Southside Boxing Academy and Community Hub have become a home for female boxing with the help of a redeveloped facility in Toryglen.
The organisation have been building a strong tight-knit community throughout the area, working hard to provide members of the surrounding region with opportunities to participate in boxing as well as doing strong community outreach work.
They’ve been able to progress their plans to engage more people after work to convert the Geoff Shaw Community Centre into a bespoke boxing gym, the project received £149,987 from sportscotland to complete the work.
Those at the academy are incredibly passionate about providing opportunities that are inclusive and accessible for everyone to attend and enjoy, working hard to increase participation numbers within women and girls.
Antonia, a 19-year-old coach with Southside Boxing Academy and Community Hub, is a role model to many as a former competitive boxer and she now plays a key role in the delivery of the academy’s Gloves Up Girls boxing project.
She said: “I enjoy the range of different people you get to meet.
"It’s not all about ability, it’s not all about who is best, it’s about the connections you make with people”
Southside Boxing Academy and Community Hub have been working hard to deliver a range of projects that aim to increase participation within underrepresented groups. One of these projects is the Gloves Up Girls sessions, a bespoke programme for women and girls that provide them with an opportunity to take part in sport and physical activity in a social, safe, fun and accessible setting. This project has been delivered with support from Glasgow Life’s Get Active Glasgow Fund, sportscotland and the London Marathon Foundation. The hard work and commitment of all at the club has resulted in the Gloves Up Girls project being in high demand, with a third of the club’s membership being made up of women and girls.
Many of the participants at the academy have been positively impacted by taking part in boxing. This is something that Tasha, a participant, has first-hand experience: “For me personally, boxing has been a massive saviour of my mental health over the last year. It’s taken me from really struggling to the best I’ve ever been.”
The impact that the boxing club has on individuals taking part in sport and physical activity, is something that Antonia notices every time she is coaching: “You can really see a difference in people the more they come to the gym. Even with young children, confidence, socially and physically, there is just such a difference.”
Having positive female role models is something that the boxing club is incredibly passionate about. Anthony Quayle, Head Coach and founder of the club said:
“Female role models are vital. We currently have the highest number of female carded boxers in Scotland, alongside a strong group of female coaches and former champions. When young girls see women leading sessions, competing and coaching, it changes what they believe is possible.
"If they can see it, they can believe it. That visible pathway creates confidence, belonging and ambition.”
In October of 2025 Southside Boxing Academy and Community Hub received funding from sportscotland’s Sport Facilities Fund. This resulted in the club receiving £149,987 towards the conversion of the Geoff Shaw Community Centre to a boxing gym.
Following this transition, the club has seen a rise in participants and interest, Anthony commented on this: “The new facilities and funding have completely changed what we can offer. We now have improved changing areas, a larger training space and better overall infrastructure which has allowed us to increase capacity and open the doors to more women and girls than ever before.
“It is not just about space; it is about creating an environment where people feel welcome the moment they walk in. With further developments planned this year, the academy will become even more inclusive and accessible to the local community.”
