NEWS AND EVENTS

 

News 2024

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Dates for your Diary

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All dates are subject to amendment.

 

Squad gymnasts do not attend every competition/display - most are listed below (subject to change).  If in doubt, ask your coach which competitions are relevant to you.

 

2024

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11-12 May - Inter-Regional comp, Southampton (qualifiers from South West Preliminaries)

18 May - Foundation Competition

25-26 May - NDP Finals, Stoke on Trent (qualifiers from South West Preliminaries)

27 May - closed for Bank Holiday

28-31 May - Half Term Holiday Club

22-23 Jun (tbc) - Summer Showcase

19 Jul - British Championships, Telford (selected partnerships)

2 Aug - Adult British Championships, Lilleshall

19 Aug-1 Sep - closed for Summer break

12-15 Sep - World Age Groups Competition, Portugal

19-22 Sep - FIG Acrobatic World Championships, Portugal

27 Oct - South West Club Development Competition, Yate

dtbc - Half Term Holiday Club

2-3 Nov - South West Championships, Yate

5-8 Dec (tbc) - Christmas Shows

21 Dec - last session for all

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2025

3 Jan - first session for Squads

6 Jan - first session for Foundation

1-2 Feb - Pat Wade Classic, venue tbc (selected partnerships)

5-6 Apr (tbc) - Spirit Acro Crown Cup

18-21 Apr - closed for Easter weekend

10 May - Foundation Competition

21-22 Jun (tbc) - Summer Showcase

18-31 Aug - closed for Summer break

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Apr 24: New coaching qualifications.

Many congratulations go to coaches Jade, Katie and Tara, who all passed their British Gymnastics Level 2 qualifications on the same day this month!  This is the result of several months of hard work and dedication and recognises their growing status within the club.  Well done ladies!!

 

 

Apr 24: Spirit Gymnasts represent England.

For the first time in the club's history, Spirit provided a current partnership to compete at international level (previously gymnasts have had to go to bigger clubs to realise their international dreams).  On the same weekend as the Crown Cup, Head Coach Amy took 11-16 Women's Pair Immy and Emily (pictured below) to Scotland as part of the England squad, to compete in the Caledonia International competition against teams from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland.  On the first day, Immy and Emily's scores were among the team's top four and therefore helped England take Team Silver.  On day two, they won gold in their final, and also took the prize for the top score among all 11-16 competitors in every category.  This was a massive achievement of which the entire club is enormously proud.

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Apr 24: Spirit Acro Crown Cup.

We enjoyed hosting over 600 gymnasts from across the British Isles on the first weekend of April, at our third Spirit Acro Crown Cup.  This year was even bigger than 2023, and was a huge success with some outstanding routines taking the medals, and every Spirit gymnast upping their own performances for the home finale of the season.  The event would not have been possible without a massive amount of work by our volunteers, and the visiting volunteer judges, to whom we are enormously grateful.  We look forward to hosting Crown Cup number 4 next year!

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Mar 24: South West Preliminaries.

Spirit entered many of our Squad gymnasts into the South West Preliminary competition, held at Yate on 16-17 March.  This is the selection for the South West Team to enter the national finals.  With several strong performances from all levels of the club, huge congratulations go to Mila and Chloe (Grade 1 WP), Amelie and Lana (Youth WP) and Morgan and Isabel (IDP 1 WP) who all won their categories and will compete at national level in May.  Also selected for the Inter-Regional competition at Southampton were Toby and Alyssia (Grade 1 MxP), Theo and Aoife (Grade 2 MxP), Connie, Julia and Amelia (Grade 2 WG), Jamie and Logan (Grade 4 MP) and Tilly and Liberty (Grade 4 WP).  Congratulations to all gymnasts and coaches for a wonderful weekend of competition!

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Mar 24: English Team Selection.

Following their win at the English Championships (see below), Immy and Emily have been selected for the English Team, to compete against Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at the Caledonian International in April.  This is just reward for their immense hard work, as well as for their coaches and supporters.  Massive congratulations to them from everyone at Spirit!

