GB Boxing Coaches raise more than £1,600 for Charity Partners Sheffield Mind and roundabout by completing gruelling 50-round boxing bag challenge

Olympic boxing coaches, Gary Hale (Podium Coach) and Malcolm MacIver (Performance Coach), have raised more than £1,600 for two charities in South Yorkshire with a gruelling three-hour ‘Box-a-Thon’ fundraiser on Wednesday 26 November 2025 when they completed 50 three-minute rounds on the boxing bag.

The money will go to Roundabout, which works to prevent youth homelessness in South Yorkshire and Sheffield Mind which provides mental health support and wellbeing services across the city.

The pair were supported in their challenge by an array of special guests, including five Olympic boxing medallists, who all took a turn on the bags to help Gary and Malcolm get through the challenge in the GB Boxing gym at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) in Sheffield.

The guests included Tokyo Olympic gold medallists, Lauren Price and Galal Yafai; Tokyo bronze medallist Karriss Artingstall; Paris 2024 bronze medallist, Cindy Ngamba; GB Boxing consultant coach and 1988 Olympic bronze medallist, Richie Woodhall; 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Sam Hickey; and a number of service users from Roundabout and Sheffield Mind.

GB Boxing, Senior Podium Coach, Gary Hale, said: “It was tough but the support off everyone cheering us on really gave us a lift because there were times when it did get really hard and I was starting to think, ‘am I going to be able to do 50?’. But everyone getting behind us, gave is that motivation to get over the line.

“Big thanks to everyone that has donated and shared it online. It’s great that we have raised some money and with the help of GB Boxing, who have done a really good job of getting the message out to the wider public on social media, we’ve also given the charities a bit more profile and raised awareness of the great work they do in the community.”

GB Boxing, Performance Coach, Malcolm MacIver, commented: “The first six rounds were hard and then I had another dip from 20 to 27 but I picked it up a bit after that and it was great to have the support from Karriss, Lauren, Cindy, Sam and Richie, who all helped out.

“It’s a great cause we are doing it for, so that also helped us out as we were doing it to raise money for people that are going through tough times, It’s good to be able to give something back.”

Tokyo gold medallist and reigning WBC, IBF, and WBA world welterweight champion, Lauren Price, who trains at the GB Boxing gym in Sheffield, added: “It was a really great afternoon and I was really pleased to be part of it. Gary and Mally have done brilliant to complete the challenge and raise so much and it was great to see so many people from within GB Boxing turn out to support them and make it a really big team effort.”

Lindsay Doyle-Price, Business Development Manager at Sheffield Mind, said: “We were proud to be involved in GB Boxing’s Box-a-thon and some of our service users thoroughly enjoyed getting involved, and completing a few rounds themselves.

“Having a strong partnership in place with GB Boxing and being able to working alongside such a dedicated and inspirational team made the experience even more meaningful.

“The collective effort, energy, and commitment shown throughout the day by Gary and Mally, as well as everyone else that contributed, truly highlighted the power of community and shared purpose, and we’re delighted to have played a part in the success of this knockout initiative and we’re extremely grateful for the money that has been raised.”

Emily Jones, Fundraising Manager at Roundabout said: “GB Boxing’s ‘Box a Thon’ was an incredible display of dedication and generosity, in what was a brilliant afternoon. Gary and Mally were outstanding, and seeing GB Boxing’s Olympic medallists, along with our very own bear mascot Rocky, step up to support the challenge made the day even more special.

“Our partnership with GB Boxing means so much to us; our young people have been taking part in sessions at the Institute of Sport throughout the year, which has done wonders for their confidence and resilience.

“The funds raised at this event will make a vital difference to the young people Roundabout supports, as well as to the essential mental health services provided by Sheffield Mind, two charities working hard to support some of the most vulnerable people in our community. We can’t thank GB Boxing enough for putting together this brilliant fundraising challenge.”

Sheffield Mind has been providing mental health services to people in Sheffield for more than 40 years and aims to improve wellbeing by providing support and advice to anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Its work is client centred and aims to put users at the heart of everything. It also provides a range of accessible services designed to meet local need and works in partnership with groups and communities which are failing to engage with traditional mental health services.

Roundabout is South Yorkshire’s leading youth homelessness charity, dedicated to supporting 16 to 25- year-olds who are homeless or at risk of homelessness across Sheffield and Rotherham.

The charity supports over 380 young people every day, Roundabout recognises that each person’s journey into homelessness is unique and that while some may simply require support during a tough time, many others may have sadly experienced childhood trauma. By nurturing their resilience and identifying their skills, Roundabout aims to give young people the opportunity for a brighter, more stable future.

As part of the partnership with both charities, GB Boxing provides monthly training sessions for service users to attend as a way of using the power of sport to inspire positive change and keep young people active.