Mackoy supporting local veterans in Southampton

At Mackoy we're proud to support local community causes through our ongoing CSR initiatives, so when we heard about a charity boxing match to raise money for a Veterans' Drop-In Centre in Southampton, we didn’t hesitate to offer our full sponsorship of the event.

Taking place on December 8th at Gang Warily Recreation & Community Centre in Fawley, the match will see two championship boxers come head to head to defend their regional titles, whilst raising much-needed funds for the Southampton Veterans' Drop-In Centre, based in Woolston.

Representing Southampton in the bout is Merv Langdale, a heavyweight boxer based in Woodlands, whose professional boxing career was temporarily curtailed following an accident but who has since made a full recovery. Merv returned to pro boxing in 2015 and has never looked back. He now uses the sport to raise money for worthwhile charitable causes, and was instrumental in organising the December 8th event at Gang Warily in aid of local veterans. Leading some to dub him the "Cinderella Man" a nickname previously attributed to American heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock.

Going up against Merv in the ring is Manchester boxer Mark McGarry, who's also in the heavyweight division. The charity boxing match marks the first time Langdale and McGarry have met one another in the ring, and promises to be an exciting showdown between two formidable regional UK boxers.

Tickets start at just £20, rising to £25 for ringside seats, with gates opening at 7pm and the first bell at 8pm. Present on the night to cheer on the contenders will be representatives from the Southampton Veterans' Drop-In Centre, who'll receive the full proceeds raised by the event. The centre is entirely staffed by volunteers and offers veteran soldiers a respite where they can connect with fellow former servicemen and women, as well as receive support in finding housing and employment opportunities, from fully trained professionals.

At present the centre is only able to open three days a week and is on a temporary lease granted by the Solent NHS Trust. Among the facilities on offer are a nurse-staffed treatment room for wellbeing checks, an I.T suite, and clinic rooms where veterans can engage in group discussions. All of which are intended to provide veterans with the support they need to re-establish within society following their years of service for our country.

In the future the Southampton Veterans' Drop-In-Centre hopes to expand to a permanent base and increase its opening hours to six days per week, but it relies 100% on funding to achieve its goals and secure its future. So please join us in supporting this extremely important local community cause through your attendance at the Mackoy and Macra sponsored charity boxing match on December 8th in Southampton.

Tickets can be purchased by contacting Merv directly on 0776 453 7329. Our Mackoy Director Mike Mayock will be in attendance, along with other members of our leadership team, and we look forward to a full house on the night, all in the name of a very deserving cause.

Categories: Sponsorship , Charity