Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy – Update.

In March 2025 the Rotary Club of Hebden Bridge awarded a £1,620 grant to Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy CIC (NPBA), the UK’s first women‑led boxing club. NPBA is now based on the ground floor of the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge, where it offers boxing and fitness sessions for young people and adults, including women‑only classes and programmes for under‑represented groups.

Our grant formed part of a wider funding package that enabled NPBA to relocate from a former mill in Todmorden and bring a disused community space back into use. The Rotary contribution was used to help refurbish the academy’s main boxing ring – which had been damaged by a leaking roof at the old site – and to purchase a pull‑up bar for the new gym, ensuring the ring was safe, fully functional and ready for use as soon as the Hebden Bridge premises opened.

The move has had a significant impact. The new venue is centrally located, walkable and fully accessible, which has changed who can attend: people who previously struggled with steep stairs, limited transport or lack of a car are now able to join sessions. All ages are welcome. One 74‑year‑old participant said that she really appreciated NPBA’s “welcoming atmosphere, inclusivity, well‑trained staff and sense of fun”. Another member commented: “I always wanted to come since NPBA started, but it felt a bit inaccessible in the old location… I never felt that ‘I can’t do this, I can’t keep up’ thing I’ve felt with any other class I’ve ever taken. I go to 3 or 4 classes a week now… my fitness and strength have gone up more in the last few months than in the previous few years. There’s something for everyone.”

Between September and December 2025, the new gym recorded 3,667 visits, compared with 1,543 over the same period in 2024, more than doubling overall footfall. Young people have seen the largest increase, with 1,080 attendances versus 413 the previous year, and 230 of those visits were through NPBA’s free school meals programme, which guarantees that families in greatest need can still access activities.

The academy has also launched a new weekly Parkinson’s boxing session, which reached its capacity of 14 regular participants within three months and is now oversubscribed. Participants describe feeling welcomed and able to progress at their own pace, with several reporting bigger gains in fitness and confidence over a few months at NPBA than over previous years elsewhere. NPBA remains financially sustainable through class income, memberships and targeted grants, while continuing to offer fully funded places where needed.

In their evaluation, NPBA thanked the Rotary Club of Hebden Bridge for support that “came at exactly the right time and helped us move forward with confidence”. Academy Leader Josie added: “A huge thank you to the Rotary Club of Hebden Bridge for their support in helping us get our new home at the Trades Club ready for action. Their grant funded the refurbishment of our boxing ring, which has been at the heart of everything we do since we opened our doors in September 2025. More people than ever can reach us, we’ve more than doubled our footfall from our previous location, and the impact goes so far beyond numbers. We are so grateful!”

Our Club is pleased to record this successful outcome and to see Rotary funding contributing to a safe, inclusive and health‑promoting facility for the Upper Calder Valley community, which also offers such fun and a strong sense of achievement to participants.

Read more at: Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy

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