Thursday, 10 April 2025
Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy have raised over £380,000 in funding to transform Trades Club Ground Floor
Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy (NPBA) is celebrating after raising more than £380,000 and securing a 20 year lease for the ground floor of Hebden Bridge's historic Trades Club building. The group will revitalise the community asset, originally opened in 1925, transforming it into an energy-efficient, flood-resilient and inclusive community hub. This marks the first time the space will be fully refurbished and reopened since the Boxing Day Floods of 2015.
Reopening the Ground Floor to the Community
The facility will enable NPBA to expand its work with young people, women and underrepresented groups, while also welcoming everyone, benefiting the wider Upper Calder Valley. Construction on the project is already underway and with the lease agreed at an affordable community rent, Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy have raised over £380,000 in funding to transform Trades Club Ground Floor is set to open the doors to the new premises in autumn 2025.
Members of Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy
holding cheque for £216,539 from The National Lottery Community Fund
outside the Trades Club. Photo: NPBA
Josie McNamara, General Manager, told the HebWeb, "This is a milestone moment for Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy and our wider community. Securing this funding is the culmination of two years of dedication, collaboration and incredible local support. We can't wait to welcome everyone into a hub that celebrates our community, promotes health and wellbeing and enriches local lives."
Moving into these larger, fully accessible premises will significantly boost community participation, providing an inclusive space not only for NPBA activities but also available for other local groups. In today's challenging climate, protecting and enhancing community spaces requires dedication and this journey has required a shared vision of bringing this asset back into public use.
Roger O'Doherty, who Chair of the Trades Club Building Management Committee, and represents Calder Valley Labour Party, told the HebWeb, "We're thrilled to support this wonderful project, bringing this important space back into use exactly 100 years after it first opened."
Funding Support
Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy is hugely grateful to their funders, grant givers and National Lottery players for making this project possible. This project is part funded by the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Community Foundation for Calderdale, Kerbside, Rotary Club of Hebden Bridge, The Gosling Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund. Thanks also go to Law Works for providing 18 months of crucial pro bono legal support.
Crowdfunder Success
Northern Powerhouse Boxing Academy would like to extend thanks to the 269 supporters who generously contributed to the November 2024 Crowdfunder campaign, raising over £38,500. The Crowdfunder campaign received match funding from the Aviva Community Fund, which generously provided £1 for every £1 raised, a valuable contribution that amplified the impact of our community's generosity, helping us reach and surpass our funding goal.
For further information, please contact: Josie McNamara, General Manager, NPBA 07989 538044 or email.