Warwickshire Gin Company, an award-winning distillery based in Leamington Spa, is throwing its weight behind the expansion of a local community boxing gym, which prides itself on producing champion fighters.
The good sports at the Warwickshire distillery have become long-term sponsors of Cleary’s Boxing Gym following the recent opening of its new £100,000 premises, to the south of the town centre.
With Warwickshire Gin Company’s financial support, the gym owner will be able to buy new kit, as well as amateur boxers’ expenses for competitions and events abroad.
The partnership is in-keeping with the theme of the distiller’s rums, The Pugilist and their latest release, Sting Like A Bee honey rum – both inspired by Randolph Turpin who went down in British boxing history for his sensational world title win against the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson and earning himself the nickname ‘The Leamington Licker.’
Both rums use Guyanese rum spirit as a base in honour of Leamington-born Turpin’s Guyanese family heritage.
Commenting on the tie-up with the gym, Dave Blick, the owner of Warwickshire Gin Company, said: “With the inspiration behind our Pugilist brand, we are perfectly aligned with Cleary’s.
“With our local legend being Randolph Turpin, boxing is still a very strong sport in Leamington Spa and Warwick, and when we were approached about supporting their new gym, we jumped at the chance.
“This is an opportunity to be part of a great project and give opportunities to more youngsters to learn the sport and learn key life skills.
“I have no doubt Cleary’s will be a huge success, being inclusive and also developing youngsters. Edwin Cleary is kind and supportive in addition to being a great coach, who has helped develop current great up and coming boxers such as Lewis Williams and Danny Quartermaine.”
The non-profit boxing gym is owned by Edwin Cleary, who trained with the Turpins before himself turning professional, and has produced some of Leamington Spa’s and Great Britain’s finest fighters over the last 15 years, including Lewis Williams who won gold at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Cleary’\s business partner Kurt Canavan said of the new sponsorship deal: “We are so grateful for the contribution from our sponsors, which allow our fighters to turn up to events looking sharp, fully concentrating on the task in hand, without worrying about organising any of the accommodation or travel. We take care of all of that. We couldn’t do that without this support.”
Here at Hand Crafted Drinks Magazine we applaud any company that genuinely does its bit for their local community.
Whereas international breweries and distilleries can support charitable causes, it means so much more when an independent company can make such a direct and tangible affect on their local community.
For more information:
The Warwickshire Gin Company: warwickshiregincompany.co.uk