moon for Rob, Mike, Nathan and all of the young people who will benefit from this facility now it has been delivered.” 

“The Trustees have worked tirelessly to bring this project from ambition to reality, and they should be applauded for all of that work, which will be of significant benefit to the individuals who use the facility and the wider town in Crewe.” 

“Sport can play a crucial role in the development of young people, both in terms of physical activity, discipline and broader skills applicable to other areas of life. It is therefore fantastic to see this partnership between local government, central government, the third sector and the wider community deliver a project which will provide these opportunities to our young people.” 

The gym will be a welcoming space for every young person who wants to get involved. Working alongside other agencies, including Cheshire East Council, the NHS, local Schools and the Police, the Mirion Street Centre will give young people in the area a fantastic central access point to help get support and guidance. It will be an inspiring new space where young people from all backgrounds can participate in boxing and benefit from small group coaching and striving to achieve personal goals in a highly skilled physical sport.

The South Cheshire Amateur Boxing Club promotes community cohesion through its ‘open door policy’, encouraging local community members to attend, commit to the club values and code of behaviour, regardless of gender, disability, age, ethnicity or culture. The Clubs informal motto, and an inspiration for this project, is “All Different. All Equal.”