Brighouse gymnastics club is thriving thanks to £300,000 development project

Utopia Gymnastics Club was formed in 2017 in Brighouse and has created a successful programme with 500 members participating each week at the club.

Through the Club Capital project, they were given the opportunity to expand and provide a second dedicated facility in Wakefield.

Utopia Gymnastics was created by ex-Yorkshire gymnast Kirstie Limbert and husband Luke, with the goal of introducing the sport – and more importantly, the opportunity for anyone to participate in physical activity – to the local community. Going beyond simply providing the sessions, Utopia have focused on an inclusive practice to ensure that gymnastics remains an accessible and enjoyable sport that plays such a key role in aiding the development of young people.

Kirstie, Director at Utopia Gymnastics Club, reflected on their club’s approach:

“We are very much a grassroots club, but it’s fantastic to have a new and dedicated facility where you can best deliver community outreach and give every young person the best experience in gymnastics possible. We have already seen a really positive impact on the children and young people, particularly with the social and mental health benefit.

“This site in Brighouse has helped us to serve the community and provide for more young people than ever before – the growth has been about double what we expected initially but it’s fantastic to see the enthusiasm that the local area has for gymnastics.

"We are also working hard to continue developing our relationship with local schools where we are able to go in and deliver sessions to those who may never have had the chance to experience the sport at all.

“We wouldn’t have been able to open without Club Capital. After being turned down by quite a few different lenders, we spoke to our facilities support officer at British Gymnastics who helped us get it off the ground. As soon as we heard about the opportunity, we were interested immediately and were just desperate to realise our vision, and I’m so glad we have got there.”