IABA is seeking a talented and ambitious person to lead our National Safeguarding Unit.
The National Safeguarding Manager will be responsible for education and awareness raising of safeguarding matters in over 360 boxing clubs on the island of Ireland, in addition to managing Garda and Access NI vetting applications.
Among the NSM’s duties are:
Familiarisation with IABA Safeguarding & Child Protection policy, Children First and Our Duty to Care to ensure the successful applicant can act as an information source to other members of the organisation
Circulation of all relevant information and resource materials, on children’s sport to clubs and affiliates IABA bodies
Become an authorised signatory for all Garda Vetting Applications and ensure that an up to date register is maintained at IABA Headquarters which details all Safeguarding/Child Protection Training and Garda/Access NI Vetting carried out by the sport
Assisting in the development of a system of record keeping (including all Garda & Access NI Vetting applications) which maintains confidentiality while allowing for appropriate information to be passed to relevant authorities where necessary
Manage the running of relevant national safeguarding committees within the IABA
Work closely with relevant stakeholders including Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland
Work with relevant statutory bodies including An Garda Siochana, PSNI, National Vetting Bureau, Access NI, Tulsa and NI social services
Communicating with Club Secretaries and Clubs Children’s Officers to ensure the communication and implementation of the IABA policy and Safeguarding Procedures for Young and Vulnerable members http://iaba.ie/safe-guarding-and-child-protection-section/ and the promotion of related education programmes, materials, events and governing body related documents
To co-ordinate the development of a Safeguarding/Child Protection strategy which is in line with best practice, expresses the values and aims of the IABA and develop/maintain such policies and procedures as are required to meet current legislative requirements and the needs of the IABA 12.To monitor and feedback on clubs’ implementation of required safeguarding practices
To liaise with clubs to ensure drop-out rates and transfers are monitored so that unusual developments or trends can be addressed
A full list of role responsibilities and requirements is attached – applications, including CV and cover letter, are invited to hr@iaba.ie by 5pm on January 6th.
Entries are now open for the 2023 National Elite Championships.
The 2023 National Elite Championships are the de facto beginning of selection for the Paris 2024 Olympics. All boxers wishing to be considered for the selection pool for any Olympic Games qualifiers must enter these Elite championships
Entry to the 2023 National Elite Championships is online, through your club’s Blocworx affiliation portal. Please log in using the same username and password your club used for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 affiliation. If your username or password are no longer available to you, please contact Sally sally@iaba.ie, James james@iaba.ie or Ciara ciara@iaba.ie and your username and password will be reissued to you.
A video guide the entry process and payment process is attached. It will shortly be up-loaded on to IABA’s YouTube channel and the IABA website.
Entries open at 5pm on Tuesday, December 6th and close at 5pm on Friday, January 6th
€40, per boxer. Entry must be paid, online, at the point of entry or boxers cannot be included in the draw. Fees are non-refundable, including in instances where boxers withdraw. All fees must be paid by 5pm on January 6th.
Club review period
Once entries close at 5pm on Friday, January 6th, every club which has entered boxer(s) in to the 2023 National Elite Championships will have the opportunity to check and review their boxer’s information, including name and spelling of name, weight and gender category. Clubs will not be able to enter additional boxers during this period. This 48-hour window will close at 5pm on Sunday, January 8th. Clubs will be notified, directly, of the opening and closing of the review period.
The IABA is delighted to confirm that the High Five Boxing Academy, an inclusive boxing training programme for children with disabilities & additional needs, is open to new entrants.
The High Five Programme for children with disabilities and additional needs began in four Dublin boxing clubs: Drimnagh, Crumlin, St. Catherine’s and Palmerstown, in October 2021. The IABA extends its heartfelt thanks to the High Five Programme, its Chair, Paddy Dingle, Steering Committee, and participating clubs, boxers and parents, for paving the way for disability inclusive boxing training for children throughout Ireland and for their contribution to the development of a programme available to all boxing clubs.
In addition to four founder clubs, 8 clubs joined the High Five family in August.
The IABA has developed technical guidelines for clubs wishing to delivery inclusive boxing training for children with disabilities through the High Five Boxing Academy– these include information on buddies, volunteers and reporting. An information session on High Five, with founder Paddy Dingle and IABA Communications Officer, will take place through Zoom Thursday, January 5th at 7pm. You can watch back the first High Five information session here Clubs wishing to know more can express their interest here. Technical guidelines will be shared with participating clubs. Additional information sessions will be available, depending on demand.