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Feb 24: English Championships.

A small team of 3 Women's Pairs travelled to County Durham for the English Championships.  Against some of the toughest competition they have yet faced, the Youth Pair (Amelie and Lana) and the IDP1 pair (Monks and Isabel) both placed an impressive fourth in large fields of competitors.  The 11-16 Pair (Immy and Emily) were crowned English Champions for the second successive year, having won the same event at IDP2 last year.  Huge congratulations to all our gymnasts.

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Feb 24: Spelthorne Acro Cup.

Many of the best clubs in the UK attended the 6th annual Spelthorne Acro Cup on 17-18 Feb.  This competition is seen as one of the more prestigious events, where some of the best gymnasts in the country come together to test themselves ahead of the national and international programme later in the year.  It's one of the few events where you will see all World categories competing, up to and including Senior.  A small team from Spirit - one pair from each of Grade 4, Youth, IDP 1 and 11-16 - travelled there ahead of the English Championships later this month.  Against some fierce competition, they came away with 3 silver medals and one fourth place finish.  This was a fantastic performance, many congratulations to all involved!

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Feb 24: King Edmund's Grades Competition.

Very well done to all those who competed at the King Edmund's Grades Competition in Yate on 10-11 Feb, especially those who were competing for the very first time at this level.  Some encouraging and promising performances which bode well for the future!

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Jan 24: Annual General Meeting.

The Club's AGM was held on 13 January, thank you to all those who attended.  The annual report and accounts are available in the Members page (check your emails for the password).  Thank you also to all those who contributed to the retirement gifts and cards for Al and Liz Haigh, they were very much appreciated!

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Nov 23: National Competition results.

Well done to five partnerships who represented Spirit at the Pat Wade Classic at Stoke on Trent.  The Youth Women's Group (Tilly, Liberty and Iona) finished 8th level on points with two other partnerships in a tough category.  The Youth Women's Pair of Amelie and Lana were squeezed out of the medals by the narrowest margin - having finished level on points with the third place competitors, and equalled their technical score, the positions were decided on the artistry score and the girls missed out by a tiny margin.  In IDP1, the Women's Pair Cara and Ella took Bronze, which was a lovely way to end their partnership, especially having missed out on a medal last time they competed at national level.  Finally, we had two 11-16 Women's Pairs competing against each other, with Monks and Isabel taking Bronze, while Immy and Emily took Gold.  Overall, it was a highly encouraging competition and all the competitors did a great job and made us all proud!

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Oct 23: Selection success.

Huge congratulations to two senior partnerships, who have been selected to compete at the Pat Wade Classic in November.  The Pat Wade is the former British Open, and owing to the numbers of gymnasts in our region the entries are capped, so our gymnasts had to enter a trial held at Honiton Gym Club on 1 October.  The Youth Women's Group of Tilly, Liberty and Iona, and the Youth Women's Pair of Amelie and Lena, both won their categories and progress to the national level competition to be held in Stoke on Trent on 25-26 November.  We wish them the best of luck!

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Jul 23: Grant awarded by Sport England.

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant of £5,500 by Sport England to invest in coach qualifications and continuous professional development.  Over the next 12 months we will be putting our young people onto courses ranging from Gym Helper up to Level 2, which will significantly enhance the coaching team.  As a result of this grant and other changes, we have been able to introduce several new classes from September 2023 - see the Timetable page under Classes and Info above.

 

Jun 23: Launch of 100 Club.

We are excited to announce the launch of the Friends of Spirit 100 Club.  It will be £2 a number and once all of the numbers have been chosen, a number will be selected from a number generator.  The prize is £100 and every other month there will be a first prize of £75 and a second prize of £25!

The remaining money raised will go towards equipment, coaching courses and competition costs.  Simply pop into reception to purchase the number(s) you want.  Thanks for all your support and good luck!!

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Apr/May 23: Competition success.

Huge congratulations to all our gymnasts who represented the South West Region at the inter-regional and national finals competitions.  You all did incredibly well and we are immensely proud of you!

