Honiton Gym Club acrobatic gymnastics

Barbara Vincent was the coach given the task of introducing a structured and safe environment for the children who joined the club. Barbara was joined by her daughter, Leigh, who had represented Great Britain in gymnastics.

The club grew in size, and after initially providing only a limited amount of coaching, began to prepare the more able gymnasts for competitions (mainly women's artistic gymnastics and schools floor and vault competitions). The club became a member of the Devon Amateur Gymnastics Association, and teams of novice and more experienced gymnasts took part in the Devon and south west leagues.

The move to acrobatic gymnastics

In 1992, the decision was taken to specialise in acrobatic gymnastics (then known as sports acrobatics). This decision enabled the club to grow further and allow its more senior gymnasts to maintain an interest in their sport. In addition, artistic gymnastics continued to be performed at a recreational level.

The past few years

In 2002, Barbara and Leigh retired from coaching at Honiton Gymnastics Club. the club was taken over by Pam Burns, Emma Smith, Helen Nayler and Louise Garman, and was divided into two sections. The first was for children who participate in gymnastics predominantly for enjoyment and performance (recreational gymnastics) and the second group was for more competitive/elite gymnasts. In 2007, James Reddy, an ex-international acrobatic gymnast, joined the coaching team.

The club has grown from strength to strength over the years, developing at local, regional and national levels. The club has a clear structure, from grass-roots kinder gymnastics (starting at the age of 5 years) to recreational and elite acrobatics. Honiton Gymnastics Club has a proud pedigree of achievement on local, county, regional, and national stages. Former and current members have performed successfully in shows, festivals and displays, and at the South West Championships, British Championships, and international competitions.