Last week, Millie along with thousands of gymnasts across England returned to gymnastics after months away in lockdown.

Millie, who is 16 years-old, has been with Hertfordshire Gymnastics Club (HGC) for over 8 years, and to her, this is her happy place.

During her time with HGC she has competed at national level in both Acrobatic Gymnastics and Tumbling. In 2015, she won silver with her Grade 2 trio in Acro.

Millie lives at home with her sister Rhiannon and her mum, Emma and her partner.

Millie’s father passed away when she and her sister were both very young but Emma has always worked to do everything she can to allow them to fulfil their dreams.

Emma works in a primary school and has recently been promoted but last year, she like many other parents across the UK felt the impact of the pandemic.

“Supporting two teenagers is hard and my wage does not go very far but I try my best to allow the girls to take part in as much as possible.

“Covid-19 had an impact on our household income, as I wasn’t able work the extra hours I would normally work and whilst my partner is a great support, the girls have always been my responsibility financially. I have never expected him to support them.”

As gymnastics clubs were allowed to reopen later in the year, Emma looked for ways to how she could keep Millie in the sport and discovered the British Gymnastics Foundation’s Hardship Grants Programme.

“I found out about the grant from the manager, Nic Munns at HGC and did some research online.

“With Nic’s support, I applied for the grant. The process was easy and everyone along the way has been so lovely and so helpful.

Following a successful application, Millie was to continue training with HGC in the gym and remotely during lockdown through Zoom.

“Millie has been able to continue to train with the help of the Hardship Grant. The grant has helped with fees, travelling to training and kit for training. Without the grant, I would have really struggled to meet the costs. It has enabled her to continue to do what she loves.”

The effects of the pandemic continued into the start of the New Year but now, with the hope of no further lockdowns, Millie, along with many others, will be hoping to make the most of returning.

“Millie is so excited to return and to be back with her friends and coaches at HGC, who are amazing!”

Applications for our next round of Hardship Grants open on Tuesday 4th May and close on Monday 17th May. For applications that are successful, we will be looking to get everyone’s grants paid by the end of June.

As an 11 year-old gymnast, Charlie loves nothing more than being on a trampoline, whether at his club or in his garden. Beginning with artistic and tumbling, a couple of years ago Charlie’s mum enrolled him on to a programme to try trampoline. Charlie fell in love and made the switch to trampoline and DMT.

When lockdown began in March, Charlie’s mum, Jo, was unable to carry on working. A self-employed baker and children’s cookery teacher, the new government restrictions meant Jo stopped receiving an income for several months.

As a very sociable child who trains around five to six hours per week, it would have been difficult for Charlie to stop bouncing with his friends.

Despite this, during lockdown Charlie’s club managed to keep everyone connected by setting up virtual sessions.

“Charlie’s club were absolutely amazing. Within two or three weeks they set up exercises for them and strength and conditioning. This was amazing as it was all for free, keeping the kids really involved. Although they were not on the trampolines, they were still able to see their friends on the screen.”

With the free sessions continuing throughout the summer, it really helped Charlie to be able to continue training with his club on some level. However, returning to the club would still be difficult with no income for the summer. Jo worried that Charlie would have to stop attending.

“He is so happy when he is doing trampolining, and to take that away from a child would not be very nice.”

After the Head Coach at Charlie’s club became aware of her difficult financial situation, they encouraged Jo to apply for the Hardship Grant Programme. Within a couple of weeks, Jo had been told that she had been chosen to receive a Grant.

“It has been fantastic; it has allowed Charlie to train for the next few months without us having to worry about where we are going to find the money.”

“I felt very relieved that Charlie could continue to bounce – that is what he really wants to do.

“So many things have gone wrong in the last six months. It was such a positive thing to happen and we are very grateful for the Hardship Grant.”

With support from the Hardship Grant, Jo can cover the fees for Charlie to continue training and she can buy the specialist equipment he needs, such as trampoline and DMT shoes.

