Before he heard about the club, Stormzy had already been playing a bit of padel. His physio was the one who clued him in. ‘Stormzy said, “I’d love to meet the guys.” And we hit it off,’ Hunter says. ‘I think the social community angle really appealed to him.’

Whether you’re in it for the group hang or just want to improve your game, Hunter is confident you’ll soon be signing up, too. ‘When you walk into the club, there’s a big archway with “Padel Social Club” written on it. When you walk out, it says, “Obsessed yet? Join the club.”’

Various London locations. Visit padelsocial.club

This volunteer-run gym is an essential presence on the London boxing scene, keeping alive a tradition more than a century old

Dreamed up in 1908 by Lambeth doctor Arthur Lionel Baly as a way to drive social reform in one of London’s underprivileged areas, Fitzroy Lodge Athletics Club is one of the capital’s longest-running charities and one that has had an enormous impact.

It’s maintained by subscriptions and donations – so far, only German bombs have been able to stop it, and then only temporarily. When incendiary devices were dropped on its Kennington location in the Second World War, burning the place to ashes, there was only one solution: start again.

It was then that the Lodge moved to its new digs and, in the decades that followed, it evolved into Fitzroy Lodge Amateur Boxing Club, one of the UK’s best, with former club leader and coach Mick Carney MBE even becoming head coach to the Canadian Olympic boxing team in 1972. More recently, former WBA heavyweight world champ David Haye developed his skills at the Lodge.

Like many of the gym’s current and past attendees, head coach Mark Reigate used boxing as a way to keep out of trouble. ‘I was one of those kids with no direction,’ he says. The coaches at the Lodge became his role models.

He also hails from the same neck of the woods as one of the gym’s more famous patrons. ‘I come from Croydon, like Stormzy,’ he says. ‘At one stage, I think he lived at the back of my house.’

Stormzy has trained at the Lodge on and off, but his biggest role has been helping out in Reigate’s side project, Carney’s Community (below).

180 Lambeth Road, Lambeth. Visit fitzroylodge.club

This community programme aims to put young offenders and the underprivileged back on their feet

Co-founded by Fitzroy’s Lodge’s Mark Reigate and George Turner, the project was inspired by Mick Carney, the boxing legend who turned around countless lives through engagement with his sport.

‘Our services are targeted at disadvantaged young people, aged 11 to 30, from deprived backgrounds in Wandsworth, Lambeth and the surrounding areas,’ explains Turner, the club’s manager and a former gang coordinator with Wandsworth Council.

Turner started out working with young offenders and says many of them wanted to learn how to box. His enquiries took him to Fitzroy Lodge and, eventually, to Reigate, who agreed to help. Soon, they were running boxing sessions for young offenders every Friday evening.

Today, there’s a youth club every Monday and Wednesday from 6.30pm to 8pm, plus an ongoing ‘Fit and Fed Programme’, providing home-cooked meals after the classes.

Turner recalls speaking to one 18-year-old member who’d never had family support or a proper education. ‘He said, “Actually, there is someone who puts food on my plate, puts clothes on my back, is always supportive and helping me to progress.” And that was the local drug dealer.’

At Carney’s, Turner and Reigate look to break the spell by providing a more positive path. ‘How do you get someone out of a gang?’ Turner asks. ‘They’re joining because they need to belong, so we need to try to create a more positive gang.’

Now, the gym employs 25 staff, many of whom have come through the Carney’s Community programme. During the pandemic, Turner and his team even opened up the centre to help with food deliveries in the local area.

‘One day, one of the lads asked if [someone called] “Junior” could come and help with the care packages,’ says Turner. Initially, he declined the offer, concerned with keeping the number of volunteers to a minimum to ensure easier social distancing.

‘Turns out it was Stormzy,’ he says. ‘He helped us put together the packages and deliver them. People were getting a knock on the door and there was Stormzy with a crate of food. He just wanted to get involved where he could.’

30 Petworth Street, Battersea. To support and donate, visit carneyscommunity.org

We’ve got the exclusive training plan that helped Stormzy get into the best shape of his life. Click here to access a sample of his four-week training plan.