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Nationals:

Immy and Emily 1st

Cara and Ella 4th

Nathan and Shekinah 7th

Jamie and Logan 4th

Wilf and Kitty 5th

Harry and Charlotte 5th

 

Inter-regionals:

Josh and Sofia 3rd

Lily-Rose and Abigail 6th

Lexi May and Olivia 6th

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Mar 23: Competition success.

Very well done to all gymnasts who competed at the South West preliminary competition at Yate.  You all did yourselves and the Academy proud!  Well done and thank you to all the coaches who worked so hard to get everyone ready.  Special mention goes to the following who qualified for national finals and the inter-regional competition:

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Inter-regional competition in Southampton:

Grade 1 Women's Pair Lexi and Olivia

Grade 3 Mixed Pair Josh and Sophia

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National finals in Stoke on Trent:

Grade 1 Mixed Pair Harry and Charlotte

Grade 2 Men's Pair Jamie and Logan

Grade 2 Mixed Pair Wilfred and Kitty

Grade 5 Women's Pair Cara and Ella

Grade 5 Mixed Pair Nathan and Shekinah

IDP 2 Women's Pair Immy and Emily

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Good luck to all of you!

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Dec 22: Exam success.

Huge congratulations to Katie Gill and Jade Penny, who recently passed their Level 1 assessments!

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Nov 22: Annual General Meeting.

Owing to illness among key volunteers, we have decided to postpone the Annual General Meeting until January.  More details will be published nearer the time.

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Jun 22: The Whyte Review.

We are aware that the review into British Gymnastics, conducted by Anne Whyte QC following allegations of mistreatment within the sport of gymnastics, has been published.  You can read the report here.  Spirit Gymnastics Academy welcomes the report and its recommendations, and we look forward to seeing positive change within the sport as a result of this report.

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May 22: End of the season approaches.

Best of luck to our three partnerships competing in the National Finals of the NDP competition.  We are proud of you for being there and know you will do your best!  As the end of the season approaches, the coaches will begin to prepare for next season from the end of May onwards.  Some partnerships will stay the same, some may need to change - it's an uncertain time for everyone, but don't let this worry you, because change is a normal part of the sport.  If you have any questions, please ask your coach.

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Apr 22: Spirit Acro Crown Cup.

What an amazing weekend we had!  After months of hard work, it was great to see such a wonderful occasion for our first ever major competition.  We had lots of lovely comments and feedback, from gymnasts. coaches and parents.  A massive thank you to everyone who helped make this such as special event!  Save the date - 1-2 April 2023 will be the next one!

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Nov 21: British NDP Finals.

We were immensely proud of Gemma and Lexi this month.  After winning the Regional NDP Preliminaries, they qualified to represent the South West Region at the national finals in Stoke on Trent.  With the highest score they have achieved as a partnership, they took a fantastic silver medal to add to their growing collection.  We could not have asked for any more from them, under huge pressure they really shone.  Well done Gemma and Lexi!

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Nov 21: South West Championships.

Squad gymnasts, coaches and parents were delighted to return to Yate Gymnastics Centre for the South West Championships.  With all the challenges of the last 18 months, this was a very different competition to the ones we have seen before!  We entered a large number of gymnasts, many of whom were in brand new partnerships, or had never competed before.  Despite this turmoil, we saw Spirit gymnasts become Regional Champions in five different categories, with a total of 15 medals overall and many very creditable performances (see Results page).  Congratulations to all gymnasts who took part!

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Oct 21: Business Award.

At a ceremony hosted by Yeovil Town Football Club, Yeovil Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Awards celebrated the best of local businesses.  Over 80 businesses were nominated across several categories and we were honoured and delighted to win the Young Business of the Year category!  This award shows that Spirit is a well run, community-focussed company with a bright future, which is all down to our fantastic team of volunteers!  So thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to establish Spirit and bring it so far in such a short time! 

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Sep 21: New term begins.

