Cricklewood Boxing Club sits unassumingly on the Edgware Road, sandwiched between Clarefield and Gladstone parks (the latter green space playing host to much excitement – and high decibel levels – during the boxing club’s popular, free kids camps which happen six times a year during half terms and the longer breaks).
Your Local Club: Cricklewood Boxing Club
This is a club that has been serving its community for six years, putting local people at its centre
By offering a mix of activities, including boxing, kickboxing, mixed-level workouts, and classes for kids aged five and upwards.
If you were to ask any ‘CBC’ member the driving force behind their club it would undoubtedly be founder and coach Rob Buick. With doors open from 7am, seven days a week, and a real mix of people passing through daily, we sat down with Rob to find out what keeps the locals coming back…
Tell us about your club and how it started
Seven years ago I was a personal trainer, training friends in Golders Green. One of them got wind that I had boxed since I was 13 and asked me if I could train them. That very humble beginning was where it all began! I started Cricklewood Boxing Club six years ago and we’ve resided in a couple of different spots since then – Cricklewood Community Centre and now within The Railway Club on the Edgware Road. In addition to the indoor set-up we have a large outdoor space too, but we are looking to expand further as the demand for what we’re doing is so large – sometimes we can have up to 100 people coming through the doors each day. So far we have come across a few issues with the expansion, but I don’t give up. This has become such an important club for local people that I always feel compelled to keep pushing it forward on behalf of them.
Who uses Cricklewood Boxing Club
Everyone! We have infants, from age 5, all the way up to much more mature people coming in to use our apparatus during the day. We welcome everyone – male or female – and they don’t have to do a class, they can simply use the equipment if they know how to do so.
We’re open seven days a week from 7am so the door is always open and we pride ourselves on a warm, welcoming feel to the place.
What regular classes do you have?
With infants (ages 5-8) we teach them the basics, so skipping, running, balance, coordination, and basic sparring.
Developing these skills is important for life but also if they want to progress in boxing.
Then we show them how to move on their feet. All of this is done in a fun way, but it plants a seed early on about their personal fitness and gets them moving.
They then move up to beginners at around age 9 and if they want to they can keep developing with a future goal to get in the ring if they wish. Alternatively, they can just keep training. Not everyone will have hopes of becoming a boxer, and we would never impress that on anyone. If they do however want to get in the ring, they have to be carded. Which is simply a license that says you’re fit to box at an amateur level which we help secure for all our boxers.
Then we have mixed adult classes which run Monday – Friday for all levels. All you need for this is suitable gym kit and we get you skipping, running outside doing a few laps in our big green space out the back, then we do some cardio exercises together. That class, in particular, is popular because you get to train on mass, make friends and just feel a part of something while moving your body and getting fit.
How do you ensure everyone feels welcome?
I love boxing, I don’t want there to be any restrictions on the joy it can bring for anyone. We have a group of women and girls, our youngest is 10, who are really engaged and use the space both to train and also get in the ring. Some want more support than others, as is the case with all boxers, so the team adapts their style to the individual and works hard across the board to help each person progress and meet their personal goals.
We also have a dedicated muslim community who enjoy coming along. The only time it’s quiet here is during Ramadan because they’re all fasting so can’t do as much exercise as usual. It really is important for me that no one feels excluded from our club, I will always do what I can to welcome new people and make them feel at ease and listen to our existing members on how we can keep improving.
If someone would like a taster of Cricklewood Boxing Club, what should they do?
Start by checking out our website. You’ll find all the info you need in terms of classes and timings. We also have Instagram (@cricklewoodboxingclub) so people can see videos and any events we have on. Plus, anyone is welcome to pop in and have a chat or come and see the venue for themselves.
Classes start from £5, going up to £12 for the mixed classes, so you can also come have a dabble if you’d like to.
Do you have any clubs for kids over the holiday period?
Yes, we run holiday camps which are really popular with the local kids. The free-to-attend camps are out of term time and part-funded by Barnet council and the Young Barnet Foundation. They give us money to do a two-week camp over Easter and a month-long one during the summer holidays. We then fund all of the other camps ourselves. It’s important to me that the kids have somewhere safe and fun to go while they’re out of school. They get a hot meal, experience loads of different sports activities and they’re safe.
The next one is in August for four weeks, Monday to Thursday, 10am – 2pm. We use Gladstone Park mostly as it’s only a five-minute walk from here. The kids which attend are ages 8-18, boys and girls. We expose them to loads of sports, including football, basketball, cricket, hockey, tennis, table tennis, and volleyball. We have board games for rainy days and we treat them every now and then with a trip to Flip Out!
Some of the kids who come to the camps are painfully shy but by the end they’re out of their shell.
That comes from the unit that we create and the team I have onboard. I have one guy called Tom who is everyone’s favourite – he does magic tricks and sings which the kids think is hilarious. It’s really about making a creative, fun atmosphere for them to thrive in.
Is there anything you’re excited about that’s coming up for CBC?
I just recently started a new kickboxing class. We’re going to open up more martial arts because it’s similar to boxing, in that it’s physical, but it’s more tactical. Kids in particular want to try other things and I’m always keen to hear what they do and don’t like so we can, if possible, cater to that. Kickboxing is on a Thursday and a Sunday so we’d love to see new faces if anyone wants to give it a go.
What equipment is needed?
For our classes, you just need suitable clothing. To box, I insist, since COVID, that everyone has their own gloves and hand wraps. We have our own shop here so people can buy whatever they need. We also stock gum shields and head guards – everything a person would need to be safe to box and train.
Lastly, what’s the best thing about Cricklewood Boxing Club?
The unity. From the classes to the ring, we encourage a sense of pride in our club. For those who are representing us at an amateur level, they have earned that place and we want to make them feel proud of that achievement, whatever the outcome of the fight. So that’s what we want to instill into everyone, a sense of pride and community.
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