A GYMNASTICS club for disabled children that has produced several world champions has closed after more than three decades.
The Jersey Special Gymnastics Club closed its doors in June following concerns over the suitability of shared facilities offered currently at Fort Regent and in future at Oakfield Sports Centre.
The decision came despite what leaders describe as years of hard work to keep the organisation going in the face of limited support.
Chair Jeannine Carey described the decision as “the loss of not just a gym club but a community” and thanked parents, gymnasts, coaches, committee members and supporters for their support over the past 34 years.
She said: “It is hoped that at some point there will be a fresh new club, where the gymnasts feel safe, happy and free to develop their gymnastic and, more importantly, social skills at their own pace.”
The club’s committee felt the shared facilities at the soon-to-close Fort Regent were failing to provide the space, privacy and consistency needed to safeguard the wellbeing and confidence of their 20 students.
The loss of volunteer coaches also led to the decision not to move into the government’s new facility at Oakfield, which is due to take in sports clubs forced to leave the Fort due to its upcoming redevelopment.
“The committee decided that it was best for the safety of the gymnasts not to continue rather than do a term in the new facility where we potentially wouldn’t be safe,” Ms Carey said.
The Special Gymnastics Club was founded in 1991 by John Grady, originally as the Mont à l’Abbé Special Gymnastics Club, before moving from the St Helier school to Greenfields.
It operated from the secure children’s home for more than a decade before being told to leave in 2022 – with one month’s notice – after the Jersey Care Commission recommended the facility be used exclusively for residents.
The move from Greenfields left the club homeless for seven months before it relocated temporarily to Fort Regent. However, this move was described by the club at the time as a “sticking-plaster solution”.
Despite those challenges, organisers said the club worked hard to provide opportunities for young people to thrive, from gala shows and in-house competitions to fundraising events.
Ms Carey said the club will continue to look for opportunities to reunite members, but there is no guarantee of a permanent replacement.
Jersey Special Gymnastics Club is a not‑for‑profit organisation operating under the banner of its parent, Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled.
