SPIRIT Gymnastics has made the most of being back in their dedicated facilities, increasing their membership by 60% since re-opening a year ago.

Tthe Yeovil-based club has wasted no time springing back into action – and are simply thankful to confine Zoom training sessions to the history books.

Having this space to train was in fact only possible thanks to British Gymnastics’ Club Capital scheme - using a £40,000 loan, the club topped up by their own savings and a very supportive landlord, to expand into an adjacent unit.

This has more than doubled space for their club and thanks to the expansion, Spirit Gymnastics now aim to introduce disability gymnastics and tumbling for the first time, alongside their wider recreational programme and acrobatic gymnastics.

As well as delivering a strong recreational programme, the club are also achieving top-level performances and medal success, with eight gymnasts competing in National Finals last weekend.

Jamie Moore and Logan Fekete (ages 9 & 11) won gold medals in the Grade 1 men’s pair, after they won the regional qualifier held in Yate back in March.

Al Haigh, managing director of the academy said: “A year ago, we were just grateful to be back in the gym, which had more than doubled in size thanks to the support from British Gymnastics’ Club Capital initiative and our landlord.

"Although we had worked hard during the lockdowns to keep our gymnasts engaged with online activities, and outdoor training when that was allowed, there is no substitute for in-person training - especially for a team sport where partnerships are so important."

“Without the support of the landlord and Club Capital the expansion would not have been possible at that time, meaning we would have had to wait a considerable time before being able to expand. The financial support we have received has meant we were able to grasp the opportunity when it arose and grow into the new space. We now have two dedicated gymnastics halls, with more than twice the space we had before this investment, and since being allowed to reopen one year ago, our membership has grown by over 60%.

“In addition, the new space allowed us to host our very first major competition recently, in which we welcomed well over 400 gymnasts and over 800 spectators from across the country to the Spirit Acro Crown Cup. This was a great success, and we look forward to a repeat event in April 2023!”