Gymnastics club to close in 2024 due to rising costs

The owner of a gymnastics club in Jersey said rising costs have forced her to close.

De Mond Gymnastics Academy (DMGA), in St Mary, has been running for 15 years but is set to close its doors in 2024.

Deputy Lucy Stephenson, the minister responsible for sport, said gymnasts would be given more options of clubs in the future.

Owner Tory de Mond said the closure was not an easy decision and that it would affect 400 gymnasts aged between two and 15.

"It's really sad," she said.

"It hasn't been easy but then I know that I can't find any more days in the week and I can't make people pay more money and everyone is struggling.

"They've been devastated but I hope that I've given people enough notice so that we can continue through to the summer."

Seven-year-old gymnast Kaia has been attending DMGA for three years and her father Ollie said they were "devastated" to find out the club was closing.

"She's gone from strength to strength and we don't know where she's going to go from here," he said.

Kaia said she was "really, really sad" and that she wanted "to stay here with Tory".

Ms Stephenson said the government did not want to see "any sports club disappear" and that the club had provided "a great service to lots of people".

She said: "We are mindful that facilities play a big part in this.

"As I've said, private rent is one of the elements here and, as we build the new Oakfield facility, the current sports hall is to become a government-run gymnastics facility.

"Of course it's a concern," she added.

"I have asked Jersey Sport to look at gymnastics as a whole and see if maybe we should be looking at a sport development plan."

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