Key Points
- Community Expansion: Round4Round, a prominent Bolton-based boxing club dedicated to transforming young lives, is launching a major public appeal to open a brand-new facility in Farnworth.
- Financial Target: The club has set a crowdfunding target of £30,000 to complete the extensive transformation of the new space, having already secured half of the amount (£15,000) to lease the property.
- Massive Growth: Founded roughly five years ago with just five children, the voluntary organisation now supports between 300 and 400 young people every week, producing both regional and national champions.
- Elite Partnerships: Round4Round provides specialized conditioning training to elite local institutions, including the Bolton Wanderers Academy, Bolton College, and Monton JFC.
- Imposing Overhaul: The new Farnworth base will operate seven days a week, accommodating up to 300 people simultaneously, but requires significant structural investment, including a specialized boxing ring costing £4,000.
- High-Profile Backing: The community interest company has previously engaged global boxing legends such as Roy Jones Jr, trainer Bob Shannon, and former world champion Amir Khan, alongside political figures like Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Bolton (Bolton Today) June 2, 2026 — A transformative community boxing club that has risen from a handful of attendees to an institution anchoring hundreds of local youths is launching a £15,000 crowdfunding appeal to facilitate its urgent relocation to a dedicated facility in Farnworth. Round4Round, a community interest company operating across the borough, has officially signed a lease on a new, expansive commercial property but faces a substantial financial hurdle to fully overhaul the premises into a functional, safe, and state-of-the-art sports hub. Having successfully raised the first half of their £30,000 capital goal to legally secure the building, the club's leadership is now calling upon the local business network and the wider public to help cover the remaining renovation costs. The impending move comes as a direct response to a massive surge in local demand, forcing the organisation to seek its own permanent headquarters after outgrowing its temporary shared spaces.
What Is Round4Round And Why Is It Moving?
As meticulously documented by reporter Grace Williams of The Bolton News, Round4Round is an impactful grassroots boxing club engineered around the foundational concepts of personal growth, character development, and rigorous physical training. The organisation's core philosophy extends far beyond standard athletic instruction, aiming instead to foster discipline, routine, and cross-community cohesion among participants from historically underfunded or challenging backgrounds.
According to the exclusive reporting by Grace Williams of The Bolton News, the club has reached a critical operational tipping point due to its ongoing success. Writing for the publication, Williams revealed that the high demand for Round4Round’s specialised training sessions has made operating out of third-party locations unsustainable in the long term. While the club currently delivers classes three days a week through the Bolton Lads and Girls Club, the sheer volume of attendees has necessitated the acquisition of an independent, dedicated building.
The club has successfully navigated the initial stage of this expansion by identifying and legally securing a new property in Farnworth. However, turning a vacant commercial building into an elite athletic and mentoring facility requires a total overhaul. As Grace Williams of The Bolton News explained in her featured coverage, the club faces a mammoth physical and financial task to transform the empty shell into a fully equipped gym, with vital equipment such as a professional-grade boxing ring alone commanding an estimated price tag of £4,000.
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How Did The Grassroots Club Grow So Quickly?
The remarkable trajectory of Round4Round is deeply rooted in the personal histories of its co-founders, who combined their distinct professional skillsets to address a visible gap in local youth engagement. As reported by Grace Williams of The Bolton News, the club’s founder, 48-year-old Nasir Akram, spent decades of his life boxing on and off. Growing up in Sheffield, Akram credited the sport with teaching him essential life skills, including strict personal discipline, daily routine, and the ability to forge new friendships. His passion for boxing remained a constant thread throughout his adult life, prompting him to seek out local boxing gyms wherever his professional career took him.
The catalyst for channeling this passion into a structured charitable venture arose from personal tragedy. Grace Williams of The Bolton News noted that while Akram was working a demanding corporate role leading a global consulting team for a "billion-dollar company," he suffered the heartbreaking loss of his best friend. According to Williams’ reporting, Akram stated that this profound loss reoriented his priorities, instilling a deep-seated desire to perform meaningful charitable work for the community and "wanting to do something for the greater good."
After dedicating time to managing various community mentoring groups, Akram reconnected approximately five years ago with an old friend, Ashif Ashik, who resided in Bolton. Like Akram, Ashik possessed an extensive track record of conducting impactful community and youth development work across the borough.
In an interview with Grace Williams of The Bolton News, Akram reflected on the moment they joined forces, stating:
"We put our heads together and decided to do something proactive to help children in deprived areas."
The overarching objective of their collaborative venture was explicitly designed to create highly structured pathways for young people, boost overall community engagement, and break down barriers by bringing disparate neighborhoods together.
