MEMBERS of a village boxing club are a real knockout in the eyes of one local youngster.

Charlie Wilkinson is a big fan of Brandon Boxing Club in County Durham and is often taken to watch members train and spa at the nearby Carrside Youth Club in the village.

But he has also featured in a charity fundraising event staged by club members to help Trinity School, Durham, where eight-year-old Charlie is a pupil.

Club captain John Dixon and head coach Simon Patterson pushed Charlie in his special wheelchair round difficult terrain on a four-and-a-half mile fun run along Pit Lane, west of Brandon, in the summer.

Other club members Anthony Chapman and Matthew Storey also took part in the run.

Funds raised were added to sponsorship gathered by Mr Dixon and Adam Oliver, who co-runs the club with brother Alex.

They took part in daring bungee jumps staged in the car park at Brandon’s Morley Wood pub, which sponsors the club.

A total of £550 was raised from the two events, with £100 retained to assist club funds, while Mr Oliver paid a visit to the school to hand over the remaining £450 at a special morning assembly at its main site, at Aykley Heads, Durham.

He then visited the split school’s Bek site, at Hartside, on the outskirts of Durham, where his niece, Kara-Mai Oliver as well as Charlie are based.

Club members plan to continue the fund raising to next help Charlie, a sufferer of the condition Leah’s Disease, to buy a special pea pod suit, which provides more comfortable day-to-day living.