Performance-based gymnastic club secures huge new venue with room to double attendees ahead of reopening

A Northampton gymnastic club has secured a huge new venue to come back from lockdown ‘stronger than ever’.

Gymnastricks, which is a performance-based club for children as young as walking age, has hosted its sessions at Quinton House School for 12 years.

However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the temporary school closure and building work, the club lost its home quicker than expected.

During lockdown, while the club was only able to run online sessions, the owners worked hard to secure new premises.

Now members who regularly perform in pantomimes, local fates and even on the West End in London, are looking forward to seeing the massive new home in Saddleback Road, Westgate Industrial Estate, where the club’s capacity will be able to double.

Jessica Botterill, one of the owners of Gymnastricks, said: “We were looking for a property anyway as we had 600 kids registered so it was getting quite big.

“We ended up finding a lovely industrial unit that is so big and because it’s not part of a school our hours aren’t restricted.

“We were only able to start at 5.30pm at the school, but now we can start at 4.30pm, so we can have more time slots to allow everyone in.

“There is also so much room so we can have different kinds of clubs running at the same time and once everything gets built we will be able to double the amount of kids we have in total.”

As the club is solely focused on performance-based gymnastics, which incorporates cheerleading, acrobatics and dance, they do not have lots of bulky equipment like beams.

Although, the club does still have equipment that will be able to be left out in the new premises rather than having to be packed away, including a giant inflatable track that weighs 24 stone.

Jessica added: “As we will be able to leave the equipment out it will get used more, which will provide more opportunities.

“Also because we have more room and in accordance to our governing body’s guidelines, we can run at full capacity as long as we follow the Government’s guidelines.

“We can work in bubbles of 15 and we can social distance really well.

“We have been hit really hard by the pandemic and we have to try and come back from that while our rent will be five times more expensive.

“But within a year we are hoping to be back up and running to where we were before lockdown.

“Hopefully we will come back stronger.”

Gymnastricks is opening its doors on Saturday August 29 for an open trial day that anyone can attend.

On Wednesday September 2, the club will then open to resume its schedule of classes.

To find out more about the sessions, email [email protected].

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