New Love to Move sessions in Essex and London are having a big impact. Liz, a staff member at Peaceful Place said; “it’s given them their independence back, it’s given them their lives back. They have increased confidence, self-assurance, mental recall, and they are more emotionally positive. Their finger co-ordination is growing which means it is having a knock-on effect on their art and their creativity as a result. People are joining in with things in general more because their self-esteem is growing.”

Sport for Confidence

Sport for Confidence is a social enterprise organisation that utilises sport and physical activity as a preventative measure to enhance a person’s health and well-being. The Occupational Therapists and Coaches have trained as Love to Move deliverers and have set up Love to Move sessions in Leisure Centres across Essex and London.

The session has been running for 6-8 months now and many of the participants are bussed in from an activity centre called Peaceful Place, which aims to give people living with dementia, often diagnosed with young-onset dementia, sport, and exercise at least twice per week.
There are 24 participants in the session ranging in age from 35 up to 90 years old and most of them are up on their feet dancing by the end of the session.

Liz who works at Peaceful Place explained that when her group return after a Love to Move session, they chat more and socialise more with each other, the mood is ‘upbeat’ but also calmer in general. She said, “it’s not just uplifting for them [the participants], it lifts the staff up as well – we’ve seen the journey they have made.”

Life-changing Improvements

Megan, an Occupational Therapist, and the lead deliverer for the session today, said; “I’ve noticed a difference in their physical ability and cognition, they have the ability to follow along better and do more movements.”

Pat has been coming to the session with her carer for 4 weeks and has progressed from refusing to come into the room in her wheelchair on week one, to taking part for some of the session in her wheelchair in week two, to now walking through the door without a wheelchair and fully participating.

Jo has young onset dementia and Huntingdon’s disease and has been coming to the sessions for 6 months. Before, she was struggling to keep her arms and legs still, but now she has more control over them. Her confidence has grown so much, she participates fully in the whole session and even gets up to dance in the centre of the circle. After the session, Jo told Louise ‘I love it here, I love coming here!” When asked how Love to Move makes her feel, she said ‘happy!’ with a massive beaming smile.

Louise Roberts said “It was an absolute joy to see the Sport for Confidence Love to Move session – the participants and staff were so excited to share their experience of Love to Move with me and it was a truly overwhelming experience to hear what they had to share. Some participants said that they could not describe in words how much it meant to them and just wanted to thank me. This is exactly why we do what we do at the British Gymnastics Foundation. It was an honour to be there”.  

Sport for Confidence hope to set up more Love to Move sessions over the coming months and have now trained most of their staff to deliver the programme.

Contact Details
For more information about Love to Move please contact: Louise Roberts on 07739512197 or email [email protected]

The gymnastics community is coming together to raise both spirits and plenty of money through their generosity and fundraising this Christmas.

Gymnast receives early Christmas gifts
The first of the stories we would like to share comes from Gracie-Mae McNeill (pictured above). A seven-year-old acrobatic gymnast, Gracie-Mae has, like many gymnasts, spent the year on Zoom calls with her coaches.

Last month, Gracie-Mae came home from school with a flyer about donating gifts to children over Christmas. The family then contacted us and asked if we knew of a young gymnast, the same age as Gracie-Mae, whose family might be going through a difficult time.

We put them in touch with Sienna, also a seven-year-old gymnast, who loves the sport and whose family has been going through a tough period.

Gracie-Mae has since chosen a mermaid sparkly leotard with a matching hair bobble and shorts that are personalised with Sienna’s name on that will be sent in the post.

This is such a heart-warming story and one we’re delighted to share.

Hardship Grants recipient begins fundraising challenge
We’re also delighted to share news from one of our Hardship Grant recipients, Sophie.

Earlier this year we ran a special round of Hardship Grants funding, especially for those going through times of financial hardship due to Covid-19. Sophie was one of 396 families that received support through the last round of funding.

Throughout December, Sophie has kindly decided to complete her very own challenge, raising money for both the British Gymnastics Foundation and her club, Revolution.

