Stamford Gymnastics Club coach Mat Cooper to take on skydive at Sibson Airfield

A gymnastics coach is taking on a skydive to support his long-term ambition of opening a purpose-built club.

Mat Cooper launched a fundraising campaign 12 months ago to raise money for Stamford Gymnastics Club.

The first step towards expansion will be to buy more equipment before he looks into permanent premises.

The club currently meets at Casterton College. It has 200 members and a waiting list of more than 300 children.

Mat said: “It’s a really nice feeling to have so much interest. It makes me proud to know that we’ve got a good reputation in Stamford.

“We own our own specialist gym equipment, but we rely on the school for things like safety mats, so we need to be able to buy those before we can look into a purpose-built facility.”

Mat, 34, has raised nearly £2,000 during the past 12 months. His sponsored skydive is scheduled for Friday, June 2 at Sibson Airfield.

He said: “We have had so much support from local businesses, the community and of course the gymnasts and their families, so I am sticking to my pledge to complete a skydive in aid of the club.

“As a gymnast I spend a lot of time flying around in the air, so I'm not worried about the height. I’m 90 per cent looking forward to it and 10 per cent scared.”

Donations can be made online at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mat-cooper-forsgc

The club is also looking for business sponsors. Anyone interested can email stamfordgymnasticsclub@gmail.com

Mat, who lives in Baston, added: “I’m really grateful for all the support and sponsorship I’ve received. I hope we can keep the momentum going so we can achieve the aim of having our own facility in the near future.”