A GYMNASTICS club is in crisis after it emerged a director is being investigated over his alleged treatment of youngsters.
Minutes of a public meeting between management at KD Gymnastics and parents in March revealed Tony Horne “has been under suspension pending investigation by the NGA (Newbury Gymnastics Academy) due to an in-house, anonymous complaint.”
The minutes add: “The allegations include shouting in the gym, using conditioning as a punishment - specifically, leg lifts on the wall bars without cushioning - (and) not allowing water breaks.”
The Newbury Weekly News has received complaints from some parents concerning the issue.
Meanwhile its sister club, NGA, has had its membership of the national governing body, British Gymnastics, revoked for a “serious breach” of its rules.
Amid all this, both welfare officers and a head coach have resigned.
NGA secretary Francesca Horne wrote to parents following the meeting: “It later transcribed that a welfare officer had informed member(s) of NGA to leave immediately which would obviously give rise to uncertainty and panic amongst parents.
“We would like to thank you for your time this evening, and we hope this has helped to alleviate the rumours and hearsay that has been so prevalent.”
The revocation of NGA’s British Gymnastics membership came about after KD Gymnastics, based in Bone Lane, Newbury, split in order to establish NGA as a competitive club.
In 2022, British Gymnastics received confirmation that “the club is being split into two separate entities, with only the performance side being registered (NGA) and the recreational members not being registered any more (KD Gymnastics).
“The club was split within a single venue, with coaches coaching in both environments.”
However, British Gymnastics prohibits clubs from holding dual memberships.
According to the meeting minutes, “Tony’s presence in KD (Gymnastics) while being associated with a non-British Gymnastics club is a violation of British Gymnastics regulations.”
In its ruling, British Gymnastics stated it had considered “the seriousness of the breach” and “the risk to the insurance provision that benefits the whole British Gymnastics community.”
It concluded: “the…registration of NGA is revoked with immediate effect.”
A spokeswoman for KD Gymnastics declined to comment.
Last May KD Gymnastics prompted criticism after publicly displaying the Russian flag.
The club describes it self as a “safe, positive and child friendly environment” - but Ukranian mothers who visited with their children expressed their distress.
However, KD Gymnastics said the flag had been there for more than 15 years and represented its Russian attendees.
A spokeswoman for British Gymnastics said at the time: “We would advise if this issue was raised with us regarding a British Gymnastics-registered club, that the public display of a Russian flag would not be in line with our position or that of the UK Government.
“Currently, however, KD Gymnastics are not a registered British Gymnastics club, and therefore fall out of our governance and membership.”