Sophie will be doing a handstand challenge each day of the month, and when she’s back in the gym, will be filming a routine that she’s created.

You can show your support for Sophie’s fundraising by visiting and donating here: Go Fund Me page.

It’s been a difficult year for so many people, but it’s great to see plenty of festive spirit from young gymnasts in the community.

We are auctioning two Artistic Sprung Floors to raise money for our Leave No One Behind campaign.

One floor has previously been used at the British Championships while the other was used by our Ambassador Beth Tweddle MBE among other gymnastics greats and celebrities on the BBC Show Tumble! See more information about the equipment available here.

If you want to get your hands on a bargain for your club then all you need to do is visit our eBay page and make your bid. The audition will run from Monday 21st September at 7pm, ending on Thursday 1st October at 7pm.

All money raised will support families through our Hardship Grant Programme. Read more about our Hardship Grants.

While we have supported many families through our special Covid 19 Fund, there are many more who need our help to return to gymnastics.

Watch Lucy and Sophie’s story.

British Gymnastics members can now apply for financial support through a special round of our Hardship Grants funding.

For some British Gymnastics members we know that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a devastating impact on their livelihoods, making a return to gymnastics feel impossible. That’s why, as their partner charity, we’ve been working hard alongside them, to make extra funds available to those members that are most in need. Through British Gymnastics’ Step Forward Plan, those going through significant financial hardship can now apply to receive funding that will help to keep them in the sport they love.

Below are all the details you need to know before applying. You can also find out more and apply by heading to our Hardship Grants page.

What is a hardship grant and how long have I got to apply?
The Hardship Grants Programme is our initiative designed to provide financial assistance to British Gymnastics members, to help them continue participating in gymnastics through times of significant financial hardship. The programme has been running for over five years now and has helped over 300 members.

Due to the current crisis, we have worked hard to make more funds available for the Hardship Grant Programme, to deliver a special round of funding for participants, which supports members suffering financially in these difficult times. The grants can be used to help pay for the costs of participating in gymnastics for individual participants.

Applications are now open and will remain open throughout July and August. Applications can be made here.

Who can apply for a Hardship Grant?
In this special funding round for participants, the grants are open to current British Gymnastics members who are in significant financial hardship and are at risk of dropping out of gymnastics as a result of COVID-19.

Funding will not be awarded to any of the following:
– British Gymnastics members who are deemed to be financially capable of/or have the means to fund their involvement in gymnastics.
– Any person who has made a false claim in the past.
– Gymnasts in receipt of UK Sport Lottery funding.
– British Gymnastics staff members.

It is extremely important that you know we are here to support those most in need and at risk of dropping out of gymnastics completely. We will treat fraudulent claims very seriously and we strongly urge those who have the means to get back to gymnastics, to not apply. Doing so may result in charity funds not being available to support someone else who is in desperate need of our help.

Once I’ve applied, what happens next?
Throughout July, August and September, we will be working hard with British Gymnastics to review all applications for funding. We aim to review all applications and notify each applicant of our award decision within a month of receiving their completed application. We ordinarily run one Hardship Grant Application Panel each quarter, but for this special participant round of funding, we will run as many ‘Grants Panels’ as is necessary to review all applications.

There will likely be many more applications than usual, so please bear with us as we work through this. We will fully consider each individual case and we are committed to ensuring that everyone has the means to get back to gymnastics when it is safe to do so.

We are delighted to announce that we have made our seated activity programme, Love to Move, designed to get older people moving and functioning better, available online.

You can now take part in the very first full session alongside our Lead Deliverer Kim Hall, in the comfort of your own home. The programme is chair-based and helps to improve memory, balance, flexibility and co-ordination. It’s perfect for older relatives or loved ones that may be self-isolating at home during this difficult time.

Patrick Bonner, Head of the British Gymnastics Foundation, said: “We have seen the positive impact Love to Move can have on the physical and cognitive aspects of older people in the last few years and we want to get the programme out to as many of those self-isolating as possible in order for them to feel the benefits and keep moving.

