A COMMUNITY sports facility has opened after months of hard work from supporters of a sports club.

The new boxing gym at Brandon Sports Club was built thanks to an |£80,000 grant from Sports England, which was also used to improve cricket facilities at the venue.

The boxing facility was opened by Darlington boxer Stuart Hall, the former IBF Bantamweight Champion, while the cricket improvements were opened by former England international Geoff Cook.

As well as the help from Sports England, the community helped with the building, donated their time to carry out work as well as things like windows and the steel frame.

Alex Oliver, who runs Brandon Boxing Club, said: “Everyone wanted to be a part of it and it just snowballed. It was like a DIY SOS project.

“The support has been overwhelming. We couldn’t have done it without that because it wouldn’t have been achievable if we had to ask Sport England for the full amount.”

Among those who contributed to the development were coach Paddy O’Connor and Northumbrian Water employee James Potter, through the company’s Just and Hour campaign, a scheme aimed at giving giving time to help community causes.

Brandon Boxing Club, which was set up in 2013 as a way of getting children off the streets and into sport, has more than 100 members.

It was previously based at Brandon Carrside Youth Project.

The new facility means it will be able to cater for more people, as well as have two permanent rings for boxers to use for sparring.

Mr Oliver added: “It’s massively important for the club. We can cater for more and more kids.

“It was jam-packed in the other place. We never turned people away but people weren’t always able to get the most out of it.

“We were losing coaching time because of the set up and dismantling time. All that stress is gone now – we can just turn up and switch the lights on.”

He added: “We’ve won national and international titles and I think this will help us move further up in the ranks.”

The cricket facilities, which include a new cricket practice area with eight grass wickets and an artificial one, have been in use since last year.