He was back in the spotlight for a people’s festival being staged in Kingsbury just a mile away to promote mental health and wellbeing.
The 63-year-old retired boxer turned up at the Shout Sport charity event at Silver Jubilee Park on Sunday (June 8).
Youngsters who were not even born and whose parents were probably just kids themselves when he took the title at Wembley Stadium in 1995 surrounded their hero for his autograph and some to do a ‘high five’ with him.
Frank has championed mental wellbeing since retiring from the ring in 1996, having remained a celebrity with his health issues getting media attention.
“I’m glad to get people back into the habit of sport and physical activity,” he said. “Sport has been the best medicine for my mental and physical health.”
Another legend also making an appearance on Sunday was Rachel Yankey, a former Arsenal and England footballer and trailblazer for women in sport who represented Brent as a youngster.
Yankey, who was registered as the first professional female footballer in England, promoted physical activity “not just for the body but also as a lifeline for the mind and self-confidence”.
The ‘Shout Sport’ festival was organised by Ashford Place charity which promotes social inclusion and acts as a people’s advocacy for mental health.
Its director Philip Radley-Smith, a trustee at Ashford Place, said: “Having legends like Frank and Rachel join us reinforces our mission to make sport accessible for emotional wellness as well as physical fitness.”
Shout Sport is a grassroots programme run by Ashford Place to promote inclusive sporting activities as a tool for connection and resilience.
The charity collaborated with the Silver Jubilee Park trust to bring fans together with iconic figures from the world of sport for the day of physical wellbeing.
Sport is “more than just competition”, the charity points out. Ashford Place trustee Philip Radley-Smith said: “It’s also about community, resilience and well-being.”
Activities were put on for anyone to try out movement through chair yoga, Pilates, boxing training, netball, men’s walking football and women’s soccer, along with open discussions on mental wellbeing and health.
