A NEW café has opened at Belhus Park Kick Boxing Club with the aim of pulling the community together.

The café, managed by Vivian Blundell, was formally opened by Ukip councillor Chris Baker at a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Vivian said: "My dad helped to physically build this boxing club under the supervision of people like Norman Wheeler and Johnny Broadbent, men who in my dad’s eyes were two heroes of Belhus Park and a big influence on his younger life.

“More than 50 years later my dad is now proudly the president of the Belhus Park Boxing Club. K1 cafe was an idea me and my dad had to bring the older and younger generation together again and back to the club, somewhere people can come and sit, drink tea and eat some good hearty home cooked food, but also eat healthily if they wish.

Mr Baker added: "Vivian has done remarkably well and put in an awfully amount of work into the cafeteria. It was an absolute pleasure for me to open the premises. I can say without a doubt the food is delicious and the prices are very reasonable.

"The club goes way back when it was a boxing club and first opened in 1955 in the gymnasium of the former Ockendon Courts School which I was once a member, then in 1963, Thurrock Council built a gym for the Belhus Park Boxing Club .

“The club has done remarkably well over the years and kept a lot of young people off the streets and given them self-confidence and belief in themselves also the club has made some very good boxers and fighters over the years and here we are today.

"The new layout is remarkable on one side is the boxing ring the other side is the kick boxing section. Obviously new members would be made very welcome."