Prince William joins Nick Knowles and DIY SOS team to rebuild boxing gym destroyed by Grenfell Tower blaze

The Duke of Cambridge was today helping to fit-out a new £2 million boxing club after its previous home was destroyed in the Grenfell Tower fire.

Prince William was joining crew members of the BBC programme DIY SOS as they work towards replacing the Dale Youth Amateur Boxing Club and building a new community centre.

He was also meeting residents affected by the fire, which killed 71 people on June 14 last year.

The boxing club, which spawned the careers of world champions James DeGale and George Groves, had been at the foot of the tower since 1999.

The Duke of Cambridge dons a hard hat and paints with Nick Knowles
PA

The duke was today meeting the programme’s presenter Nick Knowles and the crew, and joining one of the volunteer teams on the fit-out’s first day.

Dale Youth Amateur Boxing Club moved to temporary accommodation last October after a £50,000 donation let it reopen, but has since received a £2 million investment from recycling firm Powerday, supported by many businesses, to enable it to get state-of-the-art facilities at a new permanent base.

Prince William meets Nick Knowles at Ladbroke Grove
PA

Run by veteran coach Mick Delaney, the club has produced more than 100 national champions and has valued itself on being a focal point for the community.

It began in the grounds of a morgue in Notting Hill before moving to Grenfell Tower, and now is housed in a car park which has had to be extended to accommodate the club’s large membership.

Grenfell Memorial at St Paul's Cathedral - In pictures

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However it has no heating or changing facilities, and Mr Delaney said they “could not wait” to move into the permanent space, which is situated on unbuilt space under the Westway flyover.

He said: “It is going to be brand new. We can’t wait.”

Presenter Knowles said: “It is the biggest and morally most important project we have done in a long time.”

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