An East London gymnastics club has been forced to leave its former home of more than 27 years and has temporarily moved into a leisure centre while it looks for somewhere permanent. East London Gymnastics Club (ELGC) was forced to leave the East London Gymnastic Centre in Beckton at the end of last year after the freeholder agreed to sell the site to a developer and a bid to prevent the sale failed.
ELGC, which is part of East London School of Gymnastics, Movement and Dance – the charity that had been leasing the building from the freeholder – has temporarily moved its recreational programme to Newham Leisure Centre. A spokesperson for the proposed developer, Linea Homes, previously said the new tenant, which hadn’t been named in a statement, would bring ‘significant health and social benefits’ to the community and planned to retain the building as it is.
Despite an online petition being signed by almost 10,000 people as well as the backing of the area’s local MP, James Asser, and Newham Council approving the club’s asset of community value (ACV) application, the sale is going ahead. Kirk Zammit, who manages the charity together with Alex Jerrom, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) about their concerns for the future if they cannot secure a venue that’s long-term soon.
He said: “The temporary relocation only caters for recreational level gymnastics and if a new permanent facility isn’t found soon, the club will face closing their elite competitive squad programme. We have GB squad gymnasts currently on target for the next Junior European Championships who may struggle to continue in the sport if a new location isn’t found.
“ELGC has a long history of producing top flight GB gymnasts for over 30 years, winning many British titles and is one of very few elite clubs operating within the Greater London area. The ELGC squad programme currently has many future Olympic hopefuls enrolled in their programme and the only elite women’s gymnastics programme competing at the highest level within the East London area.”
With the help of National Lottery funding, the East London Gymnastic Centre opened its doors in 1997 and has supported the careers of several top Olympians and is where Hollywood actor Tom Holland has trained in the past.
The centre saw around 2,500 people using its facilities each week and catered to all ages and abilities who took part in a variety of sports including gymnastics, taekwondo and karate as well as pole fitness, dance and yoga. ELGC offers affordable training at prices that are significantly less than other clubs in London, while on the weekend the centre used to open up to other gym clubs who didn’t have their own dedicated space.
Now they’re relying on the support of other clubs with their elite gymnasts temporarily training at other facilities. However this arrangement cannot continue in the long-term and there are real concerns the club’s elite team will be forced to disband, if it can’t find a suitable permanent home by the end of May.
Announcing the update on its website, ELGC said: “We regret to inform you that, despite our best efforts, we have not been able to prevent the sale of East London Gymnastics Centre. However, we are committed to ensuring the continuity of our gymnastics programs during this transition.
“We are pleased to announce that we will be running a pop-up gymnastics centre for our General Gymnastics program at Newham Leisure Centre while we actively search for a new permanent facility.”
ELGC went on to thank its members and supporters, and urged them to continue raising awareness and signing the petition. “Your participation will make a real difference in spreading the word about our cause and ensuring we make as big an impact as possible in our new efforts to finding a new facility,” ELGC added.
ELGC has produced top-level gymnasts who are part of the GB national squad and the Polish squad, and athletes from as far as Australia and America came to use the space whenever they were in London. Mr Zammit previously said they were told their lease wasn’t going to be extended because they were a non-profit organisation which couldn’t afford market rates.
He previously told the LDRS: “We’re basically being kicked out of a facility that was funded by the National Lottery. We weren’t even offered a three-month rolling extension – just absolutely nothing – not even a two-week grace [period] in January to come in and get rid of equipment.”
Marina Sanduleac, whose daughter trains four times a week as an elite gymnast, previously said: “For us, we need something in the borough for children because there’s nothing. Everything is closing down one-by-one. We’re really seeking support from anybody, who can help us and can give us a hand to save it and give us a place around this area.”
A Linea Homes spokesperson previously told the LDRS: “Our plans for the site focus on retaining the building and ensuring its financial viability. We have secured a new tenant who will bring significant health and social benefits to the community. Since agreeing to purchase the site, we have kept the existing tenants informed of our plans. We remain committed to assisting the gymnastics centre with support where possible during this transition.”
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