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Northern Powerhouse is the first boxing club in the UK led by women, with a goal of providing access to boxing and exercise to anyone.
We prioritise our services to women and girls offering some women only sessions but we have no gender requirements for general participation. Our aim is to provide a safe space free from stereotypes and expectations, where anyone can confidently train and progress to their full potential.
Set up as a Community Interest Company in March 2018, we offer Olympic-style boxing coaching to everyone and anyone aged between 10-39 years can work towards competing for the club. We’re affiliated to the North West Counties ABA and our coaches are England Boxing trained and registered.
Our work extends into local schools, social services, youth and community groups - our aim is to bring the benefits of boxing to the wider community.
NPBA COACHING TEAM
Fie Hopper - Head Coach
Fie joined the gym in 2017 as she wanted to learn a new skill. Having done the first 3 levels of the Boxing Awards Fie decided to get involved in coaching and is now qualified as a Level 1 Coach with England Boxing. Alongside her boxing qualification, Fie has a PT qualification and her aim is for everyone to realise the confidence a strong and healthy body can give you.
Jo McNamara - England Boxing Level 2 Coach
School teacher, business owner and Level 2 boxing coach, Jo joined the club in 2019 and has been a boxing coach since 2012. Jo mainly coaches on a Monday evening, looking after our kids class as well as body conditioning and our technical boxing and sparring session. Jo is developing a boxing team to compete on the England Boxing amateur stage.
Alex Munsie - England Boxing Level 2 Coach
Alex founded the club in 2018 and is now back coaching boxing and bootcamp on a Thursday night. With lots of time under her belt as an EB boxing coach, Alex offers lots of great technical support in our boxing session and likes to crack the whip in bootcamp!
Josie McNamara - England Boxing Level 1 Coach
Josie coaches our girls-only classes on a Wednesday afternoon. Following 20 years working in sports marketing for lifestyle brands and governing bodies, Josie brings her passion for helping young girls get involved and stay involved in sport to NPBA.
Emma Quittenton - Boxercise and Fitness Instructor
When Emma isn't looking after her goats, pigs, chickens and dogs, you can find her taking our Boxercise and Fitness classes! Emma is a very experienced Boxercise coach and also offer personal training!
Rebecca John - England Boxing Level 1 Coach
Rebecca joined the club in 2018 after being encouraged by her 7-year-old daughter. In 2022, Rebecca qualified as an England Boxing Level One coach, recently developing a specialist interest and trained in strength & conditioning. Rebecca hopes to make fitness engaging, fun and accessible to all.
Liz Jefferson - Boxing Tutor
One of our original club members, Liz decided to get involved in coaching in 2023 and is now regularly seen assisting and coaching in the club on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Ryan Wilkinson - Boxing Tutor
Ryan joined the club in 2022 and progressed quickly in the ring sparring each week. With a degree in dance and experience in martial arts, in 2023 Ryan wanted to get involved in coaching and took his boxing tutor certificate. Ryan now coaches the Kids and Boy Boxing classes on a Thursday.
All our coaches are fully qualified, DBS cleared, insured and First Aid trained. Our Level 1 and Level 2 Boxing Coaches have also been through safeguarding training with England Boxing. Our fitness instructors have all the relevant qualifications and requirements to teach their sessions.
The Club Welfare Officer is Nina Grimes and our Deputy Welfare Officer is Janette Logan. Any safeguarding issues or concerns relating to any of the coaching team, should be addressed to Nina or Janette. You can find more details here.
NPBA Support Staff
General Manager: Josie McNamara
Head Coach: Fie Hopper
Treasurer: Katherine Wackerbarth
Secretary: Liz Green
Fundraising Officer: Liz Green
Child Welfare Lead: Nina Grimes
Child Welfare Deputy: Janette Logan
NPBA Board Members
Fie Hopper - Chair
Fie joined the gym in 2017 as she wanted to learn a new skill. Having done the first 3 levels of the Boxing Awards Fie decided to get involved in coaching and is now qualified as a Level 1 Coach with England Boxing. Alongside her boxing qualification, Fie has a PT qualification and her aim is for everyone to realise the confidence a strong and healthy body can give you. Outside of boxing, Fie is a Watch Commander for the Fire Service.
Kate Dakers - Honorary Chair
Kate coached at an amateur level from 2012-2019 and before moving to Spain in 2019 was one of our Level 2 Coaches and a Talent Support Coach with England Boxing. She grew up in Zimbabwe - competing in sports most of her life and fell in love with boxing after leaving ten years of Karate behind. Arriving in England at age 33, it was too late to start an amateur career when the upper limit was then 35, so she took to coaching. Committed to removing the barriers for participation in boxing for girls in the local area, she set up NPBA in a bid to provide a safe, supportive, female coaching environment at the club.
Katherine Wackerbarth - Treasurer
Katherine started boxing late in life; she came to the club to support her daughter who was a newly-qualified coach and discovered that she loved hitting things (and gaining new skills). In her professional life she has always worked with numbers and business processes, whether for large corporations or small community groups, and is very happy to be able to use this experience in her role as Treasurer.
Josie McNamara - Club Manager
Following 20 years working in sports marketing for lifestyle brands and governing bodies, Josie brings her passion for helping young girls get involved and stay involved in sport.
Serena Vaughn - Welfare Director
Serena first attended the gym in January 2022 when she decided it was time to push herself to do things outside of her comfort zone. Although not a regular, Serena could see that the gym and what it stood for was special, and jumped at the chance to be a part of it as Welfare Director. Serena works full time in Human Resources and is CIPD Level 5 Qualified.
Nina Grimes -