Gymnastics grant needed

Rebecca Tilley, Fintan, Aoife and Tiarnan Hunter at their vacant gymnastics studio. Pictures: GARY SISSONS 216345_11

By Mitchell Clarke

A gymnastics club based in Pakenham and Emerald has joined the peak industry body in calling for a one-off grant to help the sport get back on its feet.

Like all sporting clubs, Reach Gymnastics has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with many staff and volunteers having been stood down or having their hours reduced.

In a bid to get back on their feet, Reach has joined Gymnastics Victoria – the sport’s recognised peak body – in calling for a $2.4 million State Government grant to be shared among 128 clubs across the state.

The Hunter family just want to get back to the gym. 216345_19

If successful, the funds would be used to help clubs reopen and reconnect with the 400,000 Victorian gymnasts.

Reach Gymnastics owner Rebecca Tilley said the pandemic had “devastated gymnastics”.

She said the club had a “best-practice” Covid-safe management plan in place to ensure classes could confidently resume activity when safe to do so.

“We’ve written to local government and members of parliament to urge them to back our request for help and are hopeful the Victorian Government will support our sport getting back on its feet,” she explained.

“As our community starts to re-open, we need help reconnecting with participants of our sport so that gymnastics can safely reopen and start to resume its place as one of the most popular health and physical activities in the state.”

Gymnastics Victoria wants the industry reopened in line with schools returning to physical classes.

But without crucial government support, the industry argues that decades of time and effort spent building an active and sustainable network was “at risk”.

Aoife Hunter on the uneven bars. 216345_04

Ms Tilley said it could have “enormous” physical and social consequences for thousands of young Victorians.

“Victorians are well aware of the social and economic consequences of Covid-19 thanks to saturation of social and mainstream media coverage of the pandemic,” she explained.

Reach Gymnastics has called on members of parliament and local community leaders to get behind a request for a one-off Victorian Government grant. 216345_10

“They are now increasingly aware of the physical impacts on young Victorians who have been less active during unprecedented restrictions on movement and organised competition.”

Ms Tilley believes the current crisis could contribute to children having a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

“With the increasingly sedentary lifestyles of children aged 5 to 17, 80 percent of whom do not meet the 60 minutes of recommended physical activity every day, it is little wonder one in three Australian children are expected to be overweight or obese by 2025,” she said.

“We need this one-off grant so that our club and dozens of others across Victoria have the best possible chance of recovering from Covid, and so future generations of young Victorians can have a structured, safe and professional gymnastics experience.”

A spokeswoman for Community Sport Minister Ros Spence said Gymnastics Victoria received funding under the first stream of the State Government’s Community Sport Covid-19 Survival Package.

Aoife Hunter on the vault. 216345_08

She said further allocations under the package will be made in due course.

“The Victorian Government has invested $40 million through the Community Sport Sector Covid-19 Survival Package to support the sector, including gymnastics,” she said.

All physical recreation facilities for non-professionals can open for outdoor activities only from the third step. Participants can use indoor toilets, showers and change rooms.

“We know Victorians want to get out and enjoy the sports and activities they love and our roadmap will guide us towards achieving a Covid Normal,” the spokeswoman added.

“Decisions on the operation of indoor facilities including gymnastics will continue to be based on public health advice.”