Community comes together to open Honiton Gymnastics Centre
Honiton Gymnastics Club officially opened its new centre on Saturday 3 September, after a huge community effort to get the centre ready for gymnastics training.
After 31 years operating from Honiton Leisure Centre, the not-for-profit gymnastics club – which caters for more than 350 gymnasts each week – has taken the step to operate independently so that it can provide even more opportunities for children in Honiton and the surrounding area.
Based on Ottery Moor Lane in the former Rainbow Superstore, Honiton Gymnastics Centre opened its doors on 8 August and hosts classes for a wide variety of children, from Gym-Crazy Kids and Recreational gymnasts right through to competitive gymnasts and elite international performers.
“Today was a hugely significant occasion and something that has been 31 years in the making,” said James Reddy, board director and high performance coach. “We’re grateful to everyone that has made today’s opening possible – from parents that have given up their time to help clean, paint, clear bushes and build changing rooms to local businesses that have provided transport and equipment, given us discounts on materials and helped in numerous other ways. It’s been a real community effort to get Honiton Gymnastics Centre ready and it’s hugely satisfying to see our gymnasts finally getting to train here.”
The new centre is packed with gymnastics equipment, which includes a competition sprung floor area for elite gymnasts, three more gymnastics floors, a carbon-fibre tumble track, and variety of trampettes, springboards and air-filled rebound equipment.
“In the past 10 years the club has grown massively in size,” added James, “so when the opportunity arose to have our space we jumped at the chance. We’re still in the very early stages, but we’ve already filled all of our classes and have around 100 children on waiting lists. We’d like to offer the opportunity for as many children in the area to try gymnastics, and we’ll be doing our best to make this happen.
“We still have work to do but the club already feels like home. It’s exciting to be able to offer more opportunities for fundamental-level gymnastics and also have somewhere we can develop talent that will hopefully one day represent their country at the World Championships.”
The day included a barbecue, plus teas, coffees, cakes and other refreshments organiSed by the club’s Supporters Association. It also gave parents the chance to walk around the gymnastics centre and see gymnasts train.
It also contained another reason to celebrate, as three of the club’s gymnasts – Adam Fullick, Kaisha Dessalines-Wright and Valentine Tutcher – became the club’s first gymnasts to make it onto the Circus Arts Degree Course at the National Centre for Circus Arts in London. The gymnasts – who have competed at world trials, international tournaments and are current British junior and senior Champions start their course in two weeks and they used the day as their official farewell.
Founded in 1985
Honiton Gymnastics Club was established in 1985 by local gymnastics coaches Barbara Vincent and her daughter Leigh. It focused mainly on artistic gymnastics and teams of novice and more experienced gymnasts took part in the Devon and south west leagues. In 1992 Honiton Gymnastics Club made the move to specialise in acrobatic gymnastics (then known as sports acrobatics), with artistic gymnastics and general gymnastics continuing to be performed at a recreational level.
When Barbara and Leigh retired from coaching in 2002 they handed the reigns to Helen Reddy, Emma Smith and Pam Burns and the club entered a new era. It quickly began producing regional and National Development Plan champions.
Honiton Gymnastics Club has continued to grow further, continually increasing its recreational classes and regularly sending gymnasts to regional, national, British Championships and international competitions.