Taoiseach’s Mayo village cycling club hits jackpot with Lottery grant

RayCun · 04-01-2017 08:11AM

There are sports capital grants available to sports clubs, cycling clubs should apply for them.

spyderski · 04-01-2017 12:28PM

I received my FOI documents this morning. I will review them in full later, but the application was sent in from the Taoiseach's own email address, direct to the minister. That in itself is unusual, we'll see what else is.

spyderski · 04-01-2017 12:31PM

I assume that Peter Fleming who sent the article to Broadsheet is on here. If so, could he please PM me in confidence?

spyderski · 04-01-2017 12:36PM

Chuchote wrote: »

Every cycling club in Ireland should apply for the grant next year (using the Islandeady application as a template, as they obviously knew how to make their case). It would be bloody great if health funds actually went to cycling clubs - assuming that those clubs would 'outreach' to others, bringing schoolkids on country cycles, teaching courses in bike mechanics, perhaps hiring or buying rickshaws to take disabled and very old people on cycles like the guy who did this TED talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6Ti4qUa-OU

In those circumstances, I would have no problem, obviously I fully support the appropriate grant aiding of Cycling clubs.

But this is now about something different, in fact it is becoming almost incidental that they are a cycling club, the whole issue has moved on to one of political favours being brought to bear to allocate government funds inappropriately.

Doc07 · 04-01-2017 12:59PM

RayCun wrote: »

There are sports capital grants available to sports clubs, cycling clubs should apply for them.

Agree.

More power to the Mayo club for getting organised with good equipment.
Spending 20k on gear is not an issue if it's well maintained as it could last 10 years and mean thousands of hours of people keeping fit and getting into cycling and a better lifestyle.

The problem is they got funds from a lottery pot set up for a different reason. The Islandeady 20k grant is the only one awarded to a sport club in the entire fund. They sit amongst rape crisis centres and care for the elderly projects. To anyone that says that their application fits with the ethos of what this fund is for, I would say that's not simply naive but actually disengenous/dishonest.

Heads to not need to role for this. There does not need to be an expensive, time wasting independent inquiry.
The civil servants already paid to look after these matters should just ensure better future governance and some decent cop on.

I would love if Enda and Simon apologised and stated that perhaps the cycling club should have applied elsewhere and that this award might have been inappropriate.

Do I expect them to: no

Would I trust journalists and opposition politicians to respect the apology and not abuse it: absolutely not.

spyderski · 04-01-2017 01:06PM

OK, so the following is what the funding was requested for:

1 30 Spinning Bikes
2 30 Spinning mats
3 Instructional and safety notices/information
4 Qualified training and safety instruction
5 Health and nutritional advice and training for all members

spyderski · 04-01-2017 01:07PM

This is accompanied by a Quotation from a NI based company for the supply of the bikes and mats at a cost of €25,875.

spyderski · 04-01-2017 01:08PM

For some reason they also included an invoice for club gear that had already been ordered and paid for.

spyderski · 04-01-2017 01:18PM

From their FaceBook page:

"Reminder our 2017 Spinning Classes start TONIGHT Tuesday at 7.30pm with instructor Ray Moylette. Places are limited SO FIRST COME/PAY First served. Please come early to register and Pay - €60 for 12 classes over 6 weeks.
€30 for 6 classes over 6 weeks
Beginners & Non-Members welcome contact Keith or Ray to book your place now!
Please bring - water bottles - turbo frame and front riser - hand towel - bike and plenty of energy"

So the classes are being run by a private individual for profit, and the money has not so far been spent on any equipment....

Beasty · 04-01-2017 01:20PM

Just looking through their FB page. Although they mention loads of spinning classes and post plenty of pictures, I can't see a single spinning bike in any of those pictures. Can't see any mats either.

All I can see are road bikes on turbos

magicbastarder · 04-01-2017 01:23PM

i wonder are there any posters here who are in that club but are keeping their heads down?

spyderski · 04-01-2017 01:26PM

There are no spinning bikes. In fairness the money was only transferred to their account on 29/30th November.

<SNIP>

magicbastarder · 04-01-2017 01:29PM

Beasty wrote: »

All I can see are road bikes on turbos

are they advertising spinning classes, but on turbos?
there's no reason to suspect the money will not be spent on what it was claimed for.

spyderski · 04-01-2017 01:42PM

Yes, as per my post, they are advertising spinning classes, members are asked to bring their own turbos and bikes. There are pictures of same on their FB page.

The classes are run by the son of the man who owns the building they use as a clubhouse. He will be charging approx €1,500 for 2 classes per week over six weeks (based on their own estimated need for 25 bikes).

ted1 · 04-01-2017 02:35PM

spyderski wrote: »

Yes, as per my post, they are advertising spinning classes, members are asked to bring their own turbos and bikes. There are pictures of same on their FB page.

The classes are run by the son of the man who owns the building they use as a clubhouse. He will be charging approx €9,000 for 2 classes per week over six weeks (based on their own estimated need for 25 bikes).

