Middleton Gymnastics Club was first established in 1986 and was transformed into a not-for profit limited company by Guarantee in 2018. We remain a small community organisation and are responsible for all our own running costs. Our Coaches and supporting volunteers receive minimal or little expenses for all the hard work they put in.

Our lead director (Founder) Glenn Prendergast has passionately led the club for over 30 years and fought for the club to maintain premises in Middleton that continue to be a fun and safe environment for young gymnasts. 

All our coaching staff have been gymnasts themselves at Middleton GC and developed themselves to be level 1, 2, 3 or 4 coaches and judges.

We also have a team of very dedicated volunteers many of whom have been involved with the club since their children were gymnasts; some now have grandchildren as gymnasts. We have also created a parents committee who are dedicated to the fundraising and the development of the club. If you would like to be involved please see details of future meetings and contact details displayed around the gym, on our Facebook Pages, as much or as little support is welcomed.

As a not for profit company we often need to hold fundraising events/activities where parents involvement is necessary. If you can spare the time or resources to help in anyway please speak to any of our coaches or other volunteers.

The aim of the club is to provide a safe, effective and child friendly environment in which the members can participate under guidance of appropriate qualified coaches; this has been recognised with our affiliation to the British Gymnastics Associations Gym Mark. 

Our facilities are an open environment which provides you with the opportunity to observe training sessions provided that it does contravene our health and safety policies.

We have a clear development structure for gymnasts to following which they are organised into groups/classes according to age, gender, ability and individual needs and coaches will be pleased to discuss pathways and training programmes with you.

We have appointed a Welfare officer to deal with any child protection/poor practice issues and to ensure the club maintains its child centred approach. Details of the Welfare Officer can be found on the website and on the notice board in the gym.

The club has adopted the British Gymnastics Club policies for Child Protection, Health Safety and Welfare and Equity. We also have a code of conduct for all officials, coaches, members and parents which are included in this pack and must be adhered to.

It is your responsibility to inform MGC of any changes that may occur such as medical conditions, contact information, address etc. You will also need to update British gymnastics to ensure the validity of your child's insurance.

It is a requirement that every participant has adequate insurance and this is provided by our governing Sports Body — British Gymnastics. 

All new members are granted a 2 week probationary period before they are required to register with British gymnastics online at:

www.british-gymnastics.org 

No member will permitted to participate in a session without current British Gymnastics Insurance.

The registration system on the British Gymnastics website is quick and easy to use and is mobile friendly. British Gymnastics will activate membership and insurance cover immediately. Should you experience any problems please speak to them directly:

British Gymnastics Customer Services Contact Information. 

TEL: 0345 129 7129

Email: customerservice@british-gymnastics.org

Website: www.british-gymnastics.org

In line with the British Gymnastics Insurance  MGC have the annual club membership and the North West Gymnastics Membership which is paid separate to your child’ s British Gymnastics Insurance/membership 

The membership period runs from 1st November—31st October annually and is revised on a quarterly basis throughout the year.

The first 2-4 weeks (depending on start date within the month) payment is made in advance online,  after this time fees are payable on a monthly basis by Direct Debit on 1st day of each month. The direct debit process will be required to be set up  10 days before  the end of your child's first month to ensure the continuety of their gymnastics in the forthcoming month. 

Fee’s become due on the 1st day of each calendar month, an additional administration fee of £5.00 may be charged to your account for each failed or cancelled direct debit, each calendar month . Middleton Gymnastics Club reserves the rights to either suspend or cancel your child's training/membership for late or non-payment of fees over 30 days without prior notice. 

Please be aware should your membership be cancelled by the club for non-payment of fees or other incurred charges, Middleton Gymnastics Club are entitled to refer the total outstanding balance to a debt management company for recovery.      

9.1. Parents must escort their children in to the gym to be signed in.

9.2. Gymnasts should arrive promptly to each training session to ensure a full warm up, unless pre-arranged and at the discretion of the club; members will not be permitted to train once the session has started.

