Gymnastics club eyes up empty industrial unit for its new base

Head coaches Ben (left) and Ashleigh. They grew up in Lowestoft and went to school together, and are now business partners at East Anglia Gymnastics. Photo: Ash Moore (Image: Archant)

Plans submitted to Great Yarmouth Borough Council reveal that East Anglia Gymnastics has its eyes on an empty unit at Harfreys Industrial Estate for the club’s new headquarters.

According to the applicant, Ashleigh Moore, the empty building will be simple to renovate - requiring just a “lick of paint”.

If given the green light, his plans would see the unit - formerly the site of East Coast Pipe Services - converted into a new gymnastics hall, as well as kitchen and office space for reception staff.

The goal is to hold year-round gymastics classes for children and adults at all ability levels, with lessons running from 9am-9pm Monday through to Sunday.

East Anglia Gymnastics member in training. Photo: Ash Moore (Image: Archant)

There’d also be openings for two new full-time coaches and five or more part-time members of staff.

Currently, Mr Moore holds classes for his members at Great Yarmouth Charter Academy and the Waterlane Leisure Centre in Lowestoft, but said he’s “keen to expand” and for the company to have its own space.

Mr Moore, who runs the business alongside fellow head coach Ben Walker, is just 26 but has been coaching since he was 15. East Anglia Gymnastics was set up in April 2019 - and has grown massively in the time since.

His younger gymnasts have gone on to compete nationally, and there are already 300 members across the club’s coaching network.

The hall would be at Unit 12, Brinell Way - which was last used in September 2019 and is now empty. Photo: Google (Image: Archant)

He said: “I got into gymnastics around age 13 alongside Ben. Before then we’d been free-runners.

“I wanted to learn how to do more somersaults and that kind of thing - so getting into gymnastics seemed like the next logical step.

“Everyone thinks of free-running and gymnastics as these scary and impossible sports, but you just need to take it slowly and build up your skill-set like you would with any other sport.”

According to Mr Moore, one of the venture’s key objectives is to train up younger coaches.

He said: “We’ve got a leadership programme which encourages our older gymnasts to build up a logbook of experience so that they can go on to become professional coaches themselves.

“We’re keen to give kids in Great Yarmouth the same opportunity, and want to stress that gymnastics is really for anyone who wants to get involved.”

You can register your interest in joining the club by clicking this link.