The IABA will also fund, through a grant funding, Disability Inclusion Training to coaches in all clubs wishing to become part of the High Five family early in mid-January. This specific DIT session will be available only to High Five Academy clubs. In 2023, IABA will continue to provide DIT and Autism in Sport training to clubs and coaches. These training courses will be delivered by Cara Sport Inclusion Ireland and will take place via Zoom.
Clubs considering becoming part of the High Five Boxing Academy may wish to note the following requirements for clubs, coaches and boxers:
Clubs
Clubs in the High Five Boxing Academy must:
· Be affiliated to the IABA
· Ensure all boxers taking part in the High Five Programme are fully registered as club members
European Junior Champion, Tadgh O’Donnell, has been shortlisted for the Independent.ie Young Sportstar of the Year award.
The 66kg Four Kings, BC, boxer, claimed gold in Italy following a battle against Poland’s Pawel Fabian Urbanksk. The judges scored the bout 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27
Tadgh is nominated alongside other young athletes, from athletics, racing, football rugby and soccer.
Over 800 boxers with additional needs have joined the Irish Boxing family over the last 12 months.
In December, 2021, 1,087 people with additional needs were in training in Irish clubs; that’s risen to 1,751 people.
205 clubs are now providing boxing training to boxers with additional needs, which may include neurodiversity, physical disability, intellectual disability, hearing impairment or vision impairment.
2022 also became the year when the High Five Boxing Academy expanded across Ireland. The IABA continues to extend its heartfelt thanks to the High Five Programme, its Chair, Paddy Dingle, Steering Committee, and participating clubs, boxers and parents, for paving the way for disability inclusive boxing training for children throughout Ireland and for their contribution to the development of a programme available to all boxing clubs.
The IABA has developed technical guidelines for clubs wishing to delivery inclusive boxing training for children with disabilities through the High Five Boxing Academy– these include information on buddies, volunteers and reporting. An information session on High Five, with founder Paddy Dingle and IABA Communications and Inclusion Officer Ciara Plunkett, took place through Zoom in August.
Clubs wishing to move forward in becoming part of the High Five family were asked to confirm their adoption of principles and criteria. IABA has funded, through Sport Ireland funding, the provision of Cara Sport Inclusion Ireland Disability Inclusion Training, and the following clubs have now been DIT certified and join the High Five Boxing Academy in the First Wave:
Club
County
Duke’s Boxing Club
Tyrone
Gateway Boxing Club
Sligo
Greenhills Boxing Club
Dublin
Ledley Hall Boxing Club
Antrim
Oughterard Boxing Club
Galway
Tralee Boxing Club
Kerry
Templemore Boxing Club
Monivea Boxin Club
Tipperary
Galway
The IABA will open a Second Wave of registration, education and upskilling for clubs considering joining the High Five Boxing Academy in the coming weeks.
Clubs
Clubs in the High Five Boxing Academy must:
· Be affiliated to the IABA
· Ensure all boxers taking part in the High Five Programme are fully registered as club members
In addition, IABA and 32 boxing clubs are now signatories to the Cara Sport Inclusion Ireland Disability Inclusion Charter.
This charter commits the IABA and clubs to: • Being open and understanding of all people with disabilities. • Access and create training for all clubs to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities. • Develop and deliver inclusive boxing activities. • Review facilities, venues and equipment to make IABA more accessible • Promote the inclusive nature of Irish Boxing.
Any club wishing to become a Charter signatory can do so here
The Cara Sport Inclusion Ireland has also launched the Xcessible Club Toolkit, developed to support clubs in three stages of their journey towards creating a fully inclusive club for people with disabilities. The Sport Inclusion Disability Charter is the framework for the Xcessible Club Toolkit.
Stage 1: Develop This stage of the toolkit aims to support clubs in developing or improving their structures and inclusive approaches to ensure people with disabilities have a positive experience within the club, and that club volunteers, coaches, and committee members feel confident and supported in developing inclusive environments.
Stage 2: Embed This stage of the toolkit aims to support clubs to embed inclusive approaches and best practices to ensure people with disabilities have a positive experience within the club, and that club volunteers, coaches, and committee members feel confident and supported in developing inclusive approaches.
Stage 3: Sustain This stage of the toolkit aims to ensure clubs are sustaining inclusive approaches and best practices to ensure people with disabilities have a positive experience within the club, and that club volunteers, coaches, and committee members feel confident and supported in sustaining inclusive approaches.
The toolkit acts as a guiding resource for the club to support them in a phased approach to becoming more inclusive. Guidelines, templates and resources have been developed to assist clubs in actioning the areas outlined in the toolkit.