We are delighted to see so many of you over the summer, and for those who enjoyed the very successful summer camp, a big thank you to everyone involved in organising that.  As the Autumn approaches, the competition squads are working hard towards their return to competitions.  We haven't attended a competition outside our own club since March 2020, so this is a big step in the right direction.  The first competition will be the South West Preliminaries on 3 October at City of Bristol.  Good luck to all those competing!

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Aug 21: Welcome new members!

A very warm welcome to all our new members who have joined since we expanded into Unit 2.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask anyone in uniform and we will be delighted to help!

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Jun 21: New reception.

As part of our expansion, we have also invested in a new reception/waiting area for the comfort of our members and their families. As COVID restrictions get lifted during the year, we look forward to seeing more of our supporters in person, so why not try our new reception where you can buy refreshments while watching the classes, or just catch up with the other parents.  Come and see us soon!

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May 21: Our new extension!

After months of behind-the-scenes work, we are delighted to confirm that we have received a significant investment from British Gymnastics Club Capital scheme to enable us to expand into Unit 2. 

 

Club Capital (www.clubcapital.co.uk) is a new funding stream to support clubs with development of dedicated facilities. It was introduced during lockdown and is a low-cost loans scheme supported by British Gymnastics, Sport England and a social investor Big Society Capital. Loans, which are available at 4% interest repayable over 5 years with a one-year repayment holiday, average around £134k per project. As part of our application, Spirit had to provide a business plan and a 5-year financial forecast as well have progressed negotiations for leases for a period of at least 7 years, and have progressed any necessary planning and building regulation requirements. 

 

This expansion comes earlier than we had intended, but is a very welcome step towards our long-term aims.  We now have plenty more space to grow into and satisfy the constant demand for places at the Academy!  Well done to everyone involved! 

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Apr 21: First Aid Training.

We were delighted that our sponsors Emerald First Aid Training were able to provide a full day of training for 17 of our coaches.  This training covered important skills like CPR, primary and secondary surveys, but also included common injuries and incidents that could occur in a gymnastics club.  A great time was had by everyone!

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Feb 21: In the news.

Chard and Ilminster News wanted to know what award-winning head coach Amy thought about the impact of COVID on young people.  You can read their article here.

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Dec 20: UK Coaching Awards - WINNER.

We were over the moon to see our Head Coach Amy Moulton win the UK Young Coach of the Year award at the online ceremony on 3 December!  What a way to end a crazy year, and a just reward for all the effort Amy puts into running the club and looking after her gymnasts!  CONGRATULATIONS AMY!!!!

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Oct 20: UK Coaching Awards.

UK Coaching are the leading organisation in the country for coaching training, codes of practice and support for coaches.  Each year they hold an awards ceremony for the country's best coaches and this year we are incredibly proud and delighted that both Amy Moulton and Issy Haigh are finalists in their categories.  The winners will be announced on 3 December.  You can find out more at the British Gymnastics website here and the UK Coaching website here.

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Oct 20: New sponsorship deal announced.

We are delighted to announce that, in addition to designing an exclusive Club Leotard for Spirit Squads, the exciting new gymnastics supplier HALO are now an official sponsor of Spirit Gymnastics Academy.  Members will be able to get a discount on items purchased through the HALO website here: https://halo-sportswear.com/ when they enter our unique discount code (see member only pages).

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Sep 20: The journey towards normality continues....

From 7 Sep 20 we will introduce the next stage of our progressive journey back to normality.  Please check our timetable page for further details.  Competition Squads have had to endure a lot of change and turmoil over the last 6 months, please be assured that changes are made only where necessary in response to government and British Gymnastics guidelines. 

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Jul 20: Gymnast wins prestigious award at school.

We were so pleased to hear that Sophia Dawe (Squad 4) has been awarded the David Carter Cup at her school this summer.  The Cup is awarded to one pupil in the whole school who has shown superior sportsmanship, performance, effort and good attitude both in and out of school over the last year.  Well done and congratulations Sophia!  Everyone at Spirit is very proud of you!!