9.3. Parents must arrive promptly when collecting their children from training sessions. It is at the discretion of the club to add additional charges (£10 per 15 minutes) if a parent is persistently late.

9.4. Parents who wish their child (must be aged 13yrs+) to have the right to travel/walk home alone will need to complete a parental consent waiver form.

10.1 If your child is to be absent due to illness, common gymnastics injury, injury sustained outside of training or a reason that is not considered to be long term please notify us , by message or online at www.middletongymnasticsclub.co.uk or via the Coacha App  prior to your child’s session (please do not post on the clubs group facebook page).

10.2. In the event that your child is unable to attend due to long term illness or injury please notify us as soon as possible so we can make arrangements to suspend or amend payments (this is at the discretion of the club).

10.3. Should your child be absent for more than two weeks without notification for any reason, MGC are entitled to cancel your membership and offer your place to a new member without prior notice.

10.4. Please notify us of any holidays you have booked. For the duration of your holiday fees will still apply, we do however close for periods such as Christmas and bank holidays, these closures have already be included within your monthly subscription.

10.5 If your child is selected as part of our competitive squad they are expected to attend a minimum of 80% of session within the calendar year. Exception or long term injuries sustained in training or illness

11.1 Clothing, Attire & Training Equipment

11.1.1 Appropriate clothing should be worn for training such as leotards (without skirts) or a tight fitting t-shirt and shorts/ leggings. No dresses, denim, hooded tops, baggy clothing or clothing that has zips.

11.1.2 Leotards, tracksuits and merchandise can be purchased and a weekly payment plan can be arranged to spread the cost. Please ask for details

11.1.3 If your child is selected as part of one of our competitive squads they will be required to have a club leotard and tracksuit ready for competitions.

11.1.4 It is your responsibility to ensure your child has the appropriate training aids such as ankle weights, hand guards, gloves/loops & chalk for them to best benefit from each session. This is especially important for our competitive squad members.

11.1.5 Any training accessories or clothing ordered through the club must be paid for in full when ordering.

11.2 Jewellery, Hair & Accessories

11.2.1 Long hair should be tied back and NO JEWELLERY.

11.2.2  An exception to 11.2.1 Newly pierced ears can be tapped until they have healed and can be removed. 

11.2.3 Body Adornments or jewllery (for religious beliefs) that cannot be removed must be securely covered / taped to reduce risk of injury, and MGC will not be held responsible for any injury caused to your child for non removal of.

11.3 in association to 11.2.2 & 11.2.3 any piercings or jewellery should be covered / tapped prior to your start of your child’s session by the parent not the club.

11.4 Smart watches are permitted when participating in gymnastic activities

11.5 Personal Belonging (including Pre-Owned Sale items)

11.5.1 Middleton Gymnastics Club does not accept any responsibility for members, parents, volunteers belongings brought to, left, damaged or lost at the club.

11.5.2 Any items such as pre-owned clothing or leotards you wish to display for sale at the club are solely your responsibility and Middleton Gymnastics Club are not liable for any damage, loss or replacement of any items. 

11.12 Any training accessories or clothing ordered through the club must be paid for in full when ordering.

We are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the well-being of all our members. The club believes it is important that members, coaches, administrators and parents associated with the club should, at all times, show respect and understanding for the safety and welfare of others. Therefore members are encouraged to be open at all times and share concerns or complaints that they may have about any aspect of the club with the nominated Welfare Officer. Details of Welfare Officers are displayed in the gym. 

The essence of good ethical conduct and practice is summarised below. All club Coaches, Officials, Parents and Volunteers must:-

12.1 Coaches/Volunteers/Officials

1. Consider the well-being and safety of participants before the development of performance

2. Develop an appropriate working relationship with performers based on mutual trust and respect

3. Hold the appropriate, valid qualifications and insurance cover

4.Make sure all activities are appropriate to the age, ability and experience of those taking part and ensure all participants are suitably prepared physically and mentally when learning new skills

5. Display consistently high standards of behavior and appearance, dressing suitably and not using inappropriate language at any time whilst involved with club activities

6. Never consume alcohol immediately before or during training or events

7. Obtain prior agreement from the parent/guardian and only in exceptional circumstances transport a child as per the  British gymnastics Safe Trips Policy 2021.

