After around 15 years away from boxing, I’m stepping back into the ring at Origin Fight Nights on Friday 20th November at Grays Civic Hall.

At 41, getting back into fighting shape has certainly been a challenge — but there’s a much more important reason behind this than simply taking on a personal challenge.

My daughter has verbal dyspraxia (Childhood Apraxia of Speech), which can make speaking and communicating difficult. Having seen first-hand the challenges this can bring to children and their families, I wanted to use my return to boxing to raise awareness and money for a charity supporting those affected.

I’ll be raising money for Mikey’s Wish Foundation, which supports children and families affected by Childhood Apraxia of Speech and other speech, language and communication difficulties.

So, over the next few weeks, I’ll be training hard, getting myself into fighting shape and eventually stepping between the ropes — hopefully raising as much as possible along the way.

Every donation, however big or small, will make a difference.

Thank you for supporting me, and if you're local, come along on 20th November and watch me put all the training to the test!