Over the last few months, we have had a lot of applications for our special Covid-19 Hardship Grants. We are determined to make sure that we can help as many people as we can that need our support. To do this, we need your help to continue to provide to those in times of hardship, and to leave no one behind.

To donate £10 please text FUND10 to 70191. To donate £20 text FUND20 to 70191.  

*Fundraising, payments and donations will be processed and administered by the National Funding Scheme, operating as DONATE, a charity registered in England and Wales (1149800) and Scotland (SC045106). In addition to any text donation, you will incur your standard network message charge (based on your service provider rates). For Terms & Conditions, see www.easydonate.org

Reneyah is one of many Hardship Grant beneficiaries who is thriving in gymnastics after being given the opportunity to start trampolining by her school.

Created to help families on low incomes, Reneyah’s school set up a programme that gives children the opportunity to try a new sport to stay active and learn new skills.

It took Reneyah some time to feel comfortable on the programme but her mum, Roxanne, believes it has helped her to overcome some of her anxiety.

“She absolutely loved being part of the trampolining programme – it has given her so much confidence,” Roxanne began to explain.

“Prior to going to gymnastics, she suffered a lot with anxiety and was really withdrawn. I didn’t even think I’d be able to get her to go to the trampolining lessons in the first place.

“I spoke to the school about my daughter’s anxiety and the coach worked with her in different ways. As the weeks went by you could just see the smile come across her face.”

A few months ago, the impact of Covid-19 meant the family’s finances had to be prioritised, however, Roxanne soon discovered the Hardship Grants Programme and was thrilled to see that she was able to keep Reneyah on the programme.

“The support the grant has given us has been amazing. I don’t think she would have been able to continue doing the trampolining without it. I really think this could be something she carries on with now for life. She’s like a whole new person once she gets on a trampoline.”

Dave Marshall, Participation Director at British Gymnastics, who also sits on the Foundation Board of Trustees, added: “It’s wonderful to hear the benefits that gymnastics has had on Reneyah – the sport provides a wonderful foundation for the development of young people. It is imperative that no child is left behind in gymnastics because of their financial situation and we will do all we can to support those in need to continue in the sport they love.”

With your donations, we can support more families struggling financially to make sure that we leave no one behind. To donate £10 please text FUND10 to 70191. To donate £20 text FUND20 to 70191.  

*Fundraising, payments and donations will be processed and administered by the National Funding Scheme, operating as DONATE, a charity registered in England and Wales (1149800) and Scotland (SC045106). In addition to any text donation, you will incur your standard network message charge (based on your service provider rates). For Terms & Conditions, see www.easydonate.org

Sophie is one of thousands of children who is glad to be back at gymnastics after a tough few months away from the sport. But her situation could have been very different if it wasn’t for her parents and the Hardship Grants Programme.

Based in the West Midlands, Sophie lives with her mum, her dad and her sister, Olivia.

Earlier this year, Sophie’s dad, who is a computer programmer, was put on furlough as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Aged 6, Sophie has been doing gymnastics since she was 18 months old. Her club is like a second home. It’s where she gets to see all of her friends whilst doing her favourite activity.

“I love gymnastics!” Said Sophie. “Not just because it’s fun and I enjoy it but also because I get to exercise and see my friends.”

When the country went into lockdown Sophie was unable to go to gymnastics and there were doubts from her mum, Lucy, as to whether Sophie would be able to go back due to their financial situation.

Lucy explained: “We had to have a really difficult talk with Sophie to say that she might have to stop.”

“For Sophie, gymnastics is not just a hobby. For her, gymnastics is part of her life. Her coaches, her teammates and even the gym itself – it’s like a second home for her.”

As well as being physically beneficial for Sophie, gymnastics is also an activity that her mum believes helps her mentally and emotionally.

“Sophie has anxiety at times. If she’s worried about something or if something is upsetting her, gymnastics helps her to get those frustrations out.”

After constant worry that Sophie would not be able to return to gymnastics due to financial difficulties, things started to change when Lucy was directed to the Hardship Grants Programme.

“For Sophie gymnastics is not just a hobby. For her, gymnastics is part of her life. Her coaches, her teammates and even the gym itself – it’s like a second home for her.”