This partnership formed the foundational bedrock of Round4Round. In statements provided to The Bolton News, Akram expanded on how their individual backgrounds complemented the venture, explaining that
"Ashif brought his local knowledge and I brought my business network to the table."
Their shared vision quickly gained traction from some of the most influential figures in British sports and regional politics. As Grace Williams of The Bolton News reported, the duo presented their blueprints to former unified boxing world champion Amir Khan and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham. Recognising the immense societal value of the project, Khan opened the doors to his own professional gym, welcoming Round4Round to establish its initial operational base within his facilities.
The growth that followed was exponential. Reflecting on their humble beginnings, Akram told reporter Grace Williams:
"The first week we had five children and bore all the costs. Four years later, we have 300 to 400 kids a week and we're national champions and regional champions."
Which Elite Sports Teams Train With Round4Round?
While the club's primary mandate remains youth mentorship and social intervention, its technical training standards have garnered widespread respect within professional sporting circles. Grace Williams of The Bolton News highlighted that the club’s high-intensity conditioning methodologies have proven highly transferable to other mainstream sports.
As a result of this technical reputation, Round4Round has been officially brought in to assist in the physical preparation of major local sports institutions. The club regularly trains the elite prospects at the Bolton Wanderers Academy, provides specialized fitness modules for students at Bolton College, and conducts conditioning work for Monton JFC.
In her reporting, Grace Williams captured Akram’s perspective on the utility of their curriculum, with the founder stating that "boxing training is one of the best types of high-level, intense fitness training that is transferable across other sports."
To maintain this elite level of instruction, the organisation relies on a robust coaching staff comprised of eight dedicated individuals. Among these trainers is the legendary boxing coach Bob Shannon, widely celebrated across British boxing for his high-profile work training former multi-weight world champion Ricky Hatton. Despite the high-caliber coaching staff and the corporate-level governance brought by Akram, the club operates on an entirely altruistic framework. Williams confirmed that many members of the coaching team balance their rigorous training sessions around full-time day jobs, with Akram’s extensive directorial role remaining completely voluntary.
The club's steadfast dedication to social change has not gone unnoticed by local governing bodies. Round4Round was previously presented with the prestigious Bolton Mark award, a formal accolade celebrating excellence in community sports organization. Furthermore, the club’s unique community network has allowed it to act as a cultural conduit, bringing major international sporting brands and world-famous athletic figures directly into the heart of Bolton. According to The Bolton News, the voluntary group has successfully attracted elite promotional entities and figures to the borough, including historical pound-for-pound boxing icon Roy Jones Jr, the Australian Olympic Boxing Team, and powerhouse promotional operations such as BOXXER, Matchroom Sport, and Wasserman.
Why Was Farnworth Selected For The New Gym?
The selection of Farnworth as the permanent headquarters for Round4Round was a deliberate, strategic decision based on geographic accessibility and an identified lack of local youth infrastructure. Speaking to reporter Grace Williams, Akram emphasized the strategic placement of the chosen location, describing Farnworth as "a crossroads between Bolton and Salford."
According to Akram, this specific boundary zone exhibits an immense, unfulfilled demand for structured youth activities and safe community environments. By establishing a permanent foothold in this particular area, the club aims to act as a vital bridge, pulling in youth populations from both boroughs and offering an accessible alternative to antisocial behavior.
What Are The Layout and Operational Plans For The Space?
The operational scope of the new Farnworth headquarters represents a massive upgrade over the club's current shared locations. As detailed by Grace Williams of The Bolton News, the incoming facility is engineered to comfortably accommodate up to 300 people at any given time. Moving away from their limited three-day-a-week schedule at the Lads and Girls Club, the new premises will function seven days a week, maximizing availability for the community.
Crucially, the founders are determined to ensure that financial hardship does not act as a barrier to entry for local families. Akram assured The Bolton News that despite the significant overhead costs associated with managing a standalone commercial building, the club intends to maintain its strict low-cost pricing model. Sessions are currently priced at a highly subsidized rate of £5 per class, and Akram confirmed that they will keep prices low once they officially transition into the new setup.
Furthermore, the gym’s mission will expand to encompass a wider demographic within the community. In his discussion with Williams, Akram made it clear that the facility is not designed exclusively for adolescent competitive boxers. Highlighting their inclusive approach, Akram stated:
"We try to cater for all age groups, genders and communities. We want people to come along, enjoy themselves and feel safe."
The urgency surrounding the public fundraising campaign is heightened by the rigid timeline the club has set for the physical build-out. The leadership team is aiming to have the construction and equipment installation fully completed within 60 days. This accelerated schedule is deemed essential because the club's competitive roster of aspiring regional and national boxers requires uninterrupted, high-frequency training to maintain their championship standing.