TOP gymnasts are set to show off their skills at a Basildon gym after it received more than £260,000 of funding for new equipment.

South Essex Gymnastic Club will boast state-of-the-art facilities when it moves into new premises at Basildon’s Sporting Village, off Cranes Farm Road.

The club already counts international medal winners among its ranks, while it is hoped the new equipment will be used by Olympic gymnast teams ahead of the 2012 Games in London.

Scott Hann, director of coaching at the club, said: “There’s no doubt these facilities are among the best in the country.

“We are in talks with certain countries which are looking to use our base as a training venue for the Olympics. I can’t say which countries yet, but we are talking about some of the leading countries in the world when it comes to gymnastics.”

The new gym at the Sporting village will include an Olympic standard 14-metre-by-14-metre sprung wooden floor, as well as a padded floor for rhythmic gymnasts.

There will also be training pits filled with foam, which will allow athletes to practice acrobatic dismounts from equipment such as the parallel bars and rings without injuring themselves.

The equipment has been paid for by the club’s own investment and grants from the Veolia Pitsea Marshes Trust and the English Gymnastics Association.

Most importantly for a club with more than 1,500 members, the space on offer will be much bigger than its current base, also in Cranes Farm Road.

Mr Hann, who was head coach of the England men’s gymnastics team which came second at this year’s Commonwealth Games, in Delhi, said: “We were a bit crowded in our old venue and this will allow us to attract new members.

“We aim to have 2,000 gymnasts eventually, and we will also be able to provide coaching jobs.”

The club currently boasts several medal winners at major international tournaments, including Reiss Beckford and Matt Whitlock, who were part of the Great Britain team at the European team championships.

It also provides coaching for a wide range of standards, including disabled athletes and children from disadvantaged backgrounds.