 

Jul 20: The wait is nearly over!

Our coaches have been providing a great service online and outdoors over the summer, and many of our gymnasts have enjoyed being able to participate and see their friends again.  We thank everyone for your efforts to keep the service going, and now we are delighted to announce the next step on the road back to normality - indoor training will be allowed from Saturday 25 July!  The team has been working hard to get the gym ready, including all the COVID hygiene measures required by the Government and the sport's governing body.  Things will still be different for a while, and training while keeping socially distant won't be quite the same as we remember.  But it's a step in the right direction!  We can't wait to see everyone back where we belong!!

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Jun 20: Outdoor training.

Outdoor training begins on 22 June!  Bring a mat, trainers and a drink!  Members will continue to receive emails with timing and other instructions.

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Mar 20: Online training.

We might not be able to meet at the gym, but we can meet online!  We have set up Zoom accounts so that coaches can continue to give a service during the lockdown, and gymnasts can see their friends on the screen!  Members should look out for regular emails containing all the information you need to access this training.

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Mar 20: COVID closure.

As directed by the Government, the Academy closed our doors in line with the schools.  We will reopen when allowed by the Government and British Gymnastics.

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Mar 20: What a fabulous weekend!

On 14 and 15 March our competition squads attended the South West NDP Prelims at Yate, and produced the most successful set of results in the club's history (see results page).  Six partnerships qualified for the National Finals, and two qualified for the Inter-Regional competition.  We had hopes going into the event, but even in our wildest dreams we didn't imagine we could dominate the competition in this way.  Massive congratulations to all of our amazing gymnasts and their coaches for a superb performance that really put Spirit on the map!

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Mar 20: More exams!

On 8 March Chantelle Pavey and Ellie Frankpitt passed their Awards Scheme Coaching course, and join our ever-growing team of coaches!  You might see Ellie and Chantelle helping at Foundation classes in the near future.  Well done Ellie and Chantelle - welcome to the team!!

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Mar 20: Tumbling and exams.

On 1 March, Ella-Rose Corbin blazed a trail for Spirit's new adventure into tumbling after a protracted period away from the discipline.  Posting three good tumbles, Ella-Rose was eventually placed 14th in her category - a brilliant effort for her first attempt at the sport, and very promising for the future!  On the same day, Laura Price and Gemma Price took their practical assessments for their Level 1 Coaching exams and both passed.  Many congratulations to all three of them!

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Feb 20: Competition success!

After an emotional 7-hour drive each way to Middlesbrough on 22/23 Feb, a small competition team of 9 partnerships entered the Middlesbrough Invitational competition hosted by Firebird Gymnastics in Hartlepool.  Spirit entered 7 categories and took at least one medal in all of them!  While the loudest travelling fans of any club at the comp raised the roof with immense support for our gymnasts, Spirit collected three golds, three silvers and three bronze medals, with no partnership finishing lower than 6th in their category.  Most importantly, once again all our gymnasts have seen their performances improve, showing that if we take care of the points the medals take care of themselves.  We will use this experience to refine performances going into the South West Prelims next month.  Thank you to all who made it happen and a huge well done to our gymnasts and coaches and thank you for the strong support of our army of parents and friends!!

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Feb 20: New Pre-school lessons have arrived!!

We are delighted to announce that our new pre-school lessons will begin after the February half term break.  Places are booked in half term blocks, and run during term time only.  The first block of five lessons begins on Friday 28 Feb and runs weekly until Friday 3 Apr. Lessons are 1 hour long, with 45 minutes of structured lesson and 15 minutes of soft play.  Enrolment is now open and places can be booked by emailing info@spiritacro.com.

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Jan 20: More exam success!

Many congratulations to Al Haigh, who has passed his Regional Judge course and is now officially upgraded.  This means he is qualified to be a Difficulty Judge or a Chair of the Judging Panel - so watch out Squads!!  Also this month, Laura McLean has qualified as a Club Judge - congratulations Laura!!

