Flipping Brilliant

Press Release 27th March, 2007

Flipping Brilliant

The Prime Minister will open the new extended gymnastics complex at QEII on Thursday 29th March at 5.30pm.

Christchurch School of Gymnastics, the largest club in New Zealand has built a 880sqm extension to their stadium to house their recreation, pre school and trampoline programmes.

The club has grown from approx 180 in 1997 when the original building was opened to 1598 today. The club first contemplated extending in 2001, but really got serious in 2003 when the programmes started to be compromised through lack of space, and waiting lists were longer than some of the class rolls.

Despite the cramped conditions the club still achieved record results at the 2006 National Championships. A record 26 titles in gymnastics and 12 in trampoline gave them the undisputed title of Top Club.

The results in 2007 will no doubt be even more remarkable.

“The Building committee has achieved an excellent facility which is among the best in the world” said Head Coach Iosif Ferencz a former Romanian National Coach.

The gymnasium has incredible natural light, large bay windows facing the north, and large windows on the east, and the use of skylights.

Project Manager and building Committee member Warren Lewis of Lewis & Barrow Ltd knew exactly what was needed, as his 2 daughters currently spend over 18 hours a week training as members of the Senior Team.

“Warren put in so many additional features that we wouldn’t have thought of, and we are so appreciative of them now. The finishing work by HRS has been excellent, normally a gymnasium is concrete and tin, but we have a building that is state of the art and blends nicely with the original building and into the Park. It is a fantastic place to work and train” said Executive Officer, Avril Enslow

The club is indebted to the Christchurch City Council who granted us $350,000 in 2005 from the Capital Works Fund. The Lion Foundation got on board early in June 2004 and has now donated in total $252,000.

The club was so appreciative of Lion Foundation’s donation so early that they offered naming rights to them. The facility is now named the ‘Lion Foundation Gymnastics Stadium”
Eureka Trust, Mainland Foundation, NZCT, Southern Trust and the Canterbury Community Trust $75,000 were the other major funders.

The club has taken on board a $350,000 low interest community Loan from the Canterbury Community Trust to almost finish off the funding for the $1.4m building.

A relatively small portion of approx $20,000 is still to be found

The club expects a large contingent of important people on Thursday to help them celebrate the next milestone in the clubs illustrious career. Most important will be the Life Members of the club who many years ago set the club on the road to the success it is today. ..

The club has a motto that is very apt – Flipping Brilliant.

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