Roofing Fix, Colchester School of Gymnastics

The club, which welcomes around 2000 children per week, urgently needs to repair its roofing and rainwater drainage systems due to flooding and leakage issues during spells of bad weather.

The club’s two buildings have rainwater drainage systems which connect them. These have suffered damage which now results in severe leaks whenever there is rainfall. The club has made numerous attempts to patch this up, all of which have failed, resulting in damage to equipment, and unfortunately forcing the club to cancel occasional classes for safety reasons. The grant would be used to replace/update the systems, to stop future damage/issues.

This project would enable the club to keep its current members regularly attending their classes, without risk of having to regularly close the centre due to undesirable/unsafe conditions. It will ensure safety for all patrons, parents, and members of the public who enter the site, and avoid the club having to replace expensive equipment, therefore helping to keep the cost of attending affordable for all is customers.

The club caters for a wide range of ages and abilities and offers a variety of classes, from baby gym 0-2 years drop-in classes which are a great place for parents to interact, to the different stroke classes that are hosted at the club that offers a fitness opportunity for victims of a stroke. As well as this the club has its competitive gymnastics squad and trampolinists, and a busy recreational program that delivers gymnastics to the local community. Finally there is the freestyle class that offers young teens 12-18 years an opportunity to come in and use the facilities.

Environmental considerations: The club has been advised via the roofing company undertaking the project regarding environmental considerations and will be following its advice.

Hard to reach considerations: The club promotes a drop-in class that is aimed at SEN and children that are in home education. The club offers hardship grants in the form of discounted fee rates for children that are from a deprived background.