Support our clubs so gymnasts can bounce back!

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Background

Gymnastics is one of the biggest sports in Ireland and gymnastics clubs have become important community hubs throughout the country from urban through to rural areas nationwide. Our clubs have individual memberships from 0-50 members for small clubs through to clubs with 1500 – 2000+ members welcoming all genders, ages, abilities and backgrounds.

Most gymnastics clubs now operate as small businesses based out of dedicated/full-time facilities. They employ full-time, part-time & casual staff to make sure they can deliver gymnastics programmes for their local communities. Just as with any other business they have monthly costs that range from commercial rents/mortgages, through to staffing and maintenance costs. They fund these costs through the term-fees they charge to each individual member.

The problem

Covid-19 has impacted all aspects of life throughout the world. In Ireland we are living under crucial restrictions to help combat the virus and Gymnastics Ireland along with our clubs completely support the government’s efforts in this fight.

As gymnastics clubs would be classified as non-essential businesses they have been unable to trade normally since early March 2020. Some of them had collected terms fees for their next term, some were coming to the end of their term and were due to collect fees as the virus started to impact our daily lives. The longer the social distancing restrictions stay in place the cash flow of our clubs will be impacted greatly. This will lead to the loss of club staff including coaches and admin/support staff in addition to big concerns regarding the ability of clubs to make their commercial rent or mortgage payments for their facilities among other overheads/bills. Some clubs have already experienced these issues and again the longer restrictions continue the worse things will get for our clubs.

Our ask

Many people have been seriously financially impacted by the outbreak of the virus through the loss or scaling back of their jobs. This is the case for many people from within our own gymnastics community. We have nothing but sympathy for them and hope that once restrictions are lifted we can all return to a more normal way of life as soon as possible.

We are asking anyone who’s job has not been affected by the Covid-19 crisis to continue to support their local gymnastics club by continuing to pay term fees if they are able to do so. We ask that they do so knowing that classes in the short – medium term will likely not run.

We are also calling on any fans of our sport out there who may be in a position to support their local gymnastics club to make donations if at all possible.

We want to make sure our clubs are still there and ready to get back to work when this is all over so please support our clubs so gymnasts can bounce back!

#supportourclubs #gymnastsbounceback #gymnasticsireland #sportstartshere