Inter Kenmare 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.
One of almost 400 clubs countrywide to make application under the scheme, Inter Kenmare FC has a 450-strong membership, the majority being children and young adults. The club is driven by a strong sense of community, evident in the support it provides for members with disabilities and in its efforts to foster integration, not least by making its pitch available to the local Direct Provision centre.
Badly affected by recent storms, the EUR5,000 award made to it under the Texaco Support for Sport initiative will be used to carry out vital repairs to the access road to its ground which suffered severe damage.
Overseeing the adjudication process was Texaco Support for Sport ambassador, acclaimed broadcaster and former Irish rugby international, Donncha O’Callaghan. Commenting, he described Inter Kenmare as a club “whose role in the life of its community came through clearly in its application and is deserved of this award.”