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Jan 20: Dan Cook Workshop

Dan Cook is a former Great Britain acrobatic gymnast who took silver in his last competition, the World Championships in 2014.   He is now a highly sought after coach who travels all over the UK and abroad passing on his knowledge and skills.  We were therefore delighted to secure his services to deliver a workshop for our competition squads!  Everyone who attended, whether gymnast or coach, took lots of fantastic tips, skills and techniques from our time with him; and we are now busily weaving his advice into our training programmes.  The weekend was such a success that we will look to do it again in the future.  See our social media for some photos of Dan in action with the gymnasts!

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Jan 20: Tesco "Bags of Help"

We are proud to have been selected as a beneficiary of the Tesco "Bags of Help" scheme until 31 March 2020! Tesco customers can place their blue tokens in the Spirit Gymnastics Academy slot at Tesco stores in Yeovil for the next three months.  At the end of March Tesco will give a grant to each good cause according to their level of support.

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Dec 19: Batten's Charitable Trust

We were delighted to have been selected by the Batten's Charitable Trust for the award of a cheque for £100.  The Trust exists to support a wide variety of charities and charitable activities. We will be putting this donation towards some changes to the Academy that should inspire many more generations of gymnasts. 

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Dec 19: Community Spirit

One of Spirit's most important features has always been a dedication to helping members of the community access physical activity, especially those who might otherwise find it difficult to do so.  This is one of the reasons we keep our fees as low as possible, and we think we are the best value for money gymnastics club in the region.  It was this philosophy that led us to help the charity Discovery UK when they needed a place to keep Dance Ability classes going (see October entry below).  This initiative has now attracted the attention of the BBC, who visited us recently to see what Dance Ability is all about.  You can see their feature on Facebook here.

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Dec 19: Exam success!

Congratulations to Mike Jenkins for passing his Level 1 Coaching Course in acrobatic gymnastics!  Also well done to Issy Haigh who has added a Disability Gymnastics module to her growing collection of qualifications!  And good luck to Gemma and Laura who are in the middle of their Level 1 courses, and are due for their exams in the Spring.

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Dec 19: Christmas Show

Once again we are holding our Christmas Show at the Westlands Entertainment Venue, Westbourne Close, Yeovil, BA20 2DD.  Because we have grown so much since last year, we have divided this into two shows, at 11.00am and 2.30pm.  Foundation and Development classes will take part in only one of the shows, and members have all been sent an email with more detail.  Please check you know which show your child is in!  If in doubt, ask at Reception.  This promises to be another great show, in which our multiple medals winners will be showcasing their amazing talents, while our most junior Foundation gymnasts will also be showing off what they have learned.  There will also be some surprises along the way - something for everyone and not to be missed!!  Tickets are selling fast so don't miss out on one of the highlights of the year!

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Nov 19: New Partnership deal

We are delighted to announce a new partnership deal with the ever-popular Tamburino Restaurants in Yeovil, Street and Sherborne.  Tamburino have been strong supporters of children's sport for many years, and this new partnership will directly help gymnasts whose families are suffering particular financial hardship.  If you are looking for a family evening out, why not give them a call?  Don't forget to mention Spirit Gymnastics Academy!

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Oct 19: Helping the Community

When we heard that the Fiveways Day Care Centre was closing, and that the popular Dance Ability classes would have to stop because of the loss of their venue, we had to step in.  So it was with great pleasure that Spirit was able to offer the use of our safe and secure training facility to allow Dance Ability classes to continue, for people with learning disabilities, autism or very complex needs.  You can read more about this initiative here.

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Jul 19: National Investment

We are delighted to announce that Sport England have provided a grant of nearly £6,500 to help us grow our coaching team over the next 18 months.  The demand for places at Spirit has been amazing since we moved into Seaton Mews, and we need more coaches as soon as possible to cater for this demand.  Sport England's investment in Spirit Gymnastics Academy will not only help us grow and better serve the community, it is also a powerful vote of confidence in the Academy itself.  If you are interested in becoming a coach please speak to one of the coaching team!

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