Yobs trash Leamington community gym as owners say damage ‘devastating’

A break-in at a community boxing gym in Leamington has caused thousands of pounds worth of damage. Staff at Cleary’s boxing gym arrived at work to find all the locked internal doors had been taken off their hinges, every cabinet and cupboard emptied and ransacked “like something you see on TV”.

A fundraising appeal has now been set up following the break-in. The owners of Cleary’s boxing gym say they are “appalled” after discovering the break-in between 4.30am and 5.30am on Sunday (July 28) as they opened for a regular children’s class.

Commercial director Kurt Canavan said: “It was devastating walking in on Sunday for our children’s class and the first thing we saw was the vending machines with both doors hanging off and the contents all over the floor. It was a bad feeling when we realized something had happened.

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“All the locked interior doors had been taken off their hinges, every cupboard and cupboard emptied and ransacked, it was like something you see on TV. Apart from the money from the vending machine and pieces of the member’s kit, nothing of great value was taken, but the damage is extremely distressing.

“We spent months raising money, applying for funding, asking for help from local trade, working day in and day out to make the place look and work great for our members. Anger doesn’t come close to what we feel.

“But we decided not to let the children down and opened the Sunday class. While our trainers attended the course, Edwin Cleary started looking through the CCTV while I contacted the police. We took screenshots and started sharing them on our social media and had a fantastic response, including a £200 donation from MSF Solutions in Coventry.”

The not-for-profit community gym is owned by Edwin Cleary, who trained with Jack Turpin – the younger brother of local boxing legend Randolph Turpin – before turning pro. Turpin, who is recognized with a statue in Warwick Square, went down in British boxing history for his sensational world title win over the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson, earning him the nickname ‘The Leamington Licker’.

Clearys has produced some of Leamington and the UK’s best fighters over the past 15 years, including Lewis Williams, who won gold at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and professional super-featherweight champion Danny Quartermaine.

The gym is welcoming up to 300 members since moving into its new £100,000 premises in Whitnash last September following a successful crowdfunding campaign. Facilities include three boxing rings (one championship size), a media suite, small conference room, homework space, lounge area and showers and changing facilities.

To donate for repairs visit the Facebook page. Learn more about Cleary’s Boxing Gym here.

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