A former boxing champion is on a mission to find a new home for his Radcliffe amateur boxing club.

Ady Lewis has been running Radcliffe Elite ABC for the last 20 years, trying to teach as well as keeping children off the streets three nights a week.

However, after almost 20 years of running the club and five years at their current location, Ady believes the space is no longer safe for children.

Ady, 47, from Radcliffe, said: “It isn’t a safe environment for kids and because there has been no tenancy given by the landlord, we are unable to get funding for gloves and equipment.

“The rent was just going up all the time and these kids can't afford to keep up with that, most of them who are coming in here are from working class backgrounds so putting prices up just doesn’t work.”

Ady sees around 100 people coming through the doors each week however, due to several issues, the club is in desperate need of rehoming.

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Bury Times: (Right) Ady Lewis, Radcliffe, former boxing champion (Right) Ady Lewis, Radcliffe, former boxing champion (Image: Public)

Ady hopes that a new home for the club will be able to accommodate a boxing ring as well as plenty of floor space for training.

Speaking about the club, he added: “It’s mainly kids but some adults including people in their 70s come along.

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 “It is keeping so many kids off the streets and out of bother for three nights a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.”

Ady, from Radcliffe, held British and Commonwealth flyweight titles in 1997.

He went on to win British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles in 2000.

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