“It was Sophie’s deputy head teacher at her school who suggested that we look on the website at the Hardship Grants Programme to see if we were eligible for any of the funds.

“I genuinely can’t thank her enough for pointing us in that direction because if we hadn’t, Sophie wouldn’t be at gymnastics now.”

After being successful with her application, Lucy was delighted to share the news with Sophie.

“When I received the email, I cried.”

“Knowing that I could secure her place in her [gymnastics] squad and that I didn’t have to tell her that she had to stop doing gymnastics made my day.”

With your donations, we can support more families struggling financially to make sure that we leave no one behind.
To donate £10 please text FUND10 to 70191. To donate £20 text FUND20 to 70191.  

*Fundraising, payments and donations will be processed and administered by the National Funding Scheme, operating as DONATE, a charity registered in England and Wales (1149800) and Scotland (SC045106). In addition to any text donation, you will incur your standard network message charge (based on your service provider rates). For Terms & Conditions, see www.easydonate.org

Help us raise money for our Hardship Grants Programme and help keep gymnasts in our sport. 

Many gymnasts in our community are unable to return to the sport due to the financial impact that has been caused by the coronavirus.

On 1^st July we opened a special round of Covid-19 Hardship Grant funding for British Gymnastics members who were unable to continue taking part in gymnastics to due financial issues.

We have since been inundated with applications. We have heard some truly heart-breaking stories from families who have lost jobs, have been unable to pay utility bills and have had to use food banks for the first time in their lives.

We have managed to help many people who have been in touch however, there are still many gymnasts that need our support and we need your help to do this!

That is why we are running our ‘Leave No One Behind’ campaign, to shine a light on how our Hardship Grants Programme supports our community and makes a difference to the lives of so many gymnasts.

We will be sharing stories on our website and across our digital channels from families who have been supported by our special Covid-19 Hardship Grants to show the impact that your donation can make.

With your donations, we can support more families struggling financially to make sure that we leave no one behind.

To donate £10 please text FUND10 to 70191. To donate £20 text FUND20 to 70191.  

*Fundraising, payments and donations will be processed and administered by the National Funding Scheme, operating as DONATE, a charity registered in England and Wales (1149800) and Scotland (SC045106). In addition to any text donation, you will incur your standard network message charge (based on your service provider rates). For Terms & Conditions, see www.easydonate.org

Are you a keen runner?

We are looking for runners to join our team and take part in the world’s largest half marathon on behalf of the British Gymnastics Foundation. Take to the streets and celebrate the 40^th anniversary of this iconic race.

This year, the race will take place on Sunday 13^th September starting in the centre of Newcastle and finishing along the beautiful coast of South Shields.

The main ballot has now closed, but we are offering the opportunity for four runners to enter the race. The registration fee will be £55 and we ask that you raise £250 for the Foundation.

You’ll get loads of fundraising tips and advice to help you reach your target and we can also offer plenty of training advice to make sure that you are ready for the big day! Running the Great North Run for us not only helps to raise funds, but also helps to raise awareness of our life-changing programmes. This means that more people living with dementia could gain access to our ground-breaking Love to Move class, or a young gymnast in crisis could be supported through our Hardship Grants to stay in the sport they love.

To register your interest and join our team, please email [email protected]

The British Gymnastics Foundation have been donated some fantastic gymnastics equipment by the BBC that was used during the TV show Tumble in 2014. Some items were never used and are in perfect condition, so there are some real bargains up for grabs for any gym clubs or schools looking to update their gym.

All items would need to be collected from Lilleshall National Sports Centre, Newport, Telford.

All the proceeds from the auction will go to the British Gymnastics Foundation’s programmes, transforming lives through gymnastics.

You will be able to bid on the equipment on our eBay page here from Thursday 6^th February at 7pm until Sunday 16^th February 7pm.

