Champs Camp Archive Project

Champs Camp boxing gym was established in Moss Side by Phil Martin in the 1980s, as a response to social deprivation and unrest in the area. It was the UK’s first Black-led boxing gym and at one time was home to four British boxing champions. The gym still runs today, carrying on Phil Martin’s legacy.

In 2025, Manchester Histories and the Champs Camp Archive Project was awarded funding by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, with additional support from the University of Manchester. This funding will facilitate the creation of a permanent Champs Camp archive, to preserve this significant chapter in Black British history and open it up to young people and the community of Moss Side and beyond.

The project’s activities and aims include:

Curate and digitise a Champs Camp Archive

Hundreds of VHS tapes, photos and posters will be digitised and catalogued to make them accessible to the public. The material spans the 1980s and 90s and tells the story of the gym, Phil Martin, and the many fighters he trained and inspired.

Oral Histories Collection

Stories will be collected from key figures in Champs Camp’s history including former British Boxing Champions, boxing journalists, and friends and family of Phil Martin.

Public Engagement

Community engagement events and an open weekend at the gym will raise awareness of the project and give the public an opportunity to interact with the archive material. A short film will be created by young people and a digital teaching pack will be created to make use of the archive in schools.

Launch a new Champs Camp website

A new website will be created featuring highlighted material from the archive and engaging, informative content. From this website, users will be able to access and search the full digital archive collection.