Alex Le Guével has joined Matchroom Boxing as Head of Community Development.
Le Guével joins Matchroom from England Boxing, where he held a role as Club Support Officer for the East Midlands, Eastern Counties & Home Counties since February 2018.
He has been an integral part of England Boxing’s Club and Community department during a period of unparalleled growth and success, with a 60% increase in investment from Sport England secured for the 2022-2027 strategic funding period.
Away from his regional responsibilities, Le Guével also took a strategic lead on the Club Development, Volunteering, Tackling Inequalities and Knockout Extremism work areas – as well as managing England Boxing’s partnership with Empire Fighting Chance.
A qualified Amateur Boxing Coach, Le Guével holds a Seconds Licence with the British Boxing Board of Control and previously acted as a Boxing Consultant for the Frank Bruno Foundation – where he supported the design, implementation and growth of their Round-by-Round programme for people experiencing difficulties with their mental health.
His role with the Foundation involved overseeing the day-to-day management of their first Round by Round Centre in Northampton, helping to secure vital project funding, designing monitoring and evaluation frameworks and refining the organisation’s communications policy.
The brand-new Head of Community Development role with Matchroom Boxing will see him focus on grass roots and community growth, exploring ways of more effectively leveraging and distributing funds to ensure that emphasis is given to areas of high need and people who are experiencing a level of marginalisation in their lives.
“I’m delighted to be starting a new role as Head of Community Development with Matchroom Boxing,” said Le Guével. “It is a dream come true to join the world’s leading boxing promotional company – and to have earned the opportunity of creating a brand-new role is something that is still sinking in!
“It has long been an aspiration of mine to better link the amateur and professional sides of the sport, with this new position providing the perfect platform to do just that. The scope of the role itself is vast and, as such, so are the possibilities.
“I will maintain a close working relationship with England Boxing and other key stakeholders, ensuring that support, exposure and resources are directed to the people, projects and organisations that generate the greatest community impact. I can’t wait to get started
“I would particularly like to thank Frank Smith for believing in my strategic vision and for understanding the importance of nurturing boxing at grassroots level. I relish the prospect of working with and learning from my new colleagues at Matchroom.”
“All elite level athletes start at grass roots level – and the fact Matchroom are making this commitment to further nurture and develop the sport where it matters most is incredibly exciting,” said Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith. “Alex joins us with a wealth of experience in practical sport development in Local Authority, Further Education, Active Partnership and National Governing Body settings. This new role will see Alex utilising Matchroom’s platform to help shine a brighter light on boxing at grassroots community level.”