Willie Burns (ABS Ltd. Coach Education Director) and James Docherty (ABS Ltd.Coach and Club Development Officer) were invited to the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday 17th
November 2010 to celebrate the success of the first school and young people to pass the ABAE ASDAN CoPE – using boxing as a curriculum vehicle for achievement.
Dame Sharon Hollows (Principal of Charter Academy) said “The introduction to amateur boxing to Charter Academy has been fantastic, the sport has had a very positive impact on all our students, we have already had 8 successful boxing show’s in our school and hosted the National CYP Boxing Championships this year in the new sports hall. The sport is very new to a lot of the boys and girls however they are all enjoying learning the art of amateur boxing along with other key skills they pick up on the ASDAN boxing educational qualification such as working with others, problem solving, research, discussion, improving own learning and performance all from boxing related activities.
Portsmouth MP Penny Mordaunt who sponsored the Parliament visit feels boxing is “very important to the community and education, allowing young people to achieve, when perhaps they would not have done so” Penny also hopes that more schools will start to deliver the educational qualification as she feels it is a very character building experience for today’s society.
Sam Ellwood, Natasa Cole, Billie Madden and Saj Ahmed, four of these successful students travelled up from Portsmouth to the Parliament with ABA Advanced Coach Q Shillingford. The youngsters
were also filmed and interviewed by South Today in the gardens of Westminster as was Penny Mordaunt. The young people also received their ASDAN Educational Certificates from the CEO of ASDAN Marius Frank and ABAE CEO Paul King.
Paul King believes this is another exceptional day for Boxing and the breadth of support is certainly out there for the Sport and it’s a recognised success, even now engaging with Women MP’s supporting all our efforts. He added “This is a historical event for the Amateur Boxing Association of England.
We have reached a new high in Boxing in schools, the ABA of England can now confirm we have a great Recreational Boxing Awards programme, an Educational Programme and our competitive programme already speaks for itself with the great work on the domestic, national and International scene. The ABA of England is delighted with the outcomes of the National Boxing Awards programme and the ASDAN CoPE using boxing as a curriculum vehicle for achievement.
Also in attendance was the ABAE Chairman Keith Walters who said: “The ABAE ASDAN CoPE boxing in schools programme has reached a new high, as 16 year eleven school students from Charter Academy, based in Portsmouth have passed their boxing educational course. The Heart of Portsmouth Boxing Academy (HOP) in Charter Academy is leading the way in Boxing in schools in the country”. He added “The ABAE is delighted with the development of Boxing in schools.
This is a huge step forward for the sport of Amateur Boxing and the intention is to roll out the Recreational and Educational programme all over the country. The 6 level GB National Boxing Award scheme, provides an excellent entry route into the core skills of Amateur Boxing for recreational boxers or boxers joining boxing clubs and preparing for their first bout”. Whilst also gaining an educational credit per award towards the ASDAN CoPE using boxing as a curriculum vehicle for achievement.
ABAE Education Development Officer Lewis Pendleton commented: The qualification is an ASDAN CoPE Level 1 or 2 and is the equilivant to a GCSE Grade E-F or Grade B.
ABS Ltd. were delighted to be invited to the launch and applaud the work Quinton Shillingford has done for boxing development in England. We will be looking to replicate the success Quinton has had in England up here in Scotland with regards to introducing boxing into schools and into the curriculum in due course.
