Boxing clubs are being invited to apply to the Texaco Support for Sport initiative, and today is the closing date.

The Texaco Support for Sport initiative is designed to recognise the important contribution that sports clubs make within Irish society by supporting them in a manner that can benefit them most, through the presentation of a cash prize. It offers 1 (one) sports club based in each county within the Republic of Ireland an opportunity to win a cash prize of €5,000 (Five thousand euros).

Click here to view promotional terms and conditions.

Who is eligible to enter?

Sporting bodies who have been granted tax exemption under Section 235 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 and are featured on a list published by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners on 30th June 2024 are eligible to apply. Click here for details.

Can Northern Ireland sport clubs apply for an award?

Unfortunately, the Texaco Support for Sport initiative is only open to sports clubs based in the Republic of Ireland and entry is not available to clubs that are based in Northern Ireland.

What could my Club win?

There will be a prize available for every county in the Republic of Ireland. One sports club per county will win a cash prize of €5,000 (Five thousand euros) once the initiative’s entrance criteria are fully met.

How many prizes are available to be won?

There will be 1 (one) prize available per county in the Republic of Ireland. The total amount of prizes available is 26 (twenty-six).

What should I be aware of before making an application on behalf of my Club?

Sports clubs that are based in the Republic of Ireland, affiliated to a sporting association or federation in the Republic of Ireland and are represented by a duly authorised individual are eligible to apply.

Applications from sports clubs who have previously applied for or received a Texaco Sportstars Bursary are permitted but those received from clubs who have previously been awarded a Texaco Support for Sport award will not be accepted.

Applicants must hold a valid GS Exemption Number (Games and Sports Exemption Number) issued by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners in respect of sports bodies who have been granted tax exemption under Section 235 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. Sports clubs must feature on the list published by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners on the 30th June 2024. Click here for details.

IABA has been invited, by Kildare County Council and Hotpress, to participate in “Warriors! Celebrating Ireland’s Sportswomen” as part of Kildare’s St. Brigid’s Festival.

The daytime event will take place on Brigid’s Day, Saturday, 1 February at The Curragh Racecourse, Co. Kildare, between 11am and 4pm. It will be a fun, sport-filled day for all the family. The aim of the initiative is to promote sporting activity among young girls – and to celebrate Ireland’s sportswomen. The event will be free, and for all of the family.

Anna Geary will host various items from the main stage, taster sessions and demonstrations of boxing and all other participating sports will happen on the ground, in the designated spaces around Champions’ Hall.

IABA will have its own exhibition space, and will give pads, footwork and other skills demonstrations, as well as non-contact participation events – this will be led by IABA Development Officer, Maeve Clarke.

The aim is to encourage the participation in sport – either for the first time, or to take it up again, or to spark them to stay involved, which, as we know, is an increasingly important issue to be addressed among young women.

IABA has shared an invitation to participate with Kildare County Board and all boxing clubs in Co. Kildare.

The first IABA conference of 2025: On the Front Foot – Setting Boxers Up for Success, will take place on Saturday. Two speakers have been added: SI Director of High Performance Coaching, Ciaran Ward and SI Director of Coaching Michaeal McGeehin.

Organised by IABA Education and Training Officer Nikki Foley, this conference is aimed at empowering coaches with performance and planning up-skilling, information on nutrition and performance mindset and providing coaches with an opportunity to explore continued development in support of boxer success. For more information contact Nikki Foley via nicola@iaba.ie

The conference will take place at Campus Conference Centre, Sport Ireland Campus, Snugborough Rd, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 on Saturday, February 1st. Registration opens at 9am, events begin at 9.30am, concluding at 2.45pm. Parking is available on site.

Booking

Clubs can book through their Blocworx portal, here. The cost is E10 per person, which includes lunch and refreshments.

