"Solutions being explored" with owner of St Mary gymnastics club

Wednesday 28 August 2024

Solutions are "being explored" with the owner of a gymnastics club that is set to close at the end of the month, according to the Government.

De Mond Gymnastics Academy, which announced last year that it was not renewing its lease in 2024 due to high rent costs, has just days until the end of the tenancy in its St Mary-based facility.

As a last ditch attempt to prevent 400 local students from losing their sports club, a petition was launched calling for the Government to provide a facility for gymnasts in the west of the island.

Pictured: De Mond Gymnastics Academy owner Tory De Mond (right), pictured in 2015 with gymnast Elisha Stott.

Launched by Katrina Painter, the petition claimed that the Government and Jersey Sport had "not offered help" to De Mond Gymnastics Academy in the face of its impending closure.

The Government disputed these claims in a statement which said that "several meetings have been held" regarding the club's closure.

The full statement read: "The importance and value of gymnastics to Jersey is recognised, which is why a new dedicated facility is being built at Oakfield to cater for the gymnastics organisations which are going to be required to relocate from Fort Regent.

“We also recognise that there are gymnasts in the west of the island who will be affected by the closure of De Mond Gymnastics.

"The petition asking Government to provide a site for western gymnastics facilities incorrectly states that Ministers and Jersey Sport have not offered help or a possible solution.

"In fact, several meetings have been held, and solutions are being explored both with the current owner of this private business, and with an interest group who are seeking to establish a new gymnastics organisation.”

Pictured: A petition has been launched calling for the Government to provide a site to establish a gymnastics facility in the west of the island.

The renovation of Oakfield Sports Centre in St Saviour is due to be completed by the end of 2025, according to Active Jersey's website.

In the meantime, concerns still remain as to whether there will be sufficient capacity at other local gymnastics clubs to accommodate the 400 students currently at De Mond Gymnastics Academy who, without immediate intervention, will be without a home by the end of the week.

The petition, which has now received over 350 signatures, can be found HERE.