Club KickStart will open its doors at Gloucester Recreation Centre for the first time.

And to help kick off the new venture Garners IGA has donated $5,000 to Club KickStart, signing on as the major sponsor.

The venture also has the backing of the Bucketts Way Neighbourhood Group.

Club KickStart is open to anyone over the age of eight and is aimed at fostering good citizenship, improving self respect, increasing physical fitness, reducing anger and anxiety levels and promoting invaluable and long-lasting personal relationships.

How? Club KickStart will offer a range of special classes ranging from self defense, martial arts, boxing, self empowerment and self esteem, non-contact boxing, music, family and peer relationship development, stress relief and management, sports and school tutoring, business acumen, skill development and swimming.

Membership fees are just $5 per year, with small charges applying for special classes.

Friday night’s opening will include a free barbecue, a chance to inspect the club’s new boxing ring and a number of invited guests attending.

Among them, local boxing and marital arts trainer Sid Yates; Bill Young a 6th Dan black belt and ISKA Hamm of Famer; Nat Young a 2nd Dan black belts and ISKA Hall of Famer; Duane Millers 2nd Dan black belt; Simon James, state champion Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, ranked MMA fighter; Try Glover, a professional boxer with 20 progression fights and more than 200 amateur fights under his belt and Brad Callaghan, the head trainer with the Forster boxing team.

There will be boxing and martial arts demonstrations and teachers will be available to discuss the variety of courses coming up at Club KickStart.

The official opening will be held at the Gloucester Rec Centre, Friday February 27 at 7pm.