Background
Spelthorne Gymnastics is a not-for-profit organisation with the objective of encouraging, promoting, developing and facilitating the amateur sports of Acrobatic Gymnastics, Tumbling, Trampolining, Dance and other related activities particularly in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, under the auspices of British Gymnastics the sport’s governing body. Its aim is to maintain the highest standards of training possible within the Club so that all its gymnasts can reach their full potential.
History of the club
The Acrobatics and Tumbling sections of the club were started in 1986 by Bob Cooper as part of Spelthorne Gymnastics Club and was originally based within Ashford High School. The direction of the Club changed dramatically in 1990 with the help of RMC Group Services, Surrey County Council, Spelthorne Borough Council and Surrey Playing Fields Association when the Club moved to Brooklands College (Ashford Campus) in the centre of Ashford, Middlesex. In 2013 the Club’s lease was terminated to allow the Brooklands site to be re-developed and fortunately the incoming developer, Inland Homes, extended the lease allowing the Club to find an alternative site. In July 2017, with financial help from the London Diocesan Board for Schools, Sport England, the London Marathon Charitable Trust, Surrey County Council, British Gymnastics, Inland Homes, British Airways, the Garfield Weston Foundation, M&S Energy Fund, Skadden LLP and private sponsors the Club completed the construction of a brand new facility adjacent to Bishop Wand School in Sunbury on Thames. The new facility is widely recognised as one of the best specialist sports facilities of its kind in the UK.
Our success
The Club currently embraces a range of gymnastic disciplines and has consistently produced World, European and British Champions in Acrobatic Gymnastics at Senior and Junior level, as well as numerous International and National Champions in Tumbling.
Our values
The Club maintains its position at the forefront of the sport by sticking to an ethos of coaching and training to the highest possible standards to bring the best out of every child so that they fulfil their true potential.
We recognise that specialist instruction, inner ability and true dedication will get results.
Our ultimate aim is to maintain the reputation of Spelthorne Gymnastics as one of the premier Gymnastics Clubs in the World.
Our coaches
All our coaches are qualified through British Gymnastics and have attended courses in child protection issues, and have enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance.
Melanie Gray, Ellie Cooper, James Beauchamp, Tom Beauchamp, Jess Dack, Michelle Nickless and Claudine Lee are our Welfare Officers.
Gymmark
We believe in the safety and protection of all our gymnasts and we hold a recognised GymMark accreditation for child safety.
Status in the sport
Acrobatic Gymnastics
Historically this has been the strongest section of the Club and is recognised as being one of the best in the World with an impressive list of medals at all the major National and International competitions.
We are the originators of ‘Spelbound’, the group that won Britain’s Got Talent in 2010.
Tumbling
The Club has produced World, European and British medallists in this discipline, and is currently preparing gymnasts at Regional and National levels.