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'You shook the hand that shook the world': Ipswich boxing ref's encounter with Lennox Lewis

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An Ipswich boxing referee pursuing Olympic dreams received words of encouragement from former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis at an international tournament.

Why it matters: Simon Mullan's meeting with Lewis came during another successful step towards his goal of becoming an Olympic referee, as he officiated nine fights including two finals at the Boxam 2025 tournament in Spain.

Simon Mullan with Lennox Lewis while refereeing at a tournament in Spain
Simon Mullan with Lennox Lewis while refereeing at a tournament in SpainSuffolk New College

The details: The 47-year-old Suffolk New College  welding lecturer met Lewis during the five-day tournament in La Nucia, where the former heavyweight champion was running a training camp to promote amateur boxing.

"I got to chat to him and talked about Lewis Richardson and the Olympics and also discussed how I saw him fight Frank Bruno in Cardiff," Mullan said.

"We had a joke and then he grabbed my hand and he started shaking it firmly. He then said, now you can tell everybody that you shook the hand that shook the world."

Background: Mullan, who boxed against Joe Calzaghe in his youth, has already made significant contributions to British boxing:

  • He coached 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Lewis Richardson

  • He now represents Team GB as a referee on the international circuit

  • He officiated nine bouts including two finals at Boxam 2025

Simon Mullan representing Team GB at a tournament in Spain
Simon Mullan representing Team GB at a tournament in SpainSuffolk New College

What they're saying: "It was a great experience and an honour to represent Team GB," Mullan said. "It was a really good tournament for me personally and for our boxers who collectively won 14 medals. I was delighted for Team GB and it was another step along the way to me achieving my dream of being at the Olympics as a ref."

What's next: Mullan is planning more international tournaments later in the year and hopes to organise a visit to Suffolk New College with Olympic bronze medallist Lewis Richardson to speak with students.

The bottom line: Craig Shimmon, head of marketing at Suffolk New College, said: "Simon is a tremendous character, a fantastic teacher and his boxing exploits really help the students he works with to dream big."

Suffolk New College

Suffolk New College is a multi-award-winning institution that offers a diverse range of career-focused courses in amazing facilities.

Suffolk New College Ipswich campus
Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

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Suffolk to roll out 6,000 EV chargepoints from Summer 2025

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Suffolk County Council has partnered with operator Believ to deliver around 6,000 new public electric vehicle chargepoints across the county, starting next summer.

Why it matters: 25% of Suffolk households don't have a driveway and park on their street, creating a significant barrier for residents considering electric vehicle ownership.

The big picture: The rollout aims to provide residents without driveways access to a public chargepoint within a 5-10 minute walk.

Matthew Ling and Amy Rushton of Suffolk County Council, Charlie Allen and Steve Beer of Believ
Matthew Ling and Amy Rushton of Suffolk County Council, Charlie Allen and Steve Beer of BelievBeliev

By the numbers:

  • £5.3 million secured from the government's Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund

  • An additional £16 million provided by operator Believ

  • Nearly 140,000 tons of emissions forecast to be removed by late 2026

The details: The majority of new units will be bollard-style chargers at the kerbside, suitable for long-stay or overnight charging. Drivers will benefit from an overnight off-peak tariff and a dedicated resident's tariff with discounted charging at all times.

Public car parks will also see rapid and ultra-rapid chargepoint installations for quicker charging options.

What they're saying: "We are providing a solution by installing chargepoints on their street, or very nearby. Our ambition is to provide them with a public chargepoint within a 5-10 minute walk or wheel," said Councillor Philip Fairclough-Mutton, Suffolk County Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, Communities and Equality.

Guy Bartlett, Believ CEO, said: "We're delighted to have been awarded the opportunity to rollout such a significant number of chargepoints across Suffolk. It will make a real difference to local EV drivers and give others the confidence to go electric, helping to support our mission to deliver cleaner air for all."

What's next: In advance of all on-street chargepoint installations, local residents will receive letters with details of the work due to take place, including information on timescales.

The bottom line: Suffolk County Council is the first local authority in England to both award their LEVI main funding tender and subsequently sign a contract with an operator, allowing installations to begin at pace to help meet the county's target of 5,400 public chargepoints by 2030.

Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

We can't do this without you!

If you value strong, free, independent local media that fights tirelessly for our town, please consider contributing just £24 per year

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