Erewash Valley Gymnastics Club Unveils New £1.3m Facility

Hannah Gibbs, operations manager for Erewash Valley Gymnastics Club, described the club’s previous premises in Long Eaton, a former sofa factory, as having a severely leaking roof. She stated, “The old building, we used to call it a waterfall, because every time it rained, it rained inside as well as outside.” Additionally, the facility’s low ceilings prevented rhythmic gymnasts from training effectively, as their hoops would strike the ceiling. This former structure has since been demolished and superseded by a new £1.3m facility. Mrs Gibbs, the club’s operations manager, expressed her satisfaction with the new premises, stating, “I think the really nice thing now is we’ve got a home for life.” She further elaborated on the improvements, noting, “It’s so much better now. When it rains we don’t get wet or have to run around trying to find somewhere to put the buckets.” Mrs Gibbs also highlighted the benefit for the rhythmic squad, explaining, “Our rhythmic squad can build and keep expanding because the ceilings are now high enough for them to be able to train fully and build within that squad.” Erewash Valley Gymnastics Club was established five decades ago, initially collaborating with the local borough council. Mrs Gibbs recounted its beginnings: “It started off as an artistic women’s gymnastics team, a very small amount of girls at West Park and Friesland Leisure Centre.” She added that “Then over the 50 years we’ve built and built to being in our own premises and having two premises.” Currently, the club serves over 1,200 members, offering sessions suitable for all ages, from infants to adults. In addition to its Long Eaton site, the club operates a training centre in Ilkeston. Members temporarily vacated the Long Eaton facility in August 2023 to allow for its reconstruction, returning to the premises two months prior to this report. The rebuild was financed by a trust that held ownership of both the original and the new structures. The official opening of the new building featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by rhythmic gymnast Mimi-Isabella Cesar, an athlete who has competed internationally for both England and Great Britain. Jo Nicklin, the club’s director, commented on the event, stating there was “a lovely turn-out for our official opening”.