“We have released the video of Kim Hall, our lead deliverer so people can take part in sessions from their own home.”

The programme integrates the use of gymnastic foundation skills, cognitive stimulation therapy and social interaction activities. The majority of the programme is based on bilaterally asymmetrical movement patterns, essentially working the left and right sides of the brain separately, which benefits older people and those living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment.

You can read more about Love to Move on our dedicated webpage, where you can also find a downloadable booklet that includes some of the exercises that make the programme so unique.

We would love for you to share your stories of Love to Move with us. If you would like to do so, please email [email protected].

Our Hardship Grant Programme application process is moving from paper form to an online application form.

From Monday 1st July 2019, when the next window opens for our Hardship Grants, all applications will need to be submitted electronically via our online form.

We will no longer be able to accept paper applications and any that we do receive will be sent back with instructions on how to submit them online.

This programme provides financial assistance to British Gymnastics members, helping them to continue participating in gymnastics.

The deadline for the next window of applications is Tuesday 20th August.

For more information about the programme please email [email protected].

A couple from Huntingdon are experiencing the benefits of the Love to Move programme after attending local community sessions.

Derek and Margaret have been using the Love to Move programme for the past year.

Derek had suffered from a stroke and Margaret developed dementia. Their son and daughter have been taking them to and from the sessions which is open to a large group from the community.

Derek has recovered well from the stroke and now cares for Margaret. He has formed great friendships with other participants from the class and has found the experience very rewarding as he has been able to open up to other carers in the group and share experiences with them. The classes have also helped increase Derek’s confidence as he was previously someone who found it hard to join in, but now, he is fully engaged in the class.

Margaret is also growing in confidence and week after week, she is gaining more enjoyment from the classes. She feels empowered from the experience and she particularly enjoy singing in the sessions and talking about memories.

Margaret says; “I do it for myself and my body and I like the people.”

Both their son and daughter feel their parents have benefitted massively from the Love to Move classes as they are more engaged and interested in life around them.

As a result of their participation, Derek and Margaret have formed close bonds with other members of the group. This positive engagement is one of the big benefits from the programme as it helps to reduce loneliness.

To find out more about the Love to Move programme, click here.

This week is Dementia Action Week and we are pleased to announce some exciting updates for Love to Move, our dementia friendly cognitive enhancement seated gymnastics programme.

The aim of our Love to Move programme is to positively affect the lives of older people, including people living with dementia, together with the lives of their carers and loved ones.

The impact of the Love to Move pilot programme has been evaluated by Age UK and they found the programme had a ‘demonstrable benefit in the physical, emotional and cognitive aspects of older people. Older people having mild to advanced forms of dementia appear to benefit the most.’*

As a result of this insight, further research into the programme is to be commissioned over the next two years to gain more understanding of the impact it is having on the participants and their carers as the sessions evolve across the country.

We are also delighted to announce that Louise Roberts has been appointed as our new Head of Programmes, bringing over 22 years’ experience working in sport development including 20 years at British Gymnastics in roles such as Head of Development, Strategy and Insight, and Governance and Standards.

Louise says; “I have been overwhelmed since I started in this role by the sessions I have seen and the stories I have heard about the incredible impact the Love to Move programme is having on people living with dementia and their quality of life. I feel a great sense of responsibility to make sure that this little piece of magic reaches as many people as possible across the UK.”

Over the last six months, Love to Move has been rolled out across the UK and is now being delivered in over 20 care homes and community settings. This is expected to rise to over 70 during the next couple of months.

We have recently been running pilot courses for Love to Move deliverers and so far, we have run four courses to over 50 learners. Three further courses will run during the summer of 2019 with a view to launching the finished course in the Autumn.

If you are interested in supporting the delivery of the Love to Move programme, please email [email protected].

*Vinal Karania, Research manager (Evaluation and Impact), Age UK

Princess Anne has taken part in an introductory session of our Love to Move programme at UK Coaching’s Applied Coaching Research Conference in Derby.

