Fourteen trentbarton staff are to climb into the boxing ring for an amateur tournament to raise money for the bus company’s charity for the year, When You Wish Upon a Star.

Drivers and other staff from trentbarton’s Nottingham depot are donning gloves, many for the first time, to support the children’s charity which grants wishes to children with a range of life-threatening illnesses. Top of the bill for the June 19th ‘Demolition in the Depot’ showdown sees former pro boxer Gav McGill, a driver out of Nottingham’s Broadmarsh Bus Station, square up to one of the big bosses, Tom Morgan, director of service delivery. Gav, who was a pro light welterweight and trained with Prince Naseem Hamed, will fight Tom in five three-minute rounds. The card features five other bouts of three rounds and a one-round match-up between two ladies, Laura Pike and Tracey Gee.

Master of ceremonies will be Vitto Pizzuti, trentbarton’s operations manager in Nottingham. Vitto said: “All the fights should be good but the top of the bill fight should be spicy. Tom’s got speed on his side but Gav’s got experience. “Tom was thrown the gauntlet to take part. I think he thought he was fighting me, so he agreed. He might be regretting that now he’s going glove to glove with Gav.” Gav, who started boxing aged nine, has been training the bus company’s fighters, but not all of them:

“I’ve been helping the ones that have turned up to the gym. Others have said they don’t want any training. They will get a shock on the day.” With 35 amateur fights and 13 professional ones under his belt, Gav is quietly confident he can see off his director’s challenge: “I don’t want to say I’m going to put Tom on the canvas – in case I can’t. He should be too quick for me if he has listened to what I’ve been telling him in training.”

Tom said: “I'm really proud of our teams for getting involved and putting so much effort into raising money for such a wonderful cause. I'm glad they wanted to involve me and it's great to be doing my bit too, I only wish it didn't result in me getting beaten up and embarrassed by someone 10 years my senior in front of all my work colleagues. Apparently it was a very popular idea.” The event at Nottingham’s Liberty Gym is on Sunday June 19 and will be refereed by Kel Pizzuti, Vitto’s brother, who works in trentbarton’s traffic office.

Another colleague is dressing in drag as the ring girl and managing director Jeff Counsell is a ringside judge along with When You Wish Upon a Star’s founder, Barbara White OBE.

Nicola Brien, regional fundraising manager at When You Wish Upon a Star, said: “We are thrilled to be trentbarton’s charity partner and the enthusiasm for fundraising amongst their staff is just incredible. They are all great sports and this brilliant event shows that.

Thanks to them all for their support.”