A BIG brother from Alcester has raised thousands of pounds for a charity which “provided a lifeline” to his younger sibling, by boxing his way to a county title.

Sam Coley, 25, had never boxed before entering the ring to contest the vacant United British Boxing Federation Super Middleweight West Midlands County title.

His motivation for taking up the sport was to raise enough cash for Whizz-Kids to provide a child with a wheelchair, after they came to the aid of his 19-year-old brother Peter.

He said: “Peter has got severe autism, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, and a shunt due to him being born with water on the brain.

“He can walk short distances but Whizz Kidz have given him a lifeline by providing him with a wheelchair which allows him to get out and about.

“Last year he got really ill and we nearly lost him. I decided I wanted to do something for the charity as if it wasn’t for his wheelchair he would not have much of a life.

“The cost of a mobility scooter is £2000 so I wanted to be able to raise enough to help another person who needs one, so I got into boxing.”

Sam fought Kieron Gow at the Birmingham conference and Events Centre on November 18 in front of a crowd of 700 people and, to his delight, landed the title.

He said: “I did my training and managed to knock him out within 40 seconds.

“He was talking himself up before but he never laid a glove on me.

“I cannot explain how it felt when I won it.”

Sam is keen to defend his title in March and raise money for another charity, having already raised £1,700 of his £2,000 target for Whizz Kidz so far.

He said: “I’m not really a fighter and don’t like hurting people but it just felt like I did something good and I want to do it for charity again in the future.”

To donate and help him reach his target, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sam-coley2.