The Duke Of Gloucester praised the retired boxing legend while on a visit to his charity, the Frank Bruno Foundation in Northampton.
In a speech during a special ceremony at the charity’s Round By Round centre, the Duke, who was born in Northampton, said: “Frank Bruno is rightly regarded as a national treasure and many people will know him for that famous deep voice.
“He deserves huge praise for the work the Foundation has been doing to support those who are going through difficult moments in their life.”
The Duke paid a visit to the charity’s Round By Round centre last week (October 30) to see for himself the lifeline work which goes on there.
Since opening the centre in 2020, Frank and his team of volunteers have supported more than 1,000 men and women of all ages who are experiencing mental ill health. The Round By Round programme consists of weekly sessions providing emotional wellbeing and non-contact boxing.
Courses are provided five-days a week, but all services provided by the charity rely on donations as they receive no Government funding.
The Foundation therefore relies heavily on the work of volunteers – some of whom were celebrated during the Royal visit.
The Duke Of Gloucester also got to see a demonstration of boxing training for himself.
Thanking the Duke for visiting, Frank Bruno said: “It’s a massive honour for us to be visited by Royalty. More than anything it’s wonderful for the volunteers here, who work so hard to keep the charity going.
“We are seeing more and more people come through our doors because the services in the NHS just aren’t up to scratch. I’m determined to keep fighting for those who need a bit of support to help get their lives back on track.”
In a brilliant speech Dave Davies, the chairman of the Foundation – who has worked tirelessly to keep it going – told those in attendance: “The Foundation is a very special place, and to think all of this was started from Frank wanting to give back and help those struggling with their mental health in the community based from his own experiences of mental ill health.
“It has helped not only the individuals who have mental health issues but also their families and friends who are there to support those struggling but may also need support and guidance too. The team here in Northampton have shown so much passion and dedication to make the facility what it is today.
“We, through our work, achieve some amazing results which have included the reduction of anti-social behaviour, and supporting those most in need. Through our Round by Round programmes we have seen many clients improve their own mental health through the tools that we offer and I’m sure everyone involved with the Frank Bruno Foundation will continue to drive the charity to future success
Nick Owens, founder of Magnify PR, said: “I’d like to congratulate Frank and the Foundation for this remarkable achievement. We’re looking forward to continuing to help supporting Frank and his team in 2025 and beyond.”
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