Nottingham’s next boxing star to motivate city’s youngsters

Leigh Wood with Marcellus Baz

Professional boxer Leigh Wood has been announced as the Nottingham School of Boxing’s latest patron.

Wood, who’s hotly anticipated to be a future champion of the Featherweight division, will be working alongside Marcellus Baz BEM, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Unsung Hero, to inspire and motivate youngsters from across Nottingham.

Leigh’s patronage and support comes at a crucial time for the organisation which needs to raise £500,000 before August 2017 to secure a permanent home. As part of his support, Leigh will not only be championing the school and appearing at events, but he plans to attend regular training sessions to mentor and coach the students. Leigh joins current patrons Herol Graham, Chris Torvill and Jayne Dean.

Marcellus Baz, managing director of the group, said: “We are really pleased to have Leigh on board; he’s a Nottingham lad that cares about this city and its people which in itself is the kind of attitude we want to impress on the 800 young people we work with.

“We’re currently working to raise the money needed to secure our home and expand the good work we do. Although that’s high on the agenda, our focus has to be on the work we do every day to change the lives of young people in Nottingham. Leigh will not only be helping us to boost our profile but he’ll also be on the ground, coaching our kids and instilling the skills and confidence they need to succeed in life.”

Marcellus Baz, who was heading for a career as a professional boxer before a knife attack, set up the Nottingham School of Boxing to give young people a place to learn the discipline of sport and avoid gang violence. Following this, he created ‘Switch-Up’, an organisation that provides wider mentorship support. In June this year, it was announced that both brands were set to be relaunched as The Marcellus Baz Group.

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