Banbury school boy and local restaurant owner launch fundraising campaign to help community gym survive Covid-19 pandemic

A Banbury school boy and local restaurant owner have launched a fundraising campaign to help save a community gym run by Dave Earle.
Adidja Carpenter has teamed up with a local business owner to help the community gym Spit N Sawdust survive the Covid-19 pandemicAdidja Carpenter has teamed up with a local business owner to help the community gym Spit N Sawdust survive the Covid-19 pandemic
Adidja Carpenter has teamed up with a local business owner to help the community gym Spit N Sawdust survive the Covid-19 pandemic

Spit ‘n’ Sawdust, Dave Earle's gym in North Bar, Banbury, has been severely hit by the pandemic, having to remain closed and with people cancelling their memberships. Now the gym needs help to pay for repairs to a leak in the roof and to fix the showers and heating.

Shenington Primary School pupil Adidja Carpenter, aged 10, has teamed up with James Doung, the owner of Paw Paw Chinese restaurant in town, to help the community gym survive the Covid-19 pandemic.

Adidja is a gym member and is taking on a challenge to raise funds for the repairs. He describes the gym as “like his family”. Adidja is planning to run 50 laps of People’s Park over the next five weeks ahead of his 11th birthday.

Dave Earle, who has been awarded the MBE for voluntary and charitable servicesDave Earle, who has been awarded the MBE for voluntary and charitable services
Dave Earle, who has been awarded the MBE for voluntary and charitable services

James Doung is helping promote Adidja’s challenge, and has volunteered to help raise money for Spit ‘n’ Sawdust by setting up a JustGiving page.

A target of £10,000 has been set to help pay for the repairs at the gym.

Anyone who would like to make a contribution can use the following web link: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/james-duongHe said: “Dave offers facilities for children from broken families, with mental health issues.

"They come to his gym and have a session – he doesn’t charge them. Sometimes he’ll sit down with these individuals and talk to them – try to help them through the difficulties they have.”

Dave Earle and local business owner, James Doung, who runs the Paw Paw Chinese restaurant in townDave Earle and local business owner, James Doung, who runs the Paw Paw Chinese restaurant in town
Dave Earle and local business owner, James Doung, who runs the Paw Paw Chinese restaurant in town

Adidja, who lives in Easington, is planning on running 10 laps of People’s Park every week over the next five weeks. The challenge stems from an idea that came up when speaking to Dave during the first lockdown.

Each day Adidja ran the number of laps of his Close to match the number of days in the month.

He said: “I’ve been training where I live. I used to train during the weeks when it was half term. When I’m at school I do it at the weekend.”

Dave Earle was recently named an MBE for his charitable work. He runs the Tribus Group, which he set up in 2015 to help people suffering from mental health problems.

Dave Earle who has been recognised for his huge contribution to Banbury's communityDave Earle who has been recognised for his huge contribution to Banbury's community
Dave Earle who has been recognised for his huge contribution to Banbury's community

Dave was five-times Home Counties boxing champion and British light heavyweight kickboxing champion. He represented Great Britain in Budapest in the World Full-contact Kickboxing Championships. He is an ABA Boxing coach and has run the Spit n Sawdust amateur boxing club since 2007, producing champions.

James added: “Throughout Dave’s career he has devoted a large amount of his time to helping the community he’s in – Banbury – and most of the time for free. I think this is a great opportunity for us to reach out and say we care, we love you and we’re going to help you."

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