Stamford Gymnastics Club and Aurora Rose Ballet School move in together at Essendine, in Rutland

A new home has helped sport and dance clubs pull in hundreds of new members and improve the skills of their pupils.

Stamford Gymnastics Club and the Aurora Rose Ballet School, run respectively by husband and wife Mat and Aimee-Louise Cooper, moved into their ‘first home’ in Essendine, late last year.

The couple have continued to work hard over the winter to convert the three former storage units at Meadow Park Industrial Estate.

The British Gymnastics-registered club was run from Casterton College before the move, restricting the number and size of classes he could offer, leaving 100s of young gymnasts on a waiting list.

Since moving in, gym club owner Mat Cooper has been able to take on 130 new members, swelling its membership to 350.

“We’ve managed to relieve a lot of our waiting list and we’ve managed to put on more classes, so it’s going well,” he said.

“Hopefully there’s more scope for more expansion. We’ve managed to increase class sizes and ideally in the future we’d like to expand our coaching staff so we can expand our classes further.”

He added: “I’m currently accountant, coach, head coach, cleaner and everything else in between, so it’s a lot more work.

“But it’s something I feel Stamford has needed for a long while and our waiting list proved that.”

The move has also brought better facilities, such as competition-standard parallel bars, to draw the potential out of the gymnasts.

“We’ve gone from working on thin judo mats on a concrete floor to having a proper competition-sprung floor,” he said.

“I'm just delighted that the actual skill level of the gymnasts is improving because we have the facilities and equipment to do so now.”

Aimee-Louise set up her ballet school six years ago at a gymnastics club in Bretton, Peterborough, before she and Mat decided to take the plunge and apply for planning permission.

The ballet school previously faced the same restrictions using hired space, but now offers more than 30 classes a week for all ages.

“We have recently taken ISTD Ballet exams and gained incredible results,” she said.

“We now also have a competition team and once a month they are out all over the UK representing ARBS and winning medals left right and centre.”

Having been the sole teacher running classes three nights a week, Aimee-Louise now has a team of four teachers running classes five nights a week and on Saturday daytime.

“It’s been the most positive move for both of us and we hope it continues to build and grow,” she said.

“The school is growing with students as dance and gymnastics do complement each other - it’s perfect having us under one roof,” she said.

“This has been helpful to parents who have children doing multiple classes.