Boxing champ Barry raises huge sum for charities


Last night, following months of training, Playdale’s MD Barry Leahey laced up his boxing gloves and entered the ring for the Business Heavyweights white collar charity boxing match at Audacious Church in Manchester.
The event saw high profile business leaders fighting to raise vital money for those who need it most. Months of intensive training with expert coaches and boxing pros culminated in a lively evening of sweat, tears, triumph and inspiration.

The referee for the evening was Robin Reid, former British professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2012, pictured here pre-fight with Barry along with a triumphant post-fight ringside photo of Barry and his wife Louise.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester took to the ring to kick-start proceedings and ask for support for his end to rough sleeping in Manchester campaign. Then it was ‘ding ding’ and the bouts began!

To say Barry’s fight was short-lived is the understatement of the year as ‘The Playmaker’ knocked his opponent out after just a few minutes in the ring! Looks like those hours of hard training definitely paid off! A well-deserved win. Barry summed his win up in a short, succinct statement, “Train hard, fight easy”.

To date, the grand total raised by the fighters is in excess of £150k. This incredible amount of money raised will go to the Seashell Trust, a homeless charity, The Booth Centre and Manchester Maccabi Cultural & Sports Club. Barry himself raised an astonishing amount of just over £3k! Some of which will also go to Playdale’s three staff-chosen 2018 local charities.


Related articles

Quizical Fun for Our Charities!
Monday, 9th June 2025

Quizical Fun for Charity! On Friday, 6th July, #TeamPlaydale came together for a fantastic charity night at The Red Rose Club in Ulverston, aimed at raising awareness and funds for two incredible charities chosen by our staff: St Mary’s Hospice and Mind in Furness. The evening was filled with community spirit, laughter, and entertainment, featuring […]

AI Playground Design vs Experts
Tuesday, 25th March 2025

Playground Design Challenge: AI vs Experts As a specialist playground equipment manufacturer, Playdale is always looking to the future of playground design – identifying new trends, acting on new developments in playground design and finding new ways to make our play equipment more accessible. With plenty of talk in the media of rapid advancements in […]

Education Through Play
Wednesday, 19th February 2025

Education Through Play The impact of educational play on childhood development isn’t just a nice idea – it’s scientifically proven. Play-based learning in early childhood helps children develop essential skills, benefitting their physical and social capabilities whilst nurturing a natural curiosity about the world around them. Outdoor playgrounds are crucial in providing a well-equipped and […]