West Kingsdown Boxing Club host weekly Parkinson’s sessions, to improve mental and physical wellbeing. Boxing coach, Colin Neill, was introduced to the project through an England Boxing initiative, that provided training to become a boxing and Parkinson’s coach as well as insight on how important boxing is to people with the condition.

But how do these exercises benefit someone living with Parkinson’s? A 2021 study by the University of Missouri, found boxing programmes improve the balance in individuals with Parkinson’s, reducing fall risks. Parkinson’s UK say exercise alone improves bone and muscle strength.

People with Parkinson’s are heavily affected by muscle rigidity. The warm ups in the session will help with joint mobility, bone strength and improved flexibility. Colin concentrates a lot on the stretches, especially moving different joints. The stretching and exercise help those with Parkinson's stand up straighter.

“There are no complicated weights involved. Just putting the gloves on can be a challenge for someone with tremors. They’ll do a few rounds on the bags, and we'll take them out individually for pad work, giving them that one to one specialist treatment.”

Parkinson's targets mental health too. Chris Baines, a regular attendee of WKD Parkinson’s sessions said, “Parkinson’s often tries to wipe the smile off my face.” Scientifically, this is true, a common symptom is reduced facial expressivity. Parkinson’s UK state that almost half of suffers have faced anxiety or depression since their diagnosis.

I asked Colin if the classes have helped individuals deal with the mental health implications by boosting confidence levels.

“Absolutely, most of them have gained incredibly from the posture and the breathing, but it’s the confidence that makes a difference. Because of the condition, you end up being very isolated, especially the guys living alone. But in this environment, it's boxing and then it's Parkinson's. We have a chat, and you might say, well, 'what are you on, this? What do you do? Who tried that?' It’s an exchange of views and experiences, that helps each other.”

With being the coach at such a successful club, I asked Colin what sense of achievement and fulfilment he receives being involved in such a rewarding project.

“It's immense. You can't put a finger on the amount of achievement and accomplishment you feel, for instance, one of the ladies said 'I’ve not been for a while, please don't give my place away, I’ve missed it.' And that gives you a real sense of purpose. You realise what you're doing with these people, and how much it means to them.”

Recently, the club were mentioned in Parliament during a discussion of Social Mobility and Boxing Clubs.

MP James Daly said “West Kingsdown amateur boxing club in Kent has, for the past year, been delivering sessions in partnership with Parkinson’s UK to help elderly people in the area to be more active, to slow the progression of the disease […] If the NHS were delivering that, we would be overjoyed and singing its praises. This is a boxing club.”