A man behind plans to continue the transformation of the former Co-op building in Stanton Hill into a boxing gym and youth club has won a community award.

The work of Kevin Henshaw, and his wife, Karen, at Starbox Gym and Starbox Amateur Boxing Club featured on the front page of the News Journal earlier this year.

Now Kevin has won the Community Coach/Activator of the Year Award at the Notts Getting Active Together Awards 2020.

Among the finalists at the awards was Feel Good Families in the Project/Initiative/Innovation of the Year category.

Feel Good Families is a new initiative developed by Ashfield District Council with other members of the Ashfield Health and Wellbeing Partnership, which is made up of Ashfield Voluntary Action, Everyone Active, Nottinghamshire County Council, Everyone Health, Active Notts, Sutton Academy and Mid Notts Integrated Care Partnership.

Feel Good Families aims to engage inactive people, encouraging families to play, smile and be active together as a family in their local community.

It launched last July, targeting families with children aged 5+ and aiming to provide free or low cost activities in Ashfield.

Free events have included themed trails around the district’s parks, healthy cooking lessons, craft workshops, dance sessions, and free activities — such as ice skating, swimming and roller skating — at the district’s leisure centres.

Other finalists were:
Project/Initiative/Innovation of the Year
Change4Life — Sentley Wilson, Ashfield, who has lost 12 stones.
This Girl Can — Alex Ross and Lisa Morris, of Pretty Heavy Lifters, Kirkby, a sports and fitness service with a social conscience.
Community Coach/Activator — Scott Johnson, of Acre Young Peoples Centre, Kirkby; Claire Wilmott, of Mansfield, mental health coordinator at Notts County Football in the Community.
Special Recognition — Phil Peat, of Mansfield, an international paralympic coach; Lesley Salmon, of Mansfield, who has spend her life working for the community and is key holder for the community allotment and the community centre on the Bellamy Road estate in Mansfield.

The Notts Getting Active Together Awards are run by Active Notts, which is one of the 44 Active Partnerships covering England. The awards celebrate the efforts and achievements of individuals and groups who are using physical activity to help improve the lives of people across Nottinghamshire.