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A LOCAL sports club has been awarded nearly £5000 for equipment by Moray Council.

Forres Gymnastics Club (FGC) child protection officer, Christine Whitton, has confirmed the developer obligation funding will go towards new mats, tumble tracks and a portable speaker.

She said: “The application process was straightforward and we’re delighted to receive the funding. We received everything on our wish list and can’t wait to use our new equipment to offer more opportunities to local gymnasts.”

She added: “The pandemic period has been such a difficult time for the club - this new equipment will give the gymnasts and coaches a welcome boost!”

FGC is replacing floor mats they bought in 1989 and buying a new trampette springboard for vaulting, a landing mattress and a fogger.

Head coach Patsy Fraser-Mackintosh said: “We’re mainly replacing worn out stuff. The trampette is a new addition to make learning vaulting easier for our gymnasts.”

FGC has been offering young people a place to enjoy sport and meet friends in a safe and hygienic environment for decades.

Christine is mum to one of the gymnasts who has attended for the last 10 years.

She said: “During the Covid-19 lockdowns we lost a third of our membership but are slowing rebuilding our numbers now. Patsy and her team of coaches have run this club for 35 years and my daughter is one of many who has benefited. Lack of training time at Forres Academy has been an issue and Covid has meant shorter sessions as sanitising and increased cleaning regimes mean finishing earlier. Some of our equipment is 30 years old and difficult to clean so a new, modern fogging machine will allow us to sanitise more quickly, giving us more to train.”

Patsy confirmed FGC has started to compete again, with recent wins at at The Winter Festival in Banchory. FGC will also be at the North District Championships at Inverurie in March and hope to have competitors at the Scottish Floor and Vault Novice in Perth in June. This month FGC is hosting a pizza and games night for gymnasts at Forres Town Hall then a fundraising coffee morning in April. FGC also hope to host a Queen’s Jubilee Club Championship in June.

Patsy was a British Gymnastics tutor for 20 years, training coaches all over Scotland.

She said: “I take great joy in introducing this fantastic sport to people of all ages and love to see children benefit from training, growing in stature and confidence. It is particularly hard to attract girls to sport so we’re proud of our record in helping them reach their potential as gymnasts.”