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There was a gymnastics club in Hurstpierpoint as early as the 1920's, based in the Parish Room, which ceased to operate at some time in the thirties.
The current club was formed in January 1980 with just forty junior and infant aged girls. Since 1980 it has expanded in numbers, developed a wider range of equipment and now caters for over three hundred gymnasts, both boys and girls, from 3 to 16 years olds, with both qualified coaches and teachers.
During the past twenty-eight years the club has:-
- trained over three thousand gymnasts
- gained over seven thousand awards
- had members represent their schools and the county at National level in three disciplines:-
Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics and Sports Acrobatics
- trained twenty coaches
- coached over three thousand competition entries and
- helped over twenty local schools and charities with displays and fund-raising events, including the South of England Show.
In 1983 the club adopted the royal blue and white of its host school as club colours and mounted its first annual competition. In every year since, the first Saturday in July has seen gymnasts competing for honours in floor solos, vaulting and acrobatic pairs. The competition has always been open to those who are school year three and above and not attending other clubs. A range of trophies have been presented by various groups and individuals, including the Sussex Clubs for Young People.
In April 2000 it started its Annual Arts Festival competitions - featuring beam pairs, rhythmic solos & pairs and acrobatic groups. Over ninety gymnasts now compete for the silver-ware on offer.
Amongst our ex-gymnasts the club knows of at least ten teachers, three fitness trainers, a physiotherapist and numerous others whose careers have been positively affected by their membership of the club.
With over thirty members of secondary school age, the club is a founder member of Hurstpierpoint Area Youth Council - a registered charity working for and with secondary age young people in the area, organising a variety of activities. In the past two years the club has participated in ice-skating, ten-pin bowling and swimming in The Spectrum Centre at Guildford, and competed in the Neighbourhood Bowling Competition at Crawley.
The club is maturing in the best sense of the word, with past gymnasts now bringing their own children to enjoy the activities available.
In 2001 it became one of the first in the country to adopt, use and present awards on the new 'Proficiency' scheme. The club has adopted the Floor, Vaulting and Pairs disciplines - assessing gymnasts to Bronze, Silver & Gold criteria.
The One Thousandth Award 4 and One Thousandth Award 6 gained at the Club were presented in 2004 - more milestones of achievement.
The Club was amongst the first to adopt BGA's core 'Rainbow' scheme,and in December 2001 presented its 5,000th British Gymnastics Association Award. In September 2007 it was the first in the country to present awards from the revised scheme starting at Award 8.
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