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What started with two Mums, a few children, a couple of mats and some other assorted gymnastics gear on loan has since grown into a thriving gymnastics programme for Taranaki tamariki.

With new opportunities to be active, learn new skills and have fun, now, more than 60 children from four rural schools between Omata to Okato flock to Tataraimaka Gymnastics for their sessions up to three times a week.

And thanks to T奴 Manawa funding, it鈥檚 out with the old gear that a group of parents initially pulled together and in with new gym mats, trampolines, balls, beams and hanging ropes.鈥�

Tataraimaka Gymnastics is the mahi of twins Rach and Rose Law and Rebecca Le Prou, who in 2019, had school-age children and didn鈥檛 want to drive into the city to take them to classes.

鈥淭here are no other gymnastics classes in the Oakura, Omata or Okato area. With a strong focus on bringing together our communities of children in these areas, we have seen so many benefits already,鈥� they say.鈥�

鈥淲e encourage free play and structured-based sessions and love to see the joy on the kids鈥� faces when they achieve what seemed impossible.鈥�

Most of all, Rebecca says the classes are giving rural children opportunities to participate and be active.

鈥淲e wanted our children and other children in the community to do gymnastics to learn skills such as strength, co-ordination and understand what their bodies can do in motion,鈥� says Rose.

鈥淭he adults involved did gym as young people, so we understood how useful it has been for just about any sport we have tried later in life.鈥�

Word has since spread and children aged three to 12 now frequent the hall under guidance from instructors/parents.

It鈥檚 also about ensuring the classes are accessible to everyone.

鈥淲e work on鈥痑 volunteer basis with minimum charges and 鈥榢oha' to cover costs of hall hire 鈥� we like to run the groups on a casual basis to include as many as possible,鈥� says Rebecca.鈥�

鈥淲e have no sign-up criteria or charges. Pre-season sign-up and payment can be prohibitive for some groups so our pay as you can ethos allows us to be more inclusive.鈥�

And the benefits have been far-reaching where Rebecca has even seen her own daughter thrive.

鈥淪he started at five years old and is now eight and has always been very quiet and reserved but absolutely thrives in these classes 鈥� they鈥檝e been great for her confidence.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to see the children develop. We love volunteering for our community, it is what drives us and to see our own children and those children in the community benefit from these classes both socially, mentally and physically is awesome.鈥�

Sport Taranaki鈥檚 Janet Fleming says access to a range of opportunities for physical activities can often be a challenge in rural communities.

鈥淚t鈥檚 fantastic to see the energy of grassroots groups like Tataraimaka Gymnastics stepping up to provide something to help keep their community active.

鈥淭he beauty of it is that they鈥檙e building links within the community, and opening doors to something these kids may have never got the chance to try.鈥