The government is “appalled” by comments allegedly made by a civil servant towards a gymnastics club for children and young people with disabilities – and has confirmed it will investigate.

The Jersey Special Gymnastics Club closed in June due to what coaches described as safeguarding concerns about shared facilities at the new Oakfield Sports Centre and limited support that left the club feeling treated as a minority.

Gymnastics coach Josie Carey said the club had done everything possible to survive.

She explained that the club, as a not-for-profit organisation operating under the Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled, functioned “without the same resources or support” as other local gymnastics businesses.

Pictured: The government’s new facility at Oakfield, which is set to accommodate sports clubs displaced from Fort Regent due to its upcoming redevelopment. (Rob Currie)

Josie said:  “Unfortunately, we’ve faced limited support in some areas, including from the government, which has treated us more like a minority.

“During a meeting with a government representative, they illustrated our minority status by drawing a large circle and a small dot to show how small a minority we were within the situation.”

Responding, a spokesperson from the Infrastructure and Environment department said: “We are appalled by the comments allegedly made by a government official.

“We will be investigating this and we want to make clear that the alleged comments do not reflect our values.”

Pictured: Committee chair Jeannine Carey described the decision as “the loss of not just a gym club but a community”.

The government statement continued: “We remain committed to inclusive sport and to working with the Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled and other partners to ensure that every athlete has the opportunity to thrive in a safe and supportive environment.

“We respect this difficult choice, but we want to make clear that the government has consistently worked to support the club and stands ready to continue to do so.

“We understand the decision was made by the club’s committee following a change in circumstances and a loss of volunteer coaches and we received notice from the club in May that after the summer the club would be ceasing operation.”

Pictured: Jersey Special Gymnastics Club members joined forces with Move More’s Cycling Without Limits team to complete 100 laps around Les Quennevais in September 2023.

The spokesperson added that the government had supported the club in recent years through specialist equipment, a purpose-built wellbeing room and “ongoing dialogue”.

Jersey Special Gymnastics Club committee chair Jeannine Carey described the closure as “the loss of not just a gym club but a community”.

She said she hoped a new group could one day be formed “where the gymnasts feel safe, happy and free to develop their gymnastic and, more importantly, social skills at their own pace”.