Future of gymnastics in Milton Keynes under threat as club told lease will not be renewed
The future of gymnastics in the city has been thrown into doubt after Milton Keynes Gymnastics were told they will not be offered another lease at their Kingston home.
Their base for more than two decades, the club has been the foundation for thousands of youngsters in the borough into getting a foothold in the sport, developing champions at national and international levels over the years.
Milton Keynes Community Foundation, who own the lease for the Kingston gym, have confirmed however that they will not be offering an extension to MK Gymnastics, and subtenants Trampolining Club and Paramount Parkour, and from February 2027, will look to have a new operator in place.
A statement read: “Milton Keynes Community Foundation has been proud to support MK Gymnastics for the past 26 years, providing more than £1 million in rent subsidy at our gymnastics centre in Kingston.
“Following careful consideration, our Property Committee has decided not to offer a new lease when the current agreement comes to an end in February 2027.
“The current lease and rent subsidy will remain in place until that date, meaning there will be no impact on MK Gymnastics' ability to continue operating in the meantime. We remain in regular conversation with the charity’s management team and trustees as they plan for the future.”
Members of the gymnastics club have begun a petition to save the club’s future in the city, claiming there has been no dialogue from MKCF since the start of the year, and that situation has come as a shock.
The petition says: “After seven months of repeated attempts to communicate with MKCF without receiving a response, we received a letter informing us that our lease would no longer be renewed.
“This decision has placed the future of our club in serious jeopardy and threatens to dismantle everything we have worked so hard to build.
“The reasons behind this decision remain undisclosed, leaving us in the dark and forcing a community into disarray. Immediate suspension of the termination notice is critical to ensure a just and thoughtful deliberation on this matter.
“We demand full disclosure of the reasons for the lease termination, so the community can understand and actively participate in the discussion.”