I recently met Chantelle Cameron, a world champion professional boxer, to discuss her advocacy for young people in Northampton.
Chantelle, who is from Northampton, is a professional boxer and a world champion in two weight classes with a number of accolades in the sport.
This includes recently retaining her lightweight title in a match in Dublin in May.
Chantelle is keen to launch initiatives aimed at inspiring the next generation of boxers right here in Northampton. These initiatives aim to provide mentorship, training resources, and opportunities for young, aspiring boxers in our community. We discussed these plans in our meeting, as well as how youth boxing can be very helpful in stopping some young people from joining gangs, carrying knives and engaging in anti-social behaviour.
Given my previous Cabinet positions and prior work as a barrister in criminal practice here in Northampton for 17 years before first being elected as a Member of Parliament thirteen years ago, I certainly do recognise the utility of any campaign to promote sports such as boxing as an alternative social outlet for young people. I also recognise that boxing programmes have been useful in preventing vulnerable young people from turning to gang violence in a number of towns and cities across the UK. I visited the Kings Heath boxing club in Northampton some time ago.
It is excellent to see someone from Northampton, which is also my home town, excel in their sporting field and now be keen to use their platform to help and inspire others.
Chantelle would like to hear from local people with ideas about how she can help our local community, or how you might be able to support her in her endeavours, for example by inviting her to speak at a local school. If you have any ideas about how you can support Chantelle in her ambitions to support young people locally please do contact me and I will put you in touch with her.
(Photo: Sir Michael Ellis MP with Northampton-born World Champion Women’s Boxer Chantelle Cameron)