HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT

Greenhead Gymnastics Club was established in 1968. Gymnasts trained in the school gym of Greenhead High School, Huddersfield, later transferring to another local school in order to train more frequently. Training time was still limited and equipment had to be erected and dismantled at the beginning and end of training sessions.

These restrictions resulted in inadequate training time in a fast growing sport and the club looked for alternative training premises. This resulted in 1979 in the purchase of the present venue - St. Thomas' Church at Bradley, Huddersfield.

The club has trained in this facility for the past 26 years. 1997 brought to fruition the next major project for the club, the construction of a second floor in the church with FSA and lottery grants. This has enabled the club to expand its activities and has allowed the gymnasts to practise their floor routines on a competition sprung floor surface. This is not of the correct dimensions but is a vast improvement. Also the gymnasts can now practise their vaults with a normal run-up and landing area.

The Greenhead Gymnastics Club is a voluntary, self-financing club, which aims to provide gymnastics training at the lowest cost possible to its members. The majority of the dedicated and highly experienced group of coaches working at the gym are not paid, working on a voluntary basis and receiving only expenses. However children training at the gym still pay more than their counterparts in other areas where gymnastics is subsidised by the local authority, for example in nearby Leeds. The club now employs experienced and knowledgeable coaches and choreographers from Russia and has strong connections with clubs in Vladimir and St. Petersburg. The Club has over the years formed partnerships with many local schools and many gymnasts have joined the club and participated in both badge classes and squads. This scheme has the support of Kirklees Leisure Services and the Regional Development Officer.

An elected committee administers the club where coaches and parents are actively involved. There is also a fund-raising raising sub - committee whose major aim is to resource additional equipment for the club.

CLUB PHILOSOPHY AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Greenhead Gymnastics Club aims to offer artistic gymnastics at all levels of performance. It provides an attractive programme for those entering into the sport who may only wish to work at recreational level, as well as providing for gymnasts wishing to compete in competition at regional and national levels.

The more talented performers are offered the opportunity to train in a squad structure, which operates in a variety of age groups. Currently these squad members compete in Yorkshire teams and have for many years constituted a high percentage of the Yorkshire team members.

Over the years the club has enjoyed considerable success at both regional and national level. Many gymnasts have been Yorkshire age group champions and several have been members of national squads. The most noteworthy of these was Karen Hargate who represented Great Britain on numerous occasions all over the world and culminated her career when she was one of the two GB girls selected to compete in the Seoul Olympics. The most recent gymnast to represent the club at International level was Nicola Ginnever who competed in the 1995 and 1997 World University Games in Fukuoka, Japan and Catalia, Sicily