8. Never have members stay overnight at your home, 

9. Never exert undue influence over performers to obtain personal benefit or reward

10. Always report any incidents, referrals or disclosures immediately, following the appropriate guidelines set out in the BG Safeguarding Policy (Nov 2023)

11. Never condone rule violations or use of prohibited substances

12. Make sure that confidential information is not divulged unless with the express approval of the individual concerned

13. Promote the positive aspects of the sport (eg: fair play)

14. Encourage performers to value their performance and not just results

15. Follow all guidelines laid down by BG and Middleton Gymnastics Club

12.2 Parents/Guardians

1. Encourage your child to learn the rules and participate within them

2. Discourage challenging / arguing with officials

3. Publicly accept officials’ judgment

4. Help your child to recognise good performance, not just results

5. Set a good example by recognising good sportsmanship and applauding the performances off all

6. Never force your child to take part in sport

7. Always ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the activity and has plenty to drink

8. Keep the club informed if your child is ill or unable to attend sessions

9. Endeavour to establish good communication with the club, coaches and officials through the approved channels

10. Use correct and proper language at all times

11. Never punish or belittle a child for poor performance or making mistakes

12. Always collect your child promptly at the end of a session

12.3 Participants

1. Members must participate within the rules and respect coaches, Judges and their decisions

2. All members must respect opponents and fellow club members

3. Members should keep the agreed timings for training and competitions or inform their coach, or if they are going to be late.

4. Members must wear suitable attire for training and events as agreed with their coach. Keep all long hair tied back. Remove all body jewellery or as per British Gymnastics Body piercing policy.

5. Members should be supportive, respectful and encourage team mates

6. Members should not enter the training area until you are asked to do so by your coach  

7.Members should not use the apparatus until you have received the instructions from your coach.

8.Members, should not criticise the ability or performance of another gymnast.

9. Bullying of any kind will not be tolerated as per the clubs anit-bullying policy 2023

• 12.4 Behaviour Processing

Middleton Gymnastics Clubs operates a 3 Strike behavior policy. Minor or first instances will receive a verbal warning, second or continued issues; a member will be issued with a formal written warning. Third incident will result in a cancellation of membership. Dependant on the severity or nature of the incident Middleton Gymnastics Club reserves the right to automatically issue a written warning or immediately terminate your membership.

13.1 General damage caused by wear and tear which is consistent with age and usage is expected and accepted.

13.2 Intentional damage caused to the clubs equipment or property then the parent (if the member is under 18) will be responsible for and requested to reimburse the club for either repair or replacement of the damaged property or equipment. Examples: intentionally scratching or carving names/pictures into beam, vault coverings or tearing wall padding or foam blocks in the pitt. 

MGC operates an open policy under which any member, parent/guardian, staff or other official who has a grievance or complaint against other users can make it known to the Directors of the Club, in order that problems or issues can be highlighted, discussed and resolved. This will hopefully provide an atmosphere within the club which is conducive to high levels of achievement while being as enjoyable as possible for all users.

Full details can be found within the MGC HUB on the clubs website

14.1 Middleton Gymnastics Club will not provide or administer any medication, should your child require any medication prescribed by medical professional during a session, the parent or guardian is required to stay throughout the duration of the session. 

14.2 Any member on prescribed medication (such as anti-biotics) should only participate if you have sought medical advice to confirm there are no side effects that may cause risk of injury or by  participating  in gymnastic activities will not have a negative impact on health. 

14.3 Members with asthma should ensure they bring their own prescribed in-hailer to each session.

16.1 Imagery/ Photography & Videos

16.1.1 Middleton Gymnastics Club is keen to promote the sport of gymnastics and  like to take photographs to promote achievements and capture children participating/competing in the gym and at competition venues, trips, fundraising events/presentation evenings.

