Crocodile back community champions

At Crocodile we believe in discipline. 

We believe in strength. 

We believe in transformation.

We believe in reward for hard work and we know that positive action can make a massive difference to people and the world we live in. 

That’s why we put our money where our mouth is to sponsor refurb works for the great folk at RABC Boxing Club.

Mark Reynolds modestly describes himself as the Sweeper, Cleaner, Head Coach and – almost reluctantly – as the Founder of the club. Since 1998 Mark’s been using boxing as a tool to model great values to people and the community. Their youngest member is three and their oldest member, Grandad Tom, is seventy-nine. Amazing.

‘Training is a discipline,’ says Mark, ‘Boxing has got good street cred, so not only is it a great way to work out and keep fit, but it also has a vital role to attract people who might otherwise struggle on the fringes. We engage around one-thousand people per week through classes, our memberships and our work in the community. We know we really make a difference.’

As part of their development, the club took on a derelict mill and a three-year refurbishment project. During the renovation, they needed to turn the entrance into a fire door and it was an expensive job. Crocodile were proud to have been able to offer a well-needed cash injection to get the job done.

‘We received a lot of help from Crocodile,’ says Mark, ‘And we’re so happy with what we can give to the community. We have a classroom within the mill where kids can get their homework done before they box. Sometimes these things take a little helping hand.’ Mark singled out Chris North at Crocodile for special thanks, ‘Chris has been an absolute diamond for the club,’ he said.

Mark told us a story about a member at the club. It’s a perfect example of why their work is so important.

‘The majority of boxing clubs want to make champions,’ said Mark, ‘But we want to make community champions. Let me tell you a story. And we have plenty. There was a kid in year nine, so he was fourteen years old. He was failing at school and struggling at home. He was at real risk of going by the wayside with one thing or another, and he came to see us. We invited him to our group. He started boxing. He started getting up early to train and he started coming back after school to train too. He started competing. All the while this new level of discipline was paying off for him in other areas of his life. He started doing much better at school. He could see how hard work brought rewards. An amazing transformation due to his hard work, his dedication and a little of the right kind of support. He eventually passed all of his GCSEs, even getting three A* grades. Today, he’s in his fourth year at the University of Hallamshire studying to be an architect.’

It’s people like Mark and the trainers at RABC Boxing Club that help us all to believe that the future is bright. 

Crocodile would like to thank Mark and everyone at the club for their constant community support.

We are proud to be in association. 

Thank you.