Itinerary

16 clubs participated in the first online IABA Safeguarding 1 awareness course of 2025, which took place last week: Tredagh BC, Olympic Mullingar, Olympic Galway, St. Nicholas BC, O’Rourkes BC, Dealgan BC, Banna Elite BC,Ballagh BC, Evolution BC, Loughrea BC, Rathnew BC, Mourne All Blacks BC, Ardagh/Crossmalina BC, Ballyhaunis BC, Team Doyle BC and Sacred Heart BC. 

In 2025, IABA is delivering 12 Safeguarding One courses, 4 Safeguarding Two courses and a minimum of 1 Safeguarding Three courses.

IABA is also open, on request, to providing Safeguarding One and/or Safeguarding Two learning in person, at a county board or provincial unit level. County Boards and Provinical Units who wish to commission in-person delivery of this learning are invited to make contact with IABA National Safeguarding Manager, Stephen Flynn, via stephen@iaba.ie

Safeguarding One

All adults – coaches, committee members & non-coaching volunteers – in every club who have contact with children are required to have undertaken Safeguarding 1.

In keeping with Sport Ireland best practice in Safeguarding training, workshops will be limited to 16 participants. In keeping with norms across the sporting community, the cost for this workshop is E20. 

Register here: https://shout.com/s/5tP2AMoB

Month	Date/Time	Delivery
Feburary	Wednesday 19th 18.30-21.30	online
March	Friday 28th 14.00-17.00	online
April	Tuesday 15th 18.30-21.30	online
May	Monday 19th18.30-21.30	online
June	Wednesday 25th 18.30-21.30	online
July	Saturday 26th 10.00-13.00	online
August	Friday 22nd 14.00-17.00	online
September	Monday 22nd 18.30-21.30	online
October	Wednesday 22nd 18.30-21.30	online
November	Tuesday 18th 18.30-21.30	online
December	Wednesday 4th 18.30-21.30	online

Safeguarding Two

The aim of this workshop is to help the Club Children’s Officer to carry out their role and support the implementation of best practice in the club. Participants will also receive a Club Children’s Officer Action Planning document as part of the training.

In keeping with Sport Ireland best practice in Safeguarding training, workshops will be limited to 16 participants. In keeping with norms across the sporting community, the cost for this workshop is E20. 

Register here: https://shout.com/s/o3NuYG4s

Quarter	Date/Time	Delivery
Quarter 1-Feburary	12th 18.30-21.230	online
Quarter 2-May	22nd 18.30-21.30	online
Quarter 2- August	18th 18.30-21.30	online
Quarter 2- December	11th 18.30-21.30	online

Safeguarding Three

A person appointed to the Designated Liaison Person position in a club must firstly complete the Safeguarding One Workshop and should complete the SG3 training. A club may appoint the same person to both the CCO and DLP positions however best practice advises that they are kept as separate roles.

In keeping with Sport Ireland best practice in Safeguarding training, workshops will be limited to 16 participants. In keeping with norms across the sporting community, the cost for this workshop is E20. 

Quarter	Date/Time	Delivery
Quarter 1-Feburary	TBC	Online

In 2024, IABA delivered 14 Safeguarding 1 basic awareness courses, online and in person, providing this vital learning to 207 coaches and club administrators. IABA also delivered two Safeguarding Two courses to 28 Club Children’s Officers.

IABA, through recruitment firm Ascension, is recruiting a Chief Executive Officer.

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) is the national governing body for boxing in on the island of Ireland. Established in 1911, the IABA’s main role is to develop, foster and control amateur boxing in 32 counties of Ireland.

The IABA is committed to provide the environment in which support and opportunities given to our athletes, coaches and clubs in Irish boxing.

The IABA operates from the National Stadium in Dublin, the only purpose-built amateur boxing stadium in the world and there are currently over 360 clubs affiliated to the association across the Island oof Ireland.

It is a volunteer led organization where the hard work, dedication and significant time afforded by each member has contributed to the growing success of the sport in Ireland.

Our vision is to honour our standing as Ireland’s most successful Olympic Sport, and become Ireland’s most innovative, inclusive and development-focused sporting community

Our purpose is to develop a culture of unity, promote engagement and participation in clubs and communities, and advance performance at all levels.