9,000?
25 bikes at 60 a bike =1500

RobFowl · 04-01-2017 03:07PM

ted1 wrote: »

9,000?
25 bikes at 60 a bike =1500

With Maths like that Spyderski is probably working for an Irish bank

spyderski · 04-01-2017 03:08PM

ted1 wrote: »

9,000?
25 bikes at 60 a bike =1500

Sorry, you're completely right, must have been adding it up at €60 per week. My bad.

AndrewJRenko · 04-01-2017 05:09PM

spyderski wrote: »

This is accompanied by a Quotation from a NI based company for the supply of the bikes and mats at a cost of €25,875.

If you want to investigate further, you might want to try validating this quote by speaking to others in the industry and see if it makes sense. Over-priced goods is a fairly common avenue of fraud, though I'm not making any particular allegations about this particular case.

AndrewJRenko · 04-01-2017 05:11PM

spyderski wrote: »

The classes are run by the son of the man who owns the building they use as a clubhouse. He will be charging approx €9,000 for 2 classes per week over six weeks (based on their own estimated need for 25 bikes).

Others have pointed out the calculation error. It is also not clear to me that the money is going to that individual. It could be that he runs the class and the fee goes to the club. So you might want to clarify the situation.

It would also be worth checking if any rent is paid by the club to the building owner.

CramCycle · 04-01-2017 05:45PM

Glad they got a nice break (mentioned earlier I think) in December, just after the grant came in. Obviously to take a break from all the hard work of getting the proposal written up and processed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlYATrvGGl0

As an Uncle of mine in Mayo asked, would be interesting to see if the money is still resting in their account as they have not bought the spin bikes yet.

Beasty · 04-01-2017 05:54PM

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

So you might want to clarify the situation.

It seems to me that the club in question has been very quiet about all of this. They could quite easily clarify the whole situation which should stop any hares running (assuming of course that everything is completely above board here)

Lusk_Doyle · 04-01-2017 06:01PM

Beasty wrote: »

It seems to me that the club in question has been very quiet about all of this. They could quite easily clarify the whole situation which should stop any hares running (assuming of course that everything is completely above board here)

They don't have to justify anything to anyone on here though and unless some sort of audit is done by the awarding or other body then why should they have to?

terrydel · 04-01-2017 06:03PM

CramCycle wrote: »

Glad they got a nice break (mentioned earlier I think) in December, just after the grant came in. Obviously to take a break from all the hard work of getting the proposal written up and processed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlYATrvGGl0

As an Uncle of mine in Mayo asked, would be interesting to see if the money is still resting in their account as they have not bought the spin bikes yet.

Whoever the person is with the heart rate monitor displayed, they could do with doing a few of those spnning classes :P

<SNIP>

Beasty · 04-01-2017 06:22PM

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

They don't have to justify anything to anyone on here though and unless some sort of audit is done by the awarding or other body then why should they have to?

They don't have to at all. However if they have nothing to hide why not clear the whole thing up and stop any further speculation which can only be damaging the club.

spyderski · 04-01-2017 08:03PM

A satisfactory explanation from the club would really bring an end to the matter, but I fear there is no such explanation.

The fact that the spin bikes will presumably only be used in the winter months is further reason why the Grant should have never been approved.

I look forward to the proud unveiling of the €20k worth of spin bikes on the club FB page though....better hurry, or the winter will be over.

spyderski · 04-01-2017 08:05PM

Anyway, I'm off to jump on the Turbo myself. The one I paid for. Wish someone in my club was friendly with the Taoiseach. ðŸ˜‚

Harrybelafonte · 04-01-2017 08:28PM

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

They don't have to justify anything to anyone on here though and unless some sort of audit is done by the awarding or other body then why should they have to?

This.

This whole thread is off. Enda Kenny has more than likely abused his power in this situation, and mostly a member or two of the club in question. Posting videos of club members or making derogatory remarks about them is out of order. Demanding "they" explain themselves is unhelpful as I'm sure now that they have to go into pr mode and consider everything they say carefully and honestly after investigating the situation.

As for this "investigating" by members on here, well done on unearthing the most basic level of corruption. The usual Crap we'd moan about locally. Maybe now you can use your energy doing something positive like volunteering with the homeless etc. The self importance in the thread is sickening.

That'll be all from me. This forum's posts have become very very disappointing of late.

magicbastarder · 04-01-2017 08:48PM

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

The self importance in the thread is sickening.

how many people in this thread might have been striving for their clubs over the last god knows how many years, only to find out that all they were missing was a 'favour' from the head of parliament?
to dismiss peoples' anger like that - after acknowledging a probable abuse of power from the taoiseach - is, well, just bizarre.

magicbastarder · 04-01-2017 08:56PM

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Maybe now you can use your energy doing something positive like volunteering with the homeless etc.

oh, and this makes me wearily angry. the notion that you can't care about something unless you're also doing something about something even more important is the most incredibly lazy way of dismissing someone else's concerns, and is actually a mealy mouthed call to inaction.

Harrybelafonte · 04-01-2017 09:00PM

The ire in this thread has mostly been directed at the club not the Taoiseach. Snidely at times.

Explanations have been demanded of the club. Not the Taoiseach.

As for justified anger. I too volunteer at grass roots level. The €20k would have helped track cycling in Ireland a lot. So I get it. The target is off.

Taoiseach’s Mayo village cycling club hits jackpot with Lottery grant

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