By ADAM LAZZARI A BOXING coach and youth worker who has changed the lives of many children in Fenland has been invited to Buckingham Palace. Paul Gill, 36, from Chatteris received a letter inviting him for lunch at the Palace in July. The letter stated th

By ADAM LAZZARI

A BOXING coach and youth worker who has changed the lives of many children in Fenland has been invited to Buckingham Palace.

Paul Gill, 36, from Chatteris received a letter inviting him for lunch at the Palace in July.

The letter stated that they would like to thank Mr Gill for his services to boxing and youth development in Fenland.

Mr Gill said: "I understand that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh might be there.

"I was completely gobsmacked when I opened the letter but it's a real honour and I'm delighted."

An article about the work carried out by Mr Gill appeared in the Cambs Times and Wisbech Standard on January 4.

Mr Gill said: "I have no idea how they know anything about me. The letter was addressed to G Gill so I thought it was meant to be for somebody else and I wrote back asking if there had been a mistake. But they replied, apologising for the error and confirmed that they want me want to attend.

"I know the Palace sometimes like to recognise people that do a lot of work in the community they live in and I can only think that somebody there read the article about me on the internet."

Mr Gill has been a coach at Chatters Amateur Boxing Club and a youth worker at Chatteris Unity Youth Group for the last nine years.

Mr Gill said: "I would like to thank Reg Wenn, Barbara Kingmann, who do lots of charity work in the area, and Saphire Lee from Wisbech Boxing Club. If it hadn't been for their help I would never have been able to have achieved what I have."

* Anyone is welcome to attend Chatteris Boxing Club, which meets on Black Horse Lane on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7-8pm.