Kawerau Boxing Club promoting a healthy community has been given a healthy grant

Kawerau Boxing Club has a strong focus on teaching kids healthy habits. Photo / Supplied.

Kawerau Boxing Club is punching above its weight and helping the community have the healthiest possible life.

For more than 50 years the Kawerau Boxing Club has provided opportunities for the community to learn skills and compete in boxing.

A $90,000 grant from the New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) now means the club can provide health and fitness programmes in two local primary schools.

The money granted will be put towards funding an operations manager as well as two programme developers to help the club reach more children and young people in the community.

Boxing is a popular sport in Kawerau and up to 50 kids could turn up to training at the club on any given day.

With an esteemed history, the club has trained a Commonwealth Games gold medalist as well as several national champions.

Although boxing is the core activity, the club also works with children in the community to help them develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Kawerau Boxing Club has a strong focus on teaching kids healthy habits. Photo / Supplied.

Kawerau Boxing Club executive director Kataraina Godfery said unhealthy habits were common as modern life became more sedentary.

"Childhood obesity is a critical issue. Our club recognises more intensive support is needed to resolve this and other health issues impacting our community."

Godfery said the grant "really does mean the world to us" and would allow the club to extend its work to help children and their families stay fit and healthy with a mixture of activity and classroom-based sessions.

"We've worked with local kids for more than 40 years, and to take the work we do and the experience we bring from our gym to primary schools is a privilege," she said.

She said the biggest challenge was not necessarily getting fit and healthy but staying that way, and the club also helped people find secure jobs with a decent income.

"This is something that the club is well aware of and why they do so much of their work with children and young people."

Godfery said there was more to keeping fit and healthy than just good habits and as well as working with children, the club helped adults in the community with things like job-readiness.

"Most of our work focuses on the things we can do well and are in our control, and that's all about building those good habits."