A former junior international gymnast is to open a championship standard training school in her home town of Stafford.

Adele Booth is to launch the Back2Back Gymnastics Club, with the aim of developing talented young able bodied and disabled gymnasts.

Contract negotiations to acquire a large industrial building in the town and convert it into a high-specification gymnastics centre, are well underway.

Adele will be working alongside fellow former international Kellie Thorne around 20 years after the friends trained with the Great Britain team. Adele and Kellie are British Gymnastics qualified coaches.

Adele said: “We have found premises which are perfect for adaptation to an international standard training centre and are looking to open before the start of 2018. The building has high ceilings and space for a fully equipped gymnastic centre, a viewing gallery and café.

“We will be looking to work with gymnasts of all ages and abilities, up to international standard. We can cater for more than 400 pupils and have already had strong interest with around 100 on a waiting list, even at this very early stage.”

There are also ambitious plans for a specialist training facility for disabled gymnasts and a fundraising event is to be held at Stafford’s Polish Club on Friday, 30 June to help raise money towards the estimated £10,000 cost of disability compatible equipment.

Adele, who started gymnastics as a young child at Stafford’s Riverside Recreation Centre, developed to train with the national squad at the Lilleshall national sports centre and represented Great Britain in many international competitions. Along with Kellie, Adele was a member of Park Wrekin Gymnastics Club, coached by Christine and Colin Still, a national coach at Olympic Games.

But injury led to Adele having to give up the sport in her teenage years.

Now gymnastics is enjoying a boom with the British men’s and women’s team gaining a high profile and winning medals at the Olympics and other high profile events.

“There is far more interest now with British gymnasts such as Claudia Fragapane and Max Whitlock having a high profile.

“However, below the national level, training facilities are not of the highest standard and we see a major opportunity to develop a premier facility in the heart of the country at Stafford.

“Gymnastics is fantastic for fitness and there is nothing better for core strength.”

To join Adele at the fundraising event, please email [email protected].