British Gymnastics To Boost Training Opportunities

27 Jun 2018 | tshego

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British Gymnastics has agreed a new three-year partnership with Parkwood Leisure to increase the opportunities for children to take part in gymnastics across the country.

The partnership will see the governing body work with Parkwood Leisure, which manages more than 80 facilities on behalf of a range of local authorities throughout England and Wales, to standardise the gymnastics offering throughout its leisure centres.

As part of the agreement, British Gymnastics will also deliver expert training to coaches from Parkwood Leisure and will provide technical knowledge and guidance during the set-up of the leisure centres’ gymnastics offering.

Parkwood’s leisure centres will initially provide a minimum of three classes per week, a number set to double as the partnership progresses.

Parkwood Leisure will roll out the scheme to 12 sites across the country by the end of 2018 and anticipate that the scheme will be available at 40 sites across the UK by the end of 2019.

According to the organisation, the partnership will provide greater opportunities for children between the ages of 3-11 to take part in recreational gymnastics with enhanced facilities and more qualified gymnastics coaches.

Peter Fitzboydon, previously CEO of London Sport and now managing director at Parkwood Leisure, commented: “There are currently one million children on waiting lists wanting to join gymnastics activities across the UK. As a leisure provider, we’re in a great position to support this level of demand for gymnastics. This new partnership with British Gymnastics allows us to offer young children the opportunity to experience and enjoy the benefits of gymnastics while also bringing them into the leisure centre, where they can enjoy a greater range of activities and opportunities.”

Dave Marshall, participation director at British Gymnastics, added: “Gymnastics currently has unprecedented demand to take part and more participants than ever regularly enjoying the benefits of the sport. It is fantastic to have Parkwood Leisure as an official delivery partner. We are passionate about ensuring a high quality, fun-fuelled experiences for all participants. Parkwood Leisure are driven to helping create opportunities for more young people to enjoy the benefits of gymnastics.”