THEY leapt with delight, rolled with aplomb, and did it all with gymnastic elegance as children pushed themselves to new heights at a summer camp.

Furness Gymnastics Club held five days of coaching over the summer holidays, with newcomers with no experience flying high alongside more experienced youngsters already at regional level.

Under the guidance club coaches and some of the more experienced junior members, upwards of 60 kids spent between 12 and 18 hours engrossed in the sport.

As well as working hard on the artistic disciplines of floor, vault, beam, bars and trampete – in between breaks for craft activities to help them regain their energy – they also experienced rhythmic gymnastics with ribbons, and dance displays. Summer camp coordinator Lindsey Usher was pleased with the success of the week, with some children taking part over five half-days, and others on either two or three full-day sessions.

“Everything was gymnastics-based, but we spent lots of time teaching the beginners the very basics and working them up towards other skills,” she said.

“The majority of the children were brand-new; they hadn’t done any gymnastics before. So it was a good taster and insight into the sport for them.

“Then we had a lot who had done just a small amount at school, right up to regional level. They were all split into groups working with their own age-group and ability to make sure we got the most out of them during the week and they gained as much as they could from working from us.”

She added: “As well as the floor, vault, beam and bars, we had a fun session with rhythmic ribbons, which isn’t our discipline but the girls really enjoyed having a go.

“We also played games, we did craft activities to give them a rest in between the gymnastics.”

But, despite all the fun that was had over the course of the five days, there was one element that was a particular hit away from the mats.

“They were obsessed with the sock animals they made in the crafts sessions,” said Usher. “To the point where they kept bringing them in every day and sitting them somewhere so that their sock animal could watch them doing their gymnastics.”

Usher thanked the junior members from the club who volunteered to help with the coaching during the week, as well as the other senior coaches.

FURNESS Gymnastics Club hold recreation sessions for both under-10s and over-10s girls.

Sessions for the younger age group take place on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Over-10s coaching is on Mondays and Saturdays.

There are also improvers classes and competitive squad sessions by invitation.

There are waiting lists for all the sessions, with new members joining whenever a space becomes available.

For more information, visit www.furnessgymnastics.co.uk