The Position

As Chief Executive Officer, you will lead the organisation and be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA). You will be accountable to the Board, as you drive the organisation forward.

As CEO, you will be expected to understand member’s needs, while having the ability to manage a complex portfolio of organisational responsibilities, including commercial and strategic priorities, operational effectiveness, stakeholder management, communications and financial/governance controls.

To be considered for this role you will need to be a strong leader, with excellent stakeholder management capabilities and have the ability to attract new revenue streams through sponsorship and funding initiatives. You should have excellent skills in management prioritisation and specifically be experienced in the delivery of strategic plan goals.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership / Strategic Planning

• Act as an organisational culture champion. Continue to develop the values of IABA and lead by example by delivering objectives through inclusivity, integrity, respect, the pursuits of excellence and teamwork.
• Maintain and develop best practice management and governance protocols.
• Represent IABA and the IABA community, nationally and internationally, in a responsible manner in line with the organisation’s values.
• Work proactively and respectfully with all the organisation’s key stakeholders to deliver the goals of the Strategic Plan.

Stakeholder management

• Create an environment where excellent relationships with all stakeholders are maintained – including Sport Ireland, government, commercial partners, referees, coaches, volunteers, schools, colleges and clubs to help deliver IABA strategic outcomes.
• Ensuring an inclusive environment, with consultation and dialogue at its core, is a key priority for the organisation.
• Actively engage with the IABA community in creating an open dialogue.

Financial/Governance/Risk Management

• Manage the financial dealings of the Association in a prudent manner in line with Board oversight.
• Ensure IABA is at the forefront of best peer practice in all Governance matters and in full compliance with statutory frameworks with full Board engagement.
• Continue to actively explore and drive existing and potentially innovative and new revenue streams outside of statutory funding vehicles.
• Ensure all IABA risk management systems and policies are appropriate, current and applied.
• Ensure the successful ongoing operation and resourcing of Board Committees in line with Board policies.

Commercial, Marketing and Communications

• Manage commercial and sponsor relationships to maximise revenue certainty by building long-term partnerships.
• Identify new programmes and other innovative opportunities to expand the revenue base.
• Ensure that marketing and communications activities are structured to strengthen the reputation of IABA and that of the sport.
• Assume the role of primary spokesperson for IABA, supported by the marketing/communications professionals and with board oversight.

Experience Requirements

Essential:

• Degree or similar level qualification, or equivalent expertise in a sports or management-related discipline or
• Strategic experience in a similar field, ideally in the sporting or not-for profit sectors.
• Minimum of 5 years senior management or executive experience in a fast-paced and challenging environment nationally/internationally.
• Experience managing budgets.
• Experience in securing commercial sponsorship contracts with leading national and international brands.
• Experience of effectively managing and motivating a team of diverse professionals.
• Demonstrated strong project management skills & methodologies.
• Visionary thinker with the ability to facilitate and lead change.
• Strong, yet inclusive management and leadership style, with the ability to effectively build relationships with a wide variety of IABA enthusiasts, volunteers, professionals, governing bodies and other stakeholders.
• A passion for excellence while maintaining impeccable standards of integrity, both organisationally and personally.
• Previous experience of reporting to a Board.
• Experience of building relationships and collaborating effectively with multiple organisations and stakeholders to deliver mutually beneficial outcomes.
• A leader who values diversity and inclusion at all levels, who will champion this agenda and continue to deliver real change inside the organisation and across the sport as a whole.
• A confident spokesperson when representing our organisation, an ability to demonstrate previous experience in doing so with stakeholders, commercial partners, media and others.

Desirable:

• A passion for sport in general and boxing in particular with a knowledge of boxing infrastructures and systems
• Experience in working with a diverse range of stakeholders in Ireland and Internationally.
• Experience of working with the media.

Applications

To apply for this position please send your CV and cover letter in confidance outlining why you are suitable for this position to our recruitment partner Ascension Executive Recruitment – recruitment@ascension.ie no later than 5pm on Monday 27th of January 2025, or through THIS portal.