Boxing gym invited to Royal carol service in recognition of contributions to Northampton community

The founders of a Northampton boxing gym were invited to the Royal carol service last week, in recognition of their contributions to the community.

Four members of Team Shoe-Box, including founders James and Shelly Conway, were invited to the Princess of Wales’ second Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on Thursday (December 15).

Guest nominations were drawn from Lieutenancies across the UK, as well as more than 100 charities associated with the Royal Family – and Team Shoe-Box were among just three attendees from Northamptonshire.

The service recognised the selfless efforts of individuals, families and communities across the country, and was attended by King Charles, the Queen Consort, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, among other members of the Royal Family.

Attendee Alex Le Guével, a coach and fundraising manager at Team Shoe-Box said: “It was a privilege to attend an event of this magnitude.

“We dedicate a huge amount of our time to support our members and the local community through the sport of boxing. For this to be recognised in such a way was very special.”

The service was dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the values she showed, including her “duty, empathy, faith, service, kindness, compassion and support for others”.

Team Shoe-Box was invited as they have worked hard to keep young people off the streets and away from crime, and train them in coaching and leadership qualifications.

They spend every weekend coaching their young team and taking them to competitions all over the UK, with “remarkable success”.

“It was an amazing experience,” said Alex. “Westminster Abbey is a spectacular building and we felt extremely proud being there. The carol service itself was magical.”

Alex says there were performances and readings from some of the UK’s top names, tributes to the Queen, and they were “honoured” to be in the presence of the Royal Family at such a personal occasion.

The coach and fundraising manager added: “Our invitation has definitely reaffirmed we’re heading in the right direction and that our hard work is paying off.

“The theme of togetherness couldn’t be more topical, after we recently hit our £20,000 crowdfunding target as a result of a huge collective effort.”

Team Shoe-Box hopes the funds will enable them to expand to a larger premises soon, which will facilitate the plans they have for 2023 – including a new women and girls project, inclusive boxing sessions for young people with Down’s Syndrome, and a neuro-boxing initiative with Parkinson’s UK.

“The new year promises to be special for Team Shoe-Box,” said Alex.

Northamptonshire’s Claire Gurney, founder of The Shack Food Project, and Ben Francoise from Saints Coffee were also invited to the carol service last week.

It was recognised that Saints Coffee makes a big difference with at least 25 percent of their profits being donated to community activities and social projects, which has driven a positive impact on social justice and mental health.

Claire was praised for founding a food bank and one-stop outlet providing clothes, equipment and practical help to families and individuals in need, including those facing and experiencing homelessness.