A SUFFOLK boxing club responsible for producing three regional champions is fighting to find enough space to train.

Members of Casino Boxing Club, formerly St Helens Boxing Club, have been training at Grange Fitness in Kesgrave since their Ipswich base closed six months ago.

The club has been grateful for the hospitality but is struggling to meet increasing demand and welcome everyone back to training.

Having recorded a number of recent successes, the club is now hoping to spread its wings and find somewhere bigger in the Woodbridge area.

Among those currently in training are three Independent Boxing Association area champions - Ryan Copland in the middleweight category, Tom Cunningham, a light-middleweight, and senior welterweight Stuart Wickens.

Coach Rob Hodgins said: “Although we’re a small club, we have some top fighters. If we could get somewhere bigger we’d fill it out. What we really need is a ring in a hall.

“The boys are grateful to Grange Fitness for taking us in, but we need a bigger facility as we can only have eight lads training at one time.

“We would also love to get back the young kids we lost when the original club closed down. We want to get them off the streets and doing something positive in the gym but right now this is not possible.”

Matt Brennan, of Grange Fitness, allowed Mr Hodgins and club members to use the facilities on Grange Farm to prepare for two title fights shortly after the closure of their old base. He said: “I was already doing a little bit of boxing with Rob beforehand, but when the guys lost their facility I was more than happy to have them join us.”

The group fits training around work and fight schedules, though a standard week’s training is three days of three hour sessions.

If you can help the club find a new home, contact Stuart Wickens by calling either 01394 388154 or 07939 260147, or at stuart@wickensengineering.co.uk.

If you are interested in joining the boxing club, email casinoboxingclub@hotmail.com.