Leading EK club impress sport minister
East Kilbride Gymnastics Club continue to go from strength to strength with a burgeoning membership and a brand new facility to call home.
And sport minister Joe FitzPatrick paid the club a visit recently to find out the secret to their success.
The minister visited the club on October 1 to hear how it’s been able to continually provide chances for women and girls to participate in a sustainable way as part of the third annual Women and Girls in Sport Week.
The club moved to new premises in the town earlier this year after reaching capacity at the previous facility in Greenhills, their success was such that a large waiting list for membership had developed.
A £50,000 award from sportscotland’s sport facilities fund will help drive growth in the sport and the club’s membership, which is now just under 800.
Future plans include developing provisions for underrepresented groups such as adults and those with a disability, as well as an increase in weekly training hours.
The club’s hard work could put them in contention for honours at the Sunday Mail sportscotland Scottish Sports Awards in December.
Now in its 13th year, the annual event celebrates the heroes throughout Scottish sport by awarding our sportsmen, women, teams and volunteers for their outstanding achievements in 2019.
Joe FitzPatrick said: “Being able to visit and see up close the skill, enthusiasm and hard work of the gymnasts and coaches at this club has been a privilege.
“Creating a safe and engaging environment where everyone has the opportunity to be more active is vital in developing a level playing field in Scotland where everyone
Young Sports Personality
is treated fairly and can achieve their full potential.”
Doc McKelvey, Scottish Gymnastics CEO, said: “We are delighted to see East Kilbride Gymnastics Club in their new facility which is a result of the hard work and dedication of the club volunteers supported by the Scottish Gymnastics development staff.
“The facility has allowed the club to not only increase its capacity but also introduce additional gymnastics disciplines to their programme.
“Facilities such as this bring significant benefits to the club but also to the local community including new opportunities in coaching, management, and administration jobs as well as giving more people the chance to take part in sport.
“Over the last four years, Scottish Gymnastics has supported 24 clubs to move to new facilities such as this accessing over £1m of external funding.
“The popularity of the sport however means there are over 12,000 children currently on club waiting lists in Scotland and our aim is to continue working with ambitious clubs such as East Kilbride to help nurture and inspire gymnasts and strengthen our sport.”
Chief executive of sportscotland, Stewart Harris, said: “At sportscotland, we are committed to helping clubs like East Kilbride Gymnastics Club reach as many people as possible in their communities.
“We are always looking to help strengthen projects that enhance and extend the opportunities available to community users of all ages and abilities.
“We are delighted to have helped the club invest in new equipment and look forward to seeing the benefits of the club’s work for years to come.”
School Sport Award