It’s often been said that more needs to be done to help fighters after the final bell tolls on their careers.

Unfortunately for many, that is lip service.

For one man in particular, it’s not. Dave Harris, who founded Ringside Rest and Care, has dedicated his time to making things better for those who are struggling in the wilderness that is life after boxing.

He launched Ringside Rest and Care in the hope of building a retirement home for former boxers and that is very much the dream still, but he has already managed to set up call helplines for ex-boxers in need, lines that are manned round the clock by those keen to help fighters who are finding life challenging to adapt to, whether it’s emotionally, physically or psychologically.

Many boxers yearn for the adrenalin of fight night, the routine that comes from training camps dedicated to one goal and they toil with the loss of identity afterwards, the transition from being the boxer to the everyday man on the street.

Ringside Rest and Care is a UK-based charity but it has international aspirations and has the ambition to help thousands of fighters in the coming years. They have already made a difference, but they continue to need help and support. Everything counts.

The charity has already held numerous fundraisers and on Saturday, July 9, boxing people from around the UK will gather in Portsmouth on the South Coast to raise money for the organisation by completing a firewalk.

Those who are taking part include Tony Oakey, Bec Connolly, Jason Lepre and Jumaane Camero as well as boxing personalities like Steve Bunce and the last three editors of Boxing News, Claude Abrams, Tris Dixon and current editor Matt Christie.

Ringside Rest and Care has provided a lifeline for many already and it is boxing’s opportunity to back their own, to support their own and to look after their own.

You can donate here… https://www.gofundme.com/f/boxers-firewalk