A NEW gym designed for cheerleading has opened with a flourish.

On Saturday, 15 September, trustees, cheerleaders and a special guest went to the opening of the new, specialised, facility for the Basingstoke Wolverines in Daneshill.

The floor has been specially set up to accommodate cheerleading, tumbling and stunting, with a nine-panel sponge floor and tumble track, to allow the safe practice of routines.

The project to get the new facility was launched two years ago in September 2016, and the work being completed, after a suitable premises was found, in August of this year. The ribbon was cut on the new facility by cheerleading world celebrity British Cheer Dad.

Trustee Ruth De Souza said: "We are definitely pleased with our new facility.

"Finding the right location was the key, as we needed somewhere with a 10ft height clearance so that some of the moves can be practised in a safe environment."

The Basingstoke Wolverines have many different teams, with ages from three-year-old novices to members in their mid-20s. There are competitive teams as well as recreational ones and there are mixed teams as well.

The new facility allows for higher levels of cheerleading and stunting, as a normal floor is unsafe for such routines.

Ruth added: "Our previous location of Cranbourne School was a fantastic facility and they were a great help to us but we have outgrown it.

"Also, the floor was unsafe to practice some of the routines, so they had to train one half there and the other at another facility with the softer floor. It is great that they are able to practice all in one place, and I think that we will thrive from this."

Now, they will be able to achieve higher levels of qualified cheerleading as the area is especially designed to accommodate more advanced cheering and tumbling.