BY JO DEEKS
A Gym club with a long list of youngsters waiting to join has developed an ambitious plan for a £500,000 new building and is searching for local sponsors.
Haverhill Gymnastics Club (HGC) currently meets at the towns leisure centre and boasts more than 200 members ranging in age from 3 to 30, and has a waiting list of around 200 boys and girls. The club currently has no further capacity to provide enough sessions for those waiting to get involved.
With new bio-parks and housing planned around the town over the next few years, the capacity challenge is only increasing.
Chairman and head coach Kevin Woolcott has been working hard to find a solution through building a new stand-alone facility.
Early indications are that £500,000 will be needed to finance the project but this can be achieved by winning local support.
The club has started the strategic positioning required to achieve this by recently developing the brand with a new website and implementing a management framework to win GymMark, the British Gymnastics club accreditation.
Funding applications are being developed with support from Tim Wall, a local, experienced sports funding consultant.
One option presented is to integrate a new building into the Samuel Ward Academy Complex.
School Principal Howard Lay has offered a piece of land valued at around £100,000 and also offered up to £50,000 to help the club start their funding applications.
This, together with additional cash, could potentially see match funding from Sports England of £150K to get the club two thirds of the way to their target.
David Bovis, club vice-chairman said, "As the country 'hots up' for sport during the olympics, and with Kevins reputation as a top-class coach in the Eastern Region, not to forget ex-Irish international Gymnast Charlotte McKenna lending her experience to the club as a coach, the summary has to be 'watch this space' and contribute to the fundraising activities wherever you can."
Sponsorship deals from local firms for advertising space in the new club will be welcomed.
For Further information, contact Haverhill Gymnastics Club at www.haverhillgymnastics.org or coach@haverhillgymnastics.org
Haverhill Gymnastics Club (HGC) currently meets at the towns leisure centre and boasts more than 200 members ranging in age from 3 to 30, and has a waiting list of around 200 boys and girls. The club currently has no further capacity to provide enough sessions for those waiting to get involved.
With new bio-parks and housing planned around the town over the next few years, the capacity challenge is only increasing.
Chairman and head coach Kevin Woolcott has been working hard to find a solution through building a new stand-alone facility.
Early indications are that £500,000 will be needed to finance the project but this can be achieved by winning local support.
The club has started the strategic positioning required to achieve this by recently developing the brand with a new website and implementing a management framework to win GymMark, the British Gymnastics club accreditation.
Funding applications are being developed with support from Tim Wall, a local, experienced sports funding consultant.
One option presented is to integrate a new building into the Samuel Ward Academy Complex.
School Principal Howard Lay has offered a piece of land valued at around £100,000 and also offered up to £50,000 to help the club start their funding applications.
This, together with additional cash, could potentially see match funding from Sports England of £150K to get the club two thirds of the way to their target.
David Bovis, club vice-chairman said, "As the country 'hots up' for sport during the olympics, and with Kevins reputation as a top-class coach in the Eastern Region, not to forget ex-Irish international Gymnast Charlotte McKenna lending her experience to the club as a coach, the summary has to be 'watch this space' and contribute to the fundraising activities wherever you can."
Sponsorship deals from local firms for advertising space in the new club will be welcomed.
For Further information, contact Haverhill Gymnastics Club at www.haverhillgymnastics.org or coach@haverhillgymnastics.org
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