Held at Derby County Football Club, this year’s conference was based on the theme, ‘Shape the Future of Coaching’, and engaged with over 150 coaching practitioners from a number of sports.

The day consisted of a range of talks and sessions from experienced coaching practitioners who spoke about their coaching research and practice, enabling attendees to learn, share and collaborate on ideas.

Patrick Bonner, Head of the British Gymnastics Foundation, was one of the speakers on the day and delivered a session on the Love to Move programme, our seated gymnastics programme which is transforming the lives of people living with dementia. He was later joined by HRH the Princess Royal who sat in and took part in the activities part of the session.

“HRH The Princess Royal participated in many of the exercises as part of the session and embraced the fun side of Love to Move,” said Patrick. “It was a great privilege and pleasure to have her engage in our session and we had a very interesting discussion about the programme, its application in benefitting the public; and the work we’re doing, more of which we are looking forward to actioning in the coming months.”

The Love to Move programme returns this year and is currently running and testing pilot education courses with selected organisations before a public launch later this year.

A recent pilot course took place in Cookstown with Sport Northern Ireland, the leading public body for the development of sport in Northern Ireland, who are helping to fund the delivery of the programme. Representatives from Disability Sport Northern Ireland and a number of Northern Ireland councils and other community organisations came together to learn about the delivery of the programme through a series of practical and theory sessions on the two-day pilot course.

Patrick added: “Working with Sport Northern Ireland is helping us increase the reach of the programme by developing more learners for the programme. We hope with this expanded network of learners we can make a real impact to the lives of older people across areas of Northern Ireland.”

Find out more information about Love to Move and download our free exercise booklet.

If you are interested in supporting the delivery of the Love to Move programme, please email [email protected].

It has been another brilliant year for the British Gymnastics Foundation. Thanks to the help of so many people, we’ve been able to continue changing lives through gymnastics; the best sport in the world.

We would like to everyone thank that has played a part, however big or small. Here is our year in review.

Our Hardship Grants prove to be a massive help to those who already do gymnastics, allowing them to continue to take part in the sport they love when times are particularly hard. Since the beginning of this programme, we’ve awarded £68,000 in funds, benefitting 189 British Gymnastics members, allowing them to stay in the sport. We also found that 98% of the recipients of the grants were found to still be in gymnastics 12 months later. 59% told us that it was likely that without the grant, they would’ve dropped out of gymnastics. This makes us incredibly proud to have made such a difference.

It has also been another successful year for fundraising. In the last 18 months we have raised almost £14,000 from people completing personal fundraising challenges. These range from Patrick, the head of our charity, taking on an ultra-marathon, Steve cycling the Liverpool Night Rider and Kim running two half marathons to name just a few.

Throughout July, we celebrated our birthday, with British Gymnastics clubs taking part in fundraising activities during the month. This helped to raise £600, but most importantly allowed us to connect with gymnastics clubs across the country, helping to raise awareness of what we do. Thank you to all of the clubs that got involved.

Providing families with brief respite having gone through very difficult times, our Inspirational Experiences programme has done amazing things in 2018. We were able to send a family to the 2018 Gymnastics British Championships in Liverpool, where they also got to meet double-Olympic champion Max Whitlock. Dan Purvis inspired disability gymnasts from across Scotland when he visited a club to assist with a disability gymnastics training camp for them. Claudia Fragapane also got involved, spending time in the gym with a gymnast who had recently lost her father, giving her a training session that she will never forget.

Our Love to Move programme continues to go from strength-to-strength. We have this year won our first contract with a Clinical Commissioning Group (Luton CCG) to deliver health outcomes. We are also very proud to have an offer of project funding from Sport Northern Ireland to develop the Love to Move Programme in another home country. Whilst all this is going on, we have been working hard to develop the Love to Move course for training practitioners, which is key to expanding the programme across the UK.

In addition to that, the Love to Move booklet which we released in 2017 as a free download, has now been downloaded an incredible 254,000 times.

We hope that you will continue to follow our story throughout 2019.