The Meapa Gymnastic Club was founded in 1976 and soon become the leading gymnastic club for girls in Kent as records in team events prove. In 1978 a member of the Club gained a place in the National Squad and since that time a stream of gymnasts have gained that elevated status and taken part in National and International Competitions.
|
The Club is voluntary organisation and became a registered charity in 1983. A year later the Club won The British Women's Knock-Out Team Championships.
The objects of the Club are to encourage the sport for gymnastics and to aid the physical education and mental development of the young in a healthy and social atmosphere.
|
 |
Second club Competition 1977.
Front row 3rd from left Yvette Austin. |
The original training venue for the Club was Meapham School and is the reason the club was named Meapa. As the skills of our gymnasts improved, more time was required, so we moved to the Thong Lane Sports Centre, then Milton Barracks, which unfortunately was lost to us and it was a great relief to find and settle into the school gymnasium at Southfields.
However, as the Club expanded into new areas and gymnastic skills became more complicated the school gymnasium was limiting in both time available and space for approptiate equipment.
It was at this time grants were becoming available to sports through the Foundation of the sports and the arts and later the Lottery Sports Fund. This gave the Club the opportunity to apply for and gain financial awards, which along with other grants and fund raising allowed us to achieve the building of our purpose designed facility.