Morning:
14°c
Gym that trained Olympic hopeful Zoe faces closure
Ruth Bloomfield and Matthew Beard09.01.09
THE gym which has produced one of London's brightest 2012 hopefuls is facing closure.
Zoe Smith, 14, who was named Athlete of the Year in her sport of weightlifting by the British Olympic Association, trains at the Europa club in Erith, south-east London. But the unfunded club faces an uncertain future after its rent almost doubled last summer.
The Europa is home to a host of top gymnasts, boxers and martial artists, with about 1,400 members, 98per cent of whom are under 18.
It has been running for more than 16 years and has produced Olympic hopefuls in three disciplines - gymnastics, weightlifting and boxing - and is the nearest gymnastic club to the O2 Arena, which hosts the World Gymnastics Championships in October. The gym's rent increased from £30,000 to £55,000 a year after the site was taken over by a new landlord, which says it will rise again in 2010 to £75,000.
Europa founder Len Arnold said that only fundraising efforts by parents had kept them afloat. "Our finances are really a day-by-day situation," he said.
"I certainly cannot put my hand on my heart and say that we will still be going in 2012, which puts people like Zoe in a really difficult situation. Zoe really came to us as a gymnast from another club, but my wife, who is an ex-British champion, suggested she might want to try weightlifting and we found she was very, very talented.
"Because of the facilities being here she was able to realise a talent that might not otherwise have been realised."
He said that because the club hasn't got a long lease on its building, a former industrial unit, it does not qualify for funding from Sport England, the National Lottery or Bexley council.
The club relies on children's training fees - from £1.30 to £6 an hour - plus charity fundraising.
Mr Arnold, who is one of Team GB's gymnastic coaches, and his wife Yvonne sold their family home and moved into a flat at the gym to save money. He also pays some of its running costs with fees he receives for building podiums at sporting events. He estimated that £40,000 to £50,000 a year would allow the club to survive and buy new equipment.
Zoe, of Abbey Wood, said: "Without Europa Gym I wouldn't have had any of the success I have had. It would be a disaster if we lose Europa. Where would we all go?"
The demise of the club would be embarrassing for UK gymnastics which has been enjoying a renaissance. This summer Louis Smith won a pommel horse bronze medal, British gymnastics' first Olympic medal for 100 years.
Peter Catterall of Bexley council said: "It would be a very sad day for sport in London if Europa were forced to close and Bexley will continue to work closely with Len and Yvonne to stop it happening."
One glimmer of hope is that Sport England increased funding to British gymnastics to almost £4million a year until 2013 and handed the national federation more flexibility in making grants.
Reader views (3)
Trunk, what a helpful man you are! This clubs has so many members because whilst it's owners struggle they try not to pass on the increases to their members, many of whom come from the deprieved backgrounds. This club keeps so many youngsters off the streets, and gives them discipline to move on to better things later in life.
So using the 1, 2, 3 matrix.
1) Invest in more youth sports facilities which don't have to be run solely by Councils. 2) listen to what these children want, 3) Invest money into facilities. London has some of the biggest waiting lists for gymnastics because there simply are not enough facilities around
- Ben Murphy, Bromley
Solutions: 1) raise the rates 2) cut expenses 3) shut it down. Its called business, and they come and go all the time.
- Trunk, US
Preceding reading the sad news of the possible closure of Europa
I read of an eighty thousand pound handbag given as a gift to a wife of a footballer, and other obscene amounts paid to footballers, pop stars and their ilk.
To the Beckhams I say if you have any pride in this your country, flog the flash bag and invest in our future athletes.
- L1lpooh, London
