YMCA Barry is on the shortlist to win a share of Persimmon Homes’ Building Futures £1 million pot supporting under-18s nationwide but first they need online votes to win.

Persimmon Homes East Wales is backing YMCA Barry to be a prize winner at a gala dinner in October, where cash awards of £100,000, £50,000 or £20,000 will be made to those winning the most online votes.

Anthea Clements, chief executive officer, representing YMCA Barry said: “It is a huge achievement to have been selected as a regional finalist, but now we really need people to get behind us and get voting so that we are in the strongest possible position to earn one of the top three cash awards on the night.”

YMCA Barry Gymnastics is the most successful gymnastics club in the Vale of Glamorgan and has more than 850 members and an additional 200 pre-schoolers attending parent and toddler sessions on a weekly basis.

Gymnasts train from one to 18 hours per week and the club caters for all levels of gymnastics from GymBabies to International Elite Gymnasts, which includes two gymnasts representing Wales in Gymnastics at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and three gymnasts representing Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Other gymnastics classes includes Gymtots, recreational & preschool gymnastics for boys and girls, teen gymnastics, as well as cheerleading, tumbling, disability, trampolining and competitive men’s and women’s artistic.

To ensure the current and future members have the best gymnastics experience possible, YMCA Barry are always trying to improve the facility and equipment.

YMCA Barry are trying to raise funds to purchase much needed Federation of International Gymnastics apparatus and expand their services.

Anthea added: "If we were to win, we would be able to buy the apparatus and we would realise a dream of setting up a satellite club in rural Vale of Glamorgan.

"Voting could not be simpler. Just log onto https://www.persimmonhomes.com/building-futures and select Building Futures – Sport and Select YMCA Barry Gymnastics Club to vote for us.

"We would really appreciate everyone’s support.”

Building Futures is being delivered through the Persimmon Charitable Foundation, which last year donated £620,000 to support children’s sport.

Through Building Futures, a total of 128 grants of £1,000 have been awarded to groups supporting sport, education & arts and health across Persimmon’s 31 regional businesses and its head office.

Persimmon Homes is an official partner of Team GB and the Persimmon Charitable Commission enlisted the help of medallists Kat Copeland and Callum Skinner to help determine the three regional finalists for each business division.

One initiative from each category will go on to win £100,000 each through a national award scheme to be decided by a public vote.

As well as the £100,000 first prize, there will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize in each sector, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000.

Online voting opened on July 23 and will close at midnight on September 27.

To support YMCA Barry please visit: www.persimmonhomes.com/building-futures/

If you would like more information about gymnastics at YMCA Barry, please call 01446 724000, email sophie@ymcabarry.org.uk, visit the website www.ymcabarry.org.uk or follow on social media @ymcabarry.