8 March 2021
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Riverstown Amateur Boxing Club in Glanmire is to receive EUR5,000 funding under the Texaco Support for Sport initiative launched last September by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand.
Open to sports clubs across the 26-counties, irrespective of sporting discipline, size, membership, age, cultural appeal or gender, the initiative saw a fund of EUR130,000 being made available by Valero for distribution in equal amounts of EUR5,000 to successful applicants chosen on a county-by-county basis.
Congratulating the club on its success, James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations, Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited said, “A feature evident in almost all applications was the pressure felt by clubs in the current circumstances to expand their role within their local communities with increased membership demands and the need for extra equipment and improved facilities.”
“The purpose of our initiative is to help clubs to overcome these obstacles so that they can continue to remain active and at the very heart of their local communities. This is why we believe our initiative has been so warmly welcomed by sports clubs nationwide in its launch year,” he added.
Riverstown Amateur Boxing Club – one of almost 400 clubs countrywide to make application under the scheme – was founded in 1984. From the beginning, its main aim was to be a place of safety and enjoyment for the young people of Glanmire and its surrounding areas. With up to 70 active male and female members, the club has an impressive string of achievements to its name, including medal-winning successes at World and European levels and in county, provincial and national championships.
In 2015, the club began renting a commercial warehouse unit that it has since transformed into a top class boxing gym. The EUR5,000 award made to the club under the Texaco Support for Sport initiative will be used to upgrade the floor and renew equipment in its Strength and Conditioning area.
Overseeing the adjudication process was Texaco Support for Sport ambassador, acclaimed broadcaster and former Irish rugby international, Donncha O’Callaghan. Expressing the hope that the extra funding can lead the club to even greater success, he praised them for being “an inclusive club, welcoming to all and with a clear vision of what they need to progress”.
