The town played host to the first Kent Gymnastics Festival.
Eight groups from five clubs across the county performed their routines in front of a packed house at Swallows leisure centre in Sittingbourne.

The event, held on January 26, was organised by Kent Gymnastics Association to showcase the range of disciplines that make up the sport and the breadth of talent in the area.

For groups like the Next Generation Display Team from Swifts Gymnastics Club, which trains at Swallows, it was their first display in a festival.

Other groups had previous high-profile experience such as Dartford-based Elements Gymnastics which has taken part in the Great British Gym Fusion and the prestigious London Festival.

Pegasus Gymnastics Club, which moved recently to a new centre in Tovil, Maidstone, was also in attendance along with East Kent Acro Gymnastics Club from Deal and a squad from Hartsdown leisure centre.

Lynn Potter, regional development officer for British Gymnastics, said: “Gymnastics is such an exciting sport which includes lots of different disciplines and opportunities.

“Displays and festivals are growing in popularity and offer gymnasts an alternative activity in which to perform and achieve.

“Festivals can involve different types of gymnastics, with or without apparatus and various forms of dance. It also offers a fantastic social experience for participants and spectators and creates a fun and friendly environment in which to take part.

“Gymnastics is a sport that offers everyone a fun, social and exhilarating activity from babies at eight weeks old to veterans of 88 years plus.
“Interest in gymnastics has risen steadily since London 2012 and this is just another way people can get involved.”

Liane Packman, a coach at Sittingbourne Swifts Gymnastics Club, who led a team of volunteers to organise the event, said: “We’re really pleased with the festival and extremely impressed with the quality of performances shown by the clubs who took part.

“I’d like to thank everybody for working hard to make it such a success and look forward to an even bigger and better festival next year.”