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Rolling with the Punches

Hashan Alwis | JCW Saunders, Operations Manager

Raising Money for Charity

2016 saw the JCW staff regularly participating in events to raise money for charity. £1,000’s was raised in a variety of guises including, running, rowing, swimming and cycling.

To start 2017 with a bang we are pleased to present something we haven’t done before – boxing!

Read on to find out why our Operations Manager, Hashan Alwis, from JCW Saunders, has bravely put himself forward to participate in a charity boxing match...

The Challenge

Hashan has always been keen on keeping fit with regular trips to the gym and participating in Mixed Martial Arts. Towards the end of last year a friend of his suggested he try boxing.

Hashan went along to his first training session in November and really enjoyed it. However, Hashan isn’t one to be content with just boxing for fun, he wanted a challenge as well and decided to look into becoming a charity boxer. After just a few sessions of boxing he had got through his try out and chose to enter the ring for the first time on 18th February 2017 to raise money for a local charity East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH).

The Charity

EACH hospices support families and care for children and young people with life-threatening conditions. They aren’t just about end of life care, they’re often happy and fun places where young people can live life to their full potential and spend quality time with their families.

We asked Hashan why this particular charity? He wanted to support a smaller, local charity and this one comes close to home in more ways than one. He has friends who have benefited from the help and support that EACH offers and found out that they want to raise funds to open a new hospice in the Norfolk area (Nook Appeal) which is desperately needed. Once this new facility is built it will transform the care the charity provides to meet the changing needs of the children and help them meet the increasing demand for their services.

The Training

Hashan is taking this challenge very seriously and is now training 5 days a week, both mornings and evenings. He is on a strict diet with no alcohol. He has also taken up Yoga on a Sunday which really helps him to stretch and focus.

We asked how he was feeling now that the fight is just a few weeks away. He said that the seriousness of the task hasn’t really hit him yet. He just feels very excited about the prospect, although agrees that nerves will hit when he steps in the ring. Of course, like any fighter should be, Hashan is confident that he can win!

So, will Hashan find his ‘killer instinct’ or will he just ‘throw in the towel’? You can find out by watching this space for our follow up blog after the event itself!

Donating

As always, JCW are right behind the efforts and have booked a VIP table at the event itself and of course have donated to the cause. Our staff are also already generously donating to Hashan’s Virgin Money Giving page and he hopes to raise at least £300.

If you would also like to support Hashan and donate to the East Anglia Children’s Hospice, then please click here and follow the link. All donations, no matter how large or small, are so very much appreciated and will help children and families who need this charities support.