About Us!

NBC Gymnastics is a Club for all children and young people regardless of their ability or disability!

Over many years our management have learned what makes both a successful club but more importantly a place where children want to be.  Gymnastics develops the most basic of gross motor functions right up to skilled movements, perfected over time.  It also provides the foundation for physical movement and many other sports, as well as other important life skills.  At NBC Gymnastics, we want as many children, whatever their level to be able to access the best facilities and coaching locally and at a subsidised cost.

NBC Gymnastics is run by a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.  We are completely not-for-profit and our charitable aims to improve young people’s lives are central to everything we do.  All of activities are subsidised through our club’s own fundraising activities and also by the many grants we have been so fortunate to have been awarded over the years.

We are proud to be one of the largest clubs in the country focusing solely on ‘Gymnastics For All’.  We use all sorts of elite level equipment and ‘help’ apparatus along with quality coaching to assist all children to reach their potential in both gymnastics and physical movement.

Our facility is quite unique as we also offer a full-time disability programme here at NBC Gymnastics.  We cater for all with a Special Educational Need or Disability, right through to those with PMLD.  This programme is something we are immensly proud of!

We are really happy that you have decided to find out more about our club.  Please remember that coaches and management are approachable between sessions or via email, and that we value your input regarding any part of our club.

Did you know that we are one of the oldest Gymnastics Clubs in the Country? You can read all about our history below . . . 

 NBC Gymnastics has been formed by Erdington Gym Club which is one of the oldest Gymnastics Clubs in the country. It was formed in 1890 when it was known as the ‘Erdington Athletic Club’.

It formed part of the Birmingham and District Amateur Gymnastic Association and took part in many competitions and activities hosted by it. At this time it was both a men’s and women’s club (many of the members were in their twenties and thirties). The men competed on the horizontal and parallel bars, pommels and vaulting horse. Whilst the women competed in free standing exercises, club swinging and stave exercises with little use of equipment.

The First and Second World Wars saw many clubs close, and the men’s section of the club did come to an end. The women’s club was known at this time as the ‘Erdington Physical Ladies’ Culture Club’.

As we moved into the 1960s and 70s, the club was renamed as ‘Erdington Gymnastics Club’ and had lots of success at local competitions. The club at this time became affiliated to the West Midlands Amateur Gymnastics Association and the Amateur Gymnastic Association of Great Britain. The club focused on ‘Olympic’ Gymnastics and encouraged gymnasts who wanted to learn advanced skills to attend courses arranged by the region.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s a lady named Mary Dawes had a huge influence on the direction of the club. After her death in 1986, Ann Southall and Pat Lightwood took over the running of the club. The club at this time focused on Artistic Gymnastics and did well at Regional Development Plan Grades.

After the departure of Mrs Lightwood, the club was run by Mrs Ann Southall and later by her daughter, Rebecca Whitehouse. The club moved towards non-ndp competitive gymnastics and provided classes at Stockland Green Community Leisure Centre. The Club did very well at local Floor and Vault competitions and had a  high membership of girls attending three times per week.

The current club is overseen by Louise Combellack who has been involved with EGC for the last 30 years and took over the ‘reigns’ in 2009. Stockland Green Leisure Centre being privatised meant that the club moved to Castle Vale to Greenwood Academy for three years. During this time, the club swelled in size to over 200 members and opened its doors to boys and also created a small group of out of age Women’s Artistic grades competitors. Again, the club’s future was jeopardised by a new build at Greenwood Academy meaning training and storage space was not available. In 2016 the committee took the decision to look for a full-time venue.

Louise Combellack and Club Manager Sarah Hayward spent a great deal of time designing a full-time programme, searching out possible venues and meeting with various social investors and funders. At this time a charity was formed to oversee the running of Erdington Gymnastics Club. The purpose of the Charity was to provide affordable and accessible gymnastics sessions of the highest calibre to all children and young people regardless of their ability or disability.   When the current venue in Sutton Coldfield was found, planning was sought from the local council and connections made with lots of local agencies.

Planning being granted and with the help of social investment, and funding from a number of grant makers, North Birmingham Community Gymnastics was born. We moved into and kitted out a large industrial unit over the summer of 2017 with top of the range equipment and accessible facilities.

As of 2020 we launched our full-time disability gymnastics and rebound therapy programme. Children taking part in this can make us of our full changing place facility and overhead hoists.

In 2021 we expanded into the adjoining business unit, allowing lots more children to attend our facility.  As of 2025 we now have over 1500 children and young people attending NBC Gymnastics each week.  The majority of those do so for an hour of GFA Gymnastics a week.  We have a small GFA competitive programme which trains to a very high standard and a successful Disability programme with approximately 12% of our membership having a diagnosis of SEND.