Tony Bellew has shown his support for a new community centre in Liverpool.
The former boxing champion attended an open day at Awake, based in Old Swan, ahead of its opening on October 27.
The wellbeing hub is holding classes and workshops ranging from yoga to martial arts for young people between the ages of five and 17, aiming to keep kids active and make them feel empowered.
The centre is completely run through donations and local support, so all classes are free in order to ensure families from every background can attend.
Alongside the children’s programmes, Awake will also be a community and cultural hub.
They will be holding outdoor events for families encouraging them to disconnect from technology and will also be taking part in the ‘Come Together Christmas appeal’, where community centres across the city will be providing gifts for families who are less fortunate.
Awake was founded by entrepreneur Mark Scranlon, who is also a partner of Apex Liverpool and activewear brand Frequently Fitness, and Lokendra Dooley, who spent the past eight years working as a full time volunteer at an Ashram in South India.
Mark said: “It’s essentially a support hub, it’s a base for things we do within the community, it’s a kids wellbeing centre and it also offers some stuff for adults but its main purpose is to support kids.”
Mark explained they’re trying to create a safe space for young people in the city where they can grow,
He said he hopes the centre will provide happiness, health, a sense of belonging, and build a community.
Before officially opening, the community centre held a free open day with taster sessions from their coaches, an assortment of free food and live music.
The event had a big turn out with a number of locals from the area coming down to show their support and even had a visit from the former boxer and heavyweight champion Tony Bellew.
He said: “Awake is so important for communities for the simple reason of this is getting the kids out of the house, it’s good for their mental health, it’s good for their physical health.”
Sessions at Awake will be held throughout the week.
@merseynewslive Tony Bellew shows support for new community centre in Liverpool #liverpool #merseyside #tonybellew #fyp #oldswan #awake
Featured image: Megan Rogers-Jones
