WYRE Forest Gymnastics School’s excellent year continued with success at the Hereford and Worcester County Championships.

The Kidderminster-based club has savoured a fine 12 months since its move to new facilities in Lisle Avenue.

September saw the biggest increase in numbers in its 25 year history when 59 new youngsters turned up to the beginner’s class and boosted the membership to 501.

The increase in membership has seen the boys section flourish too. With a competition squad of 22 and recreational section of 62, the club has been able to encourage 10 of the boys to enter into their first six-piece men’s artistic competition to be held on Sunday, November 27.

The club has also benefited throughout the year from a funding award from Sport England for purpose made beam and parallel bars matting, which enables the gym to offer all its performers a safer environment to learn.

In addition to this, contacts with 2012 Olympics apparatus specialist Gymnova has enabled the club to purchase and install a new pit design, which will once again provide safety to performers using bars, floor and vault.

With the help of the apparatus specialists, the club has been able to purchase a new set of competition asymmetric bars and beam, with members raising funds through a variety of different methods.

In the women’s artistic competitions, the club saw all its entrants pass their grading.

In the recreational competitions, both boys and girls achieved success with two golds and two silvers in their first team event.

The regional levels competition saw a silver medal in level three for 15-year-old Kirsty Cartwright, followed by good positions for other members of the squad in level two and four, where Jemima Stanhope narrowly missed a bronze medal.

At the County Championships at Lilleshall National Sports Centre, Emily Chrzan was in inspired form, winning the level five nine-to-10-year-old title overall after she won bronze on the vault and bars and gold on the beam.

Also, the club won five gold medals, nine silver and 11 bronze.

At the West Midlands Regional team competition, Chrzan joined forces with Hanna Watson, Hannah Wedgewood, Adelina Powell, Lucy Driver and Ellie Lashford in the level five team to win bronze.

The recreational squad rounded the off their season with gold, silver and two bronzes in team events held at Fenton sports Centre on Sunday.

Cartwright and Gracie Tapsell-Smith have been selected to represent Hereford and Worcester at the annual John Reeves Inter-County Competition on November 27, which will be the final competition of the year.

Meanwhile, the club is raising funds for its latest project, a two-stoery extension to their current home to add a dance studio, function room and viewing gallery, as well as providing better facilities for the disabled.

Anyone who wants more information on Wyre Forest Gymnastics School can call Louise Hodges on 07734 805128.

Hereford and Worcester County Championships results — level five (Year Eight): Hana Watson 43.7, 4th; Adelina Powell bronze (floor) 42.8, 6th; Ellie Lashford bronze (vault) 39.9, 7th; Bethany Beale 14th; Molly Irons, 16th.

Level five (9/10 Years): Rubie Tapsell-smith silver (beam) 44.95, 4th; Hannah Wedgewood silver (vault) 44.7, 5th; Ellie Lashford 44.55, 6th; Lucy Driver 9th; Zoe Keen 13th; Grace Cooper gold (floor), 15th.

Level five (11/12 Years): Megan Garbet gold (vault) 44.35, 4th; Megan Lown 9th.

Level four (9/10 Years): Sophie Welburn silver (vault), bronze (bars), gold (beam), silver overall, 46.35; Sophie Garbett silver (bars), bronze (beam), bronze overall 44.7; Lucy Stephens, bronze (vault), silver (beam), 7th 43.55.

Level four: Jemima Stanhope bronze (vault), silver (beam), silver overall, 45.45; Rosie Welbourn 43.9, 5th; Blyth Edgar 42.7, 7th.

Level three (12+ Years): Kirsty Cartwright bronze (vault) 6th, 44.3; Katie Welbourn 8th, 44.15.

Level two: Gracie Tapsell-Smith silver (beam) 4th 46.5.