A BOXING coach has been invited to Buckingham Palace after going the 'extra mile' in his community.

Mark Field, of Buckley, was recognised for his outstanding work in running Buckley Boxing Club last year, which aims help children and young people with mental health disorders.

As a result of that, he said he has been invited to Buckingham Palace for a garden party and celebration event.

He told the Leader: "Last year I got the nurse of the year award in London but I wasn't aware of this invite, it's a complete surprise.

"I had an email and thought it was a hoax, so I emailed the head of RCNi and she said I should hear within six weeks and then I received the official invitation.

"It's a celebration event to get us all together. For people who do a lot in their community and who help others.

"It's one of them isn't it, I'm really really proud and I'm looking forward to it. I can't have a plus one but it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and a good apple in my career."

Now in their 32nd year, the RCNi Nurse Awards celebrate the very best in nursing care and are widely regarded as the highest accolade for nurses in the UK.

Mark was chosen as the winner of the 'Special Recognition' RCNi award from over 700 entries, for his successful programme to provide young people with a secure environment to manage their mental health issues.

He, himself, has struggled with rapid bipolar disorder and understood the mental wellbeing benefits of physical activity in keeping discharged patients out of hospitals.

Mark said: "I'm proud of everything I, and the club, has achieved, I've got coaches here now who used to box.

"At the time I was wanting to turn professional at boxing and I had to have an MRI scan as part of that. Unfortunately they found a frontal lobe cyst which meant I wouldn't have been granted my professional license. I then went into deep rapid bipolar.

"I still continue to work and I understand people's issues in the community when they say they are depressed and can't come out and leave their homes."

Mark has been running the Buckley Boxing Club for almost 30 years and he became a mental health nurse in 2000 because he wanted to help other people.

The boxing coach said he has received a lot of support from Neal Cockerton, of Flintshire Council, and the community and receiving this award is another way of being recognised.

He added: "We are all volunteers and put in so many hours of work.

"I've heard I will meet the queen and meet the other winners from RCNi which I met last year. It's just about people going the extra mile in the community, it will be nice, I'm looking forward to it.

"All the volunteer coaches we have at the club go the extra mile and long may it continue.

"The work we do, I think, is important because there's not a lot out there for children to do. There used to be community centres but there's nothing now.

"Children are either stuck in or playing on their Xbox - they don't meet other children the same age so the club gives them that structure and the chance to make friends in a family friendly environment.

"We have a young lad (8) with ADHD who was threatened to be kicked out of school and we've done a structure with him. He blows up in the playground and teachers didn't know how to deal with it but the main thing is to get rid of all the frustration. It's helping him because there's a structure there.

"We aren't just a boxing club, it's more of a social club. Everyone has got issues, but we work together."