Since 2020, the Boost Sport Grant initiative has rewarded eleven community-based grassroots clubs by providing cash boosts towards their aspiring goals. Applications were received from all over the province in 2021, before a judging panel whittled it down to four deserving amateur clubs who would receive an essential £500 boost in funds.

Beechmount Harriers, a non-profit athletics club based in Belfast, relies solely on its volunteers for help and currently only has one fully qualified coach for both its athletic teams.

With the help of the Boost Sport grant, the club will develop the coaching skills of several enthusiastic parent volunteers and progress them from supervisors to fully licensed, trained coaches.

Another grassroots club that stood out for the judges was Craigavon Lakers Wheelchair Basketball Club. The Club will use its grant to purchase new equipment such as basketballs, resistance bands and tactic boards as the Lakers are expecting an influx of new members following a massive recruitment drive.

It was the development of hockey for young girls by Lurgan Ladies Hockey Club that caught the judges’ attention. The club is passionate about growing its teams and maintaining the success of the senior club.  The Club has a thriving membership, exceeding 200, and the grant will be used to buy desperately needed hockey balls.

The fourth and final grant recipient is City of Derry Tennis Club which will purchase portable nets, rackets and balls to create pop-up tennis courts across the City, bringing the sport to a whole new generation.

 Adrian Hipkiss, Marketing & International Business Director at Boost said: “At Boost we pride ourselves on working with and supporting communities at a grass-roots level so we’re thrilled to announce the winners of our Boost Sport Grant initiative.

“All the judges were so impressed by the applications, and it was very fulfilling to hear what each club hoped to achieve. This is the perfect opportunity for us to give back to local amateur clubs and teams who can use the money to help reach their goals and it is clear Northern Ireland has amateur sporting talent in abundance, which we are delighted for the opportunity to help nurture.

“On behalf of Boost we want to wish all the Boost Sport Grant recipients congratulations and good luck for the future.”

Boost was launched in Northern Ireland in 2003 and now the company owns the 2nd largest selling sports drink brand in Northern Ireland.

The post Four amateur sports clubs receive share of £2k from Boost Sport Grant first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

BOOST SPORT has announced that swimmer, Jack McMillan from Belfast, who set a new Irish Senior record at the Olympics, and Charlotte Dixon, World Indoor Rowing Champion from Ballymena, are the two NI athletes who have been named as Boost Sport ambassadors.

Jack

Jack, 21, who is a member of Bangor Swimming Club, said: “I’m so overjoyed to have set a new Olympic record for Ireland – the news is slowly starting to sink in that all the hours of dedication and determination have paid off.  And to be named as one of two NI Boost Sport ambassadors is the icing on the cake.  Not only is it a great accolade for myself, but Boost are massive supporters of encouraging people to get into sport from a young age, something I too am passionate about.”

Jack, who began swimming at the age of 4, has been competing against the best swimmers in the world at competitions like the Youth Commonwealth Games, European and World Championships, in places like the Bahamas, Israel, USA and Finland.  With Swim Ireland, Jack competed at the European Aquatics Championships in Budapest in May 2021 as part of the Irish relay squad, breaking the Irish record.

Charlotte

Charlotte Dixon, 23, was recently crowned Indoor Rowing World Champion in the women’s U23 500m sprint, beating off experienced competitors from Denmark, Egypt and Europe.  Charlotte, who is also a medal winning equestrian, fell into the sport by accident, after taking a 12-week rowing programme, which lead her to British, European, and then world level success in rowing.

Charlotte said: “This has been such lovely news to receive – you might say it has given me a real Boost!  I plan to continue my rowing career by working as hard as ever and with the news that a brand as big as Boost is behind me, I am as keen as ever to bring home some more medals to Northern Ireland.  I’m excited about the work Boost does to encourage young people into sport and I will be supporting them in various ways throughout the year.”

Amazing

Boost Marketing Director, Adrian Hipkiss said: “Northern Ireland is full of amazing young sportspersons, and we are very proud to be supporting two of them.  We are so happy to announce Jack and Charlotte as our Sport ambassadors for 2021. They’ve already achieved so much in their young careers, and we hope to give them a Boost to achieve even more.

“At Boost, we pride ourselves on working with and supporting communities at a grass-roots level.  So, our support of these talented sports ambassadors is the perfect opportunity for us to give back to local stars and, in our very small way, encourage them to become the best they can be”, concluded Adrian.

Boost Drinks was established in 2001 after founder and MD Simon Gray saw the opportunity to offer consumers a great quality energy drink at a fraction of the price of other brands at that time.  Two years later in 2003, Boost was launched in Northern Ireland and now the company owns Northern Ireland’s best-selling soft drink within the local independent convenience channel* as well as the second largest and fastest selling iced coffee brand in the province*.

Boost is available in various pack formats across seven core Energy flavours, Sport, Iced Coffee, as well as limited editions.

The post Welcome Boost for local sports stars first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.