With our upcoming Yellobric fundraiser on Friday May 16th, London Chessboxing decided to get to know the people behind the charity a little more. We interviewed Gavin Paterson – a recent addition to the chessboxing ranks and also the co-founder and managing director of Yellobric .
How did you hear about chessboxing and what made you want to compete?
A friend invited me to attend a bout in Bethnal Green Working Men’s club – it was an incredible evening and my first experience of both chessboxing and boxing – I was hooked on the sport immediately.
A friend of mine James “The Chelsea Chainsaw” Pope fought last year in an incredible bout against “The Ouch”, I knew then that I had to be part of it.
After your first fight against Matt Read (left in the picture), you are getting a rematch at the Yellobric event on May 16th, what tactics will you use to even the score?
I’m losing out on reach so I’ll have to get under his guard as much as possible. The only advantage I have over him is fitness so I’m not going to let him have any respite if I can help it. Play defensively in the chess, the longer he’s in the ring the more chance I’ll have of beating him.
As the managing director at Yellobric tell us, what does the charity do?
We deliver a library of 1,600 books for under £80 to schools in the developing world who may only have access to perhaps 10 titles. We do this by providing and supporting digital libraries on portable devices. We also use eLearning platforms to improve teaching and monitoring in our schools.
Why is it called Yellobric?
We’re a young and vibrant brand, so we wanted to be associated with such a colour. Each of our digital devices represent an entire library but also as another building brick towards improving learning outcomes. As a technological charity we wanted to be aligned with web-brands, so a unique spelling combining the two words made sense.
What do you think makes chessboxing a good sport for the fundraiser?
Chessboxing really captures the imagination and stands apart from any other offering, curiosity is a powerful ally.
The event is a few weeks away, what can we expect from the night?
Intense competition, sweat, strategy and intoxication.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I love being involved with London Chessboxing and that’s in no small part down to the people involved, what a great bunch!
Haven’t got your Yellobric event tickets yet? Get them here, for a night full of chessboxing entertainment “intense competition, sweat, strategy and intoxication” and help thousands of children across Africa get reading materials.
