Falcons Gym awarded Devon Sporting Legacy Grant

Members of a North Devon gym are doing cartwheels after being named as the recipients of an £18,000 grant from the Exeter Foundation.

All of the money will be match funded and used to replace an out-of-date performance floor at the Falcons Gymnastics Academy in Barnstaple.

Exeter Chiefs’ charity, the Exeter Foundation, has been giving money to local charities for the past six years and recently celebrated reaching £1m in donations.

To celebrate this significant milestone, the trustees agreed to make up to £20,000 available to a Devon sports-related legacy project.

There were several applications for the grant and, after a tough judging session, the Falcons were awarded the cash.

Exeter Foundation trustee and celebrity chef Michael Caines, who was on the panel, said deciding on a winner was a tough choice.

“There were so many worthy recipients but the Falcons’ application just pipped it,” he explained.

The Falcons said they were delighted to be selected to receive the grant. Michael Beagley, Coaching Director of Falcons Gymnastics, said: “The current floor is out of date in terms of performance experience. Floor technology has evolved and now national and international competitions use coil sprung floors.

“Currently our elite gymnasts are at an immediate disadvantage to those training on more advanced flooring and some of the club’s elite gymnasts have needed to travel to Birmingham to prepare them for the national competitions.”

The Exeter Foundation makes funds available for charities, projects and organisations within the greater Exeter area. The criteria for these grants include that the project must be tangible and must be able to demonstrate at least one of the charitable aims of the Exeter Foundation, for example assisting the community in improving future prosperity, advancement of education or promotion of well-being of individuals.

The form to apply for an Exeter Foundation project grant is available on the Exeter Foundation website – www.exeterfoundation.org.uk – which is also home to the latest news and events from the organisation.

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