Member Article

England team knockout twenty seven gold medals

World Kickboxing Organisation president and head coach, Jon Green, has once again brought England’s Ring Sports team to train at the iconic Empress Building recently, to prepare for their World Championships.

The training took place at the ATF Training camp, based on the top floor of the Empress Building, Mexborough. Green said, “We love training here, the open floor space and facilities are just what we need to prepare for the world championships.”

ATF Training boss, Adam Cooper said, “It was really great to have the England team here again. I enjoyed watching them prepare.”

Adam also said, “The results were also impressive from the WKO world championships, with the team bringing home twenty seven gold medals, plus thirty six silver and fourteen bronze. I had two students in the team that brought home three bronze between them; one for Kian Johnson and two for Ethan Cooper.”

Adam who recently moved his operation from the Montague Building is seeing further increased success since his relocation in December last year, with even more concession deals. Primal Fitness, which specialises in Bootcamp fitness classes and is run by Sean Elliot, has joined the building’s growing roster of businesses operating, which also includes Brendan Frazier’s Mii Gym, which specialises in high-intensity personal training classes, and Orchid Massage & Holistic Therapy run by Diane McCormick, which specialises in Reiki and Swedish massage.

The Empress Building is enjoying a new lease of life, thanks to investment from local entrepreneur Jason Mace, managing director of Manvers-based Gala Tent. Mace said, “It’s really great to see the building being gradually brought back to its former glory and now attracting more local business.”

As well as the aforementioned new occupants, the Empress Building is also occupied by the youth charity, Dearne Valley Personal Development Centre, Grafters Ironworks Gym and Micky’s Athletic Boxing Club, and the increasingly popular Bangladeshi Goa Spice Restaurant.

Over the past two years, Jason has invested in refurbishing the former Empress Building ballroom and dance hall into a hub of business, health and community activity. The building, which dates to the 1920s, was built to mirror the great dance halls in places such as Blackpool and for decades it was the hub of social activity in the area, but in recent years had fallen into disrepair before Jason’s intervention.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by James Lead .