Punch kickstarts Rome trip for local champions

Burton based pub company, Punch Taverns, has donated £650 from its Punch Community Spirit Project to the Burton Kickboxing Academy.

The money will help to cover the costs of sending a team of four fighters to Rome to represent England at the I.S.K.A. European Kickboxing Championships.

The Burton Kickboxing Academy is a newly established martial arts club that offers both competitive kickboxing training and lessons in self defence, confidence building, fitness and personal development.

The money donated by Punch will help club coach Chris Squirrell, as well as team members Jonnie Squirrell and Sophie Simnett to travel to Rome to represent England for the second year on the run. The fourth team member, Sophie Barnett, will be attending the championships for the first time, having earned selection by impressing judges at Team England Squad training.

I.S.K.A. is recognised worldwide as a regulating body for competitive martial arts. They hold the championships every October.

The Punch Community Spirit Project (PCSP) was set up to make donations to a variety of organisations such as charities, schools, sports clubs, welfare groups and hospitals.