Planning bid for new Athlone Boxing Club premises
A planning application on behalf of Athlone Boxing Club, to develop a new purpose-built premises off the Ballymahon Road, is due to be submitted to Westmeath County Council imminently.
The boxing club, which was founded eighteen years ago, currently trains in the basement of Saint Peter and Paul's Church, in a gym which doesn't have dressing rooms or toilet facilities.
A plan to establish a new home for the club has been formed in recent years, and MCG Planning has now advertised that, on behalf of the club, it will seek planning permission for the construction of a new facility for Athlone Boxing Club at Ballymahon Road, Cloghanboy, Athlone.
The proposed site for the development is next to the Athlone Town FC stadium, between the football ground and the Athlone Regional Sports Centre. It would also be alongside a planned new Athlone Squash Club premises which was granted planning approval last year.
MCG Planning said permission is to be sought for a new boxing club facility including "an indoor arena, changing facilities, equipment storage areas, toilets and changing facilities for disabled persons and other ancillary facilities," as well as site works, landscaping and drainage.
Professional boxer and Athlone Boxing Club volunteer Joe Ward said that, provided the project receives planning permission, there would be a need for businesses and local residents to get behind it in order to make it a reality. He said the club would seek grant funding to help meet the costs involved, but that fundraising support would also be required.
"This is a massive opportunity for Athlone Boxing Club, but we're going to need backing from local businesses and the local community," he said. "We need the whole town to get behind us to help make this happen.
"We can't be in debt. We need to make sure that we have enough money raised to cover all costs, so that we can walk into the new building, debt-free, and start fresh."
He said the fundraising support from the community would be particularly important given that many of the club's members come from disadvantaged areas.
"The club is going great at the moment, we have so many young males and females in there training. This is about what we can do for them, because we're crying out for these new facilities," said Joe Ward.
The head coach at Athlone Boxing Club, Rory Parkes, reiterated the urgent need for the development of its new premises.
"This can bring another top class facility to Athlone, in area that has already been identified for sport in the town," he said.
"At the moment, (the club's gym) is just so packed. We have to open the two front doors to let some air in, that's how packed it is.
"I'm not complaining, because it's a great problem to have, but certainly we need such an upgrade in terms of providing toilet facilities and everything else. At the moment, you have people travelling, arriving down at the club, and there are no toilets there for them to use.
"At one time those things were ok - like getting togged out in the back of a car before playing a football match - but nowadays it's just not acceptable.
"So, fingers crossed we can get this over the line. It won't be for a lack of motivation anyway, because the people involved are highly motivated to get it done," said Rory Parkes.