A new state-of-the-art gymnastics facility at Alfreton Leisure Centre has opened its doors to the public today.
The Centre has been jointly funded by Amber Valley Borough Council and the Sport England Community Investment Fund, through the partnership working of Amber Valley Gymnastics Club, DC Leisure, Amber Valley School Sport Partnership, English Gymnastics and British Gymnastics, and Derbyshire Sport.
The Centre is kitted out with £76,000 of brand new equipment including both men and women’s apparatus, and a full length tumble track and pit facility. It is the only facility in Derbyshire with a pit and therefore a much needed and valuable facility for the County.
Councillor Chris Short, Cabinet Support Member for Well-Being at Amber Valley Borough Council, said “This is great news for the local community and a huge boost for gymnastics and sport in the Borough. We are committed to providing first class sporting facilities for everyone living in Amber Valley and we hope that this fantastic new gymnastics centre will inspire even more people to get involved in the sport. Who knows, it may even prove to be a training ground for a future Olympic champion!”
Peter Kirkham, PFI Technical Director for DC Leisure added, “The multimillion pound PFI project has seen the transformation of the leisure centres in Alfreton, Ripley and Heanor. The Gymnastics Academy is another key milestone in our 32 year contract, and it is a tremendous addition to the new facilities already at Alfreton Leisure Centre. We are committed to continuously raising standards within the leisure industry and engaging with the local community. The Academy has state of the art equipment, a full length tumble track and landing pit – the only one in Derbyshire. We have undertaken extensive partnership work to ensure that we provide a facility that a wide variety of gymnastics groups can benefit from for many years to come.”
The Centre will provide gymnastics courses for pre-school children, as well as recreational gymnastics. Local school children will be able to sample their first taste of gymnastics in a fantastic new environment with qualified coaches, giving them a positive experience of the sport.
Alan Sommerville OBE, chairman of British Gymnastics commented, “As a former Manager of Alfreton Leisure Centre and the founder of the Amber Valley Gymnastics Club, which has produced international gymnasts, I am especially delighted that this new state of the art facility is now open. We would like to thank all the funding partners for their significant contributions to the project, which will provide the opportunity for the young gymnasts of tomorrow to continue to aspire to the highest level of achievement.”
The centre will be the main base for Amber Valley Gymnastics Club, a Gym Mark accredited club, which offers a strong pathway to elite performance. Alongside the wide variety of training programmes the facility will offer an ideal base for coaching courses and training for young leaders wanting to develop their leadership skills in gymnastics with volunteering opportunities existing through a ‘Leadership Academy’.
James Buller, from Sport England East Midlands, said: “The new facility and equipment provides a huge boost for gymnastics and sport in Amber Valley. It is a great example of how National Lottery funding is revitalising community facilities, helping more people get involved in sport and reaching their potential.”
For further information on the new facilities and forthcoming courses please contact Alfreton Leisure Centre on 01773 523325.
Ends.
News release issued by Lisa Leach, PR and Communications Manager at Amber Valley Borough Council, telephone 01773 841655.
For further information about the content of this news release please contact Esther Horsley on 01773 523325.
Notes to editors:
Sport England is a non-departmental public body and National Lottery distributor. It is committed to creating a world leading community sports development system and increasing participation in sport. Sport England’s annual budget (lottery and exchequer) is C£250m.
Sport England’s new strategy was launched on 10 June and commits Sport England to deliver a series of demanding targets by 2012/13:
- One million people doing more sport
- A 25% reduction in the number of 16 year olds who drop out of five key sports
- Improved talent development systems in at least 25 sports
- A measurable increase in peoples satisfaction with their experience of sport
- A major contribution to the delivery of the delivery of the five hour sports offer for children and young people.
DC Leisure working in partnership with Amber Valley Borough Council.