16.1.2  All photos, videos will be published in line with the guidance contained in the BG SafeGuarding  and Protecting Children Policy including the use of photographs and recorded Images,  the Health, Safety and Welfare Policy and the Clubs Privacy policy on use of Imagery on the internet and for marketing and publishing purposes.

16.1.3 Photo’s video’s or live streaming sessions is strictly prohibited. Should you wish to video your child please speak to the lead coach who will be happy to arrange this for you.

16.2 Mobile Phones / Smart Devices

16.2.1  Members use of mobile phones, smart watches or other devices is not permitted during training sessions unless for a specific purpose which has been pre-arranged with a lead coach.

16.3 Software and App’s

16.3.1 Parents will have free access to the (MGC) Coacha application. It remains the parents responsibility to ensure your childs information and preferences are correct and up to date and to check for notice broadcasts made via the Coacha system.

16.3.2 The parents mobile number may be added to groups on various app to provide additional notifications to specfic member groups. You can be removed from any groups at any time by informing the club.

16.3.2 Members under the age of 13 years cannot be including in any group messaging or broadcasting servies. 

16.3.3 Members 13 years+ may be added to a relevant broadcast groups via the Coacha system but only with specific consent from the parent, and the parent must also be included in same group. Only system adminsistrators and WFO should have to permission send notifications via this pathways.

16.4 Electronic Systems

16.4.1  MGC has an electronic door systems throughout the building, thus providing higher levels of security for our members while inside the training centre.

16.4.2 The electronic system  automatically allow entry for short periods of time before or between sessions, particpants who arrive late after the set access interval will not be permitted to participate in the session.

16.4.3. Parents who choose to leave the building part way through your childs session will not have access to re-enter the building until next timed interval (10 min prior to the end of the session).  

16.5 Please be aware Middleton Gymnastics Club have internal and external digital CCTV in operation at all times. 

17.1 Your childs right to participate in sessions may be suspended for such reasons, but not limited to:

• Overdue account balance (monies owed to the club)

• No active Club Membership

• No British Gymnastics Membership or  where a previous annual memberhip is not active, has lapsed or expired. 

• An event or occurance in respect of behaviour 

17.2 Fees will still be payable during such periods of suspension until resolved or your membership is cancelled by either you or the club.

18.1 Car Parking

18.1.1 As part of a group of users the Bowlee site is shared and therefore common respect for others should be given at all times.

18.1.2 Users of MGC have access to use the carpark when visting MGC, but must ensure they park within a single parking bay.

18.1.3 Vehicles should not be parked on pavements or in clearly marked area’s

18.1.4 If the car park is FULL (no free carparking bays) site staff, visitors and members of the club must find alternative safe parking out side of the school site, ensuring parking doesn not block access, endager anyone or inconvienience local residents.

18.1.5 There is a maximum 5mph speed limit within the site.

18.1.6 Bicycles and scooters must not be ridden on the school grounds. They must be walked on and off site.

18.2.Smoking or Vaping 

18.2.1 MGC is located within the compound of a local school and therefore must adhere to national, local and site policies in respect of Smoking and Vaping in Public areas, in line with the Health Act of 2006.

18.2.2 No member or visitor or staff is permitted to smoke or vape within the site boundary, this include the car park.

19.1 It is your responsibility to inform MGC should you wish you leave/cancel your membership and fees are payable until the last day of the month you notified us. On cancellation of your membership we will notify British Gymnastics and un-attach you from MGC as your primary club, your insurance be may suspended by BG until the expiry date of its current term (This can be transferred or reactivated should you move to another club).

19.2. MGC will notify you should we cancel your membership, and as such fees are still payable until the end of the current calendar month.

19.3. On cancellation of your membership either by you or the club both fees, BG Insurance or other annual membership payments are non-refundable.

19.4. Any outstanding fees or other incurred charges may be passed to a third party debt collection agency after 30 days of cancelling your membership if left unpaid.