My name is Joshua Jones and I joined PBBA in 2014 when I was XX years old.  When I first joined the club I had no experience of boxing whatsoever but the vibe and feeling within the club give me a really good feeling.  The coaches and support staff were very welcoming and put me at ease almost immediately therefore I was really comfortable and excited to learn with them.  Over the years I have worked hard to develop my boxing skills and have been able to compete on several levels which I am really proud of. This has enabled me to gain confidence along the way which has been really helpful.  

 

There have been times when I disengaged from the club due to getting involved with things that I knew would not benefit me in the long term, however I always felt that I had a connection with the PBBA and every time I visited or just stopped by for a chat they encouraged me to continue with boxing and that helped me feel comfortable to step back into the gym when I was ready.  

 

Over the last 12 – 18 months I’ve worked hard to remain as focused and committed as possible towards boxing and I have also  worked as a volunteer supporting a range of projects and community based activities which the club provides.   This has been so helpful to me both personally and professionally as the staffing team recognised my commitment to the club and the community so when an opportunity came about to gain employment with England Boxing as Community Apprentice Worker, they supported me with my application.  As a direct result of the volunteering work that I had done with PBBA and with their support and encouragement, I am proud to say that I was successful in getting the job!  I’m now working full-time but I still continue to box to for the club as my aim is to compete at the highest level possible whilst continuing to work within the community.  I would like to thank all the staff and other volunteers at the club for there support throughout the years.