Скачать или смотреть How Bristol Boxing Gym Owner stayed fighting for his club | Interview

At nearly 70, Dennis Stinchcombe is still at the heart of Bristol’s legendary boxing gym and its unlikely rise as one of the city’s most beloved underground music venues.

Home to the Riverside Youth Project and The Boxing Gym HQ, this space has supported young people in Bristol for over five decades. But it was a turning point in 2013, during Dennis’s recovery from a triple heart bypass, that would change everything. Facing financial collapse, Dennis launched a fundraising appeal, until a Banksy mural, ‘Mobile Lovers,’ mysteriously appeared outside the club. He was told to sell it, and did -raising over £560,000 to keep the club alive.

Two years later, in 2015, @alfrescodiscouk approached Dennis with a bold idea: to throw a surprise New Year’s Eve rave at the club. That night, with @hodgebristol headlining, the gym transformed. The room was filled with young people, music, energy—and no trouble. More promoters followed, and over time, music events became the lifeline of the space.

“Without the music events, there would be no club.”

In this interview, Dennis reflects on the moment that changed it all—from Banksy’s help and the birth of the venue’s nightlife legacy, to the club’s role today in supporting young people, fostering community, and welcoming generations through its doors for boxing and beats alike.


💙 Thank you Dennis, and thank you Bristol.

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