The equipment available for auction includes:

• Heavy duty team gym trampet
• Vault run-up
• Deluxe chalk bowl stand
• Turbo springboard
• Trampoline beds (springs not included)
• 10m air track
• Soft 20cm wide training beam
• HiKOKI blower to inflate the air tracks

If you have any questions regarding the equipment or the auction, please email [email protected] and we will try to answer any queries as soon as possible.

Further information

In just 100 days’ time, Jeff Kincaid will be taking one of the hardest challenges of his life, running the Virgin Money London Marathon.

Jeff, who turns 53 just a day after the 26.2 mile race, is a former police officer who now works as a coach at the Academy of Gymnastics, a registered British Gymnastics club in North Somerset. A keen runner, Jeff has applied to run the marathon five times before, but he has never been successful in his application.

Now he is running on the behalf of our Foundation and he is ready to give it his all.

“I don’t underestimate the size of the challenge.” Said Jeff. “Between now and then there’s going to be some dark days, there’s going to be some hard days but that is ultimately part of the enjoyment. Once you complete the feat, which I hope to do, the sense of achievement will be made all the grander by knowing that the dark days, the wet and the cold, have led towards that moment.”

Four years ago, Jeff did his first and only marathon back in his hometown, Carluke, South Lanarkshire, after toying with the idea for a number of years. He ran alongside Ben Smith, the main who ran 401 marathons in 401 days.

“It just so happened that he was doing one in Scotland starting and finishing in my hometown over the Easter weekend and it was also my daughter’s birthday. If there is such a thing as fate, then that is surely it.

“That was singularly the most painful but exhilarating thing that I have ever done. I am glad I did the event four years ago as I thought I had trained but I clearly hadn’t trained well enough as it really hurt, and I don’t want to go through that again. I am a bit more educated on what to do this time and what to expect.”

There are a number of reasons why Jeff is running the marathon, many of which link to the ethos and the aims of our Foundation.

“To run on behalf of the Foundation was obvious for me. I have always been connected to gymnastics through my wife. I have lived gymnastics almost through osmosis for the last 25 years. When I retired the natural step then was to move into the gymnastics world and I got involved in coaching. The sport, more than any I know, is a foundation for life. If I can try and give something back through the sport to people who perhaps aren’t as entitled as others, then this is a great vehicle to do so.

“I am aware of all the great work that the Foundation do, and I am focusing on the Love to Move programme. 18 months ago, my mother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. We are living under the dementia umbrella. My mother at the minute is fine but she knows that she has Alzheimer’s and we all know that there is no recovery and it is going to get worse.

“Personally, for me, 26^th April is very significant. It’s the day before my birthday and I’ll be turning 53. It is also a big year for me as I lost my dad 26 years ago when he was 52. In my mind I am always aware that I am the same age as my dad when he died which is quite scary. There is a real poignancy that this is the last day of my 52^nd year on Earth.”

With the race on the horizon, training is now well underway and many of Jeff’s friends and family are confident he’ll conquer the distance.

“All I have had is nothing but support. I have had people saying I am mad and that it is a crazy distance, which it is, but all of the club and all of the parents are behind me.

“The network of gymnastics is a tight community and people understand what is happening. I am excited to experience finishing and I can’t wait for that moment.”

We are very thankful to have Jeff as our representative at this year’s London Marathon, but we need your kind donations to support Jeff and help our Foundation.

By donating and supporting Jeff you will be helping us to transform lives across the UK through the power of gymnastics. Your donation will go towards our some of our programmes which include: our Love to Move initiative, helping those with dementia with our seated gymnastics sessions; our Hardship Grants Programme, supporting families experiencing financial difficulties; our Schools Project, helping students realise their potential in the sport; our Community Project, working with organisations to make positive impacts in their community and our Disability Project, helping disabled people access the sport.

To make a donation, visit Jeff’s Giving Page – https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JeffKincaid1

Our Marathon place has now been filled. Thank you for all your interest.

If you would like to register your interest for any other running events including Great North Run, please email [email protected]

The British Gymnastics Foundation is excited to announce that we have a place in the Virgin London Marathon. The Virgin Money London Marathon will take place on the 26th April 2020.