Member Article

MBNA grant gives Chester rowers competitive edge

A rowing club in Chester has invested in the latest hi-tech rowing machines for its River Dee clubhouse with the help of a £1,000 donation from MBNA.

The Royal Chester Rowing Club bought the ultra-modern rowers after receiving a grant from the MBNA Foundation – the Chester-based lender’s charitable giving arm – kick-starting a project to upgrade training facilities throughout the building.

Gerry O’Dwyer, MBNA’s Corporate Real Estate Portfolio Manager, applied for the donation on behalf of the club, which he has been a member of for over five years.

He said: “I’m really pleased to have been able to help the club start this project. I have been a member for several years now and my two sons are both junior members and use the facilities five days a week.

“There’s always a lively atmosphere at the Club and we have made some great friends over the years. It’s a privilege to give something back that will make a difference to all of the members.”

Mike Palamarczuk, Head Coach at Royal Chester Rowing Club, added: “On behalf of the club, I want to thank MBNA for its support.

“The previous rowing machines had been used for over 15-years and were in need of replacement. These new rowers offer our members the latest technology and they can now upload their rowing session onto a computer database with their own smart card. The new rowers also give members the opportunity to race against each other on the big screen, which definitely adds to the competitive atmosphere!”

The grant was donated to the rowing club as part of a £90,000 investment into community projects from the MBNA Foundation in 2013/14.

For more information about MBNA or the work of The MBNA Foundation, visit www.mbna.co.uk

ENDS

For further information on this story, please contact Lee Cullen or Elle Brunton from MBNA’s regional PR team. Telephone 01244 320677 or email either lee@thinkdewinter.co.uk or elle@thinkdewinter.co.uk.

About MBNA Limited

MBNA Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.

Based in Chester, MBNA supports a range of community projects. MBNA is also the principal partner of Chester FC and Premiership Rugby side Sale Sharks.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://www.mbna.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Elle Brunton .