JUMP-start Aeronauts

💙 Who are we? 💙

🔹Aeronauts is a Hartlepool-based trampoline club that has been part of the local community for almost 30 years. We have had hundreds of members over the years, ranging primarily between age 2 to 18 plus several adults too. We offer a mix of evening and weekend classes at affordable prices and free sessions at local primary schools for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and with special educational needs. We have coaches trained up to and including Level 4 (Senior Club Coach). 

🔹Our club prides itself on its warm and welcoming atmosphere, open to everyone who wants to bounce. The main aim of the club is to have fun and for members to work at their own pace, be that competitive or recreational. We welcome casual bouncers.......

as well as those wishing to compete (we have travelled as far as Northern Ireland to compete at National and Regional level).......

🔹Our approach is one of inclusivity.  We welcome everyone regardless of background or barriers, adapting our coaching to meet their needs. We think of ourselves as a family as well as a club.  Many of our coaches were members once themselves, bouncing with us from a young age, and we encourage older members to support and mentor younger children (helping build life skills, self-confidence, and self-esteem).                                                           

🔹We run wellbeing sessions for the children outside of trampolining. We do arts and crafts as well as general sessions where we chat and the children are able to open up about anything they may wish to discuss either as a group or to one of the trained volunteers. 

🔹We also run strength and conditioning classes to help with the competitors stamina, endurance and confidence building. 

💙Why are we crowdfunding?

🔹The current financial crisis has hit the club hard.  We hadn't yet fully recovered from the impact of Covid-19 (which saw us closed for months, losing members and income) when our costs began to rise. 

🔹Upgrading to more fitting premises has inevitably incurred higher costs. In addition to this, regularly putting up and taking down the trampolines (as well as them being of a significant age), has meant increased services. Rather than their yearly service and maintenance costs, we have needed four visits this year from the maintenance company to do repairs and replacements on our equipment.

🔹To cover these costs, we need to significantly increase our current membership fees, something we want to avoid if we can because we know many of the families who bounce with us simply can't afford this. We also want to ensure members continue to have the opportunity to attend multiple times a week, as opposed to once at a more expensive rate. 

🔹To give a little context, each new coach or upgraded coaching qualification, can cost us in the region of £1,000 to cover their course tuition and exam, mentoring, coach insurance, DBS check and coach uniform. This year we're in the process of developing 4 new coaches and two welfare officers, all of whom are very much needed for the running and existence of the club. Our equipment is old and replacement trampolines are in the region of £8,000 each. 

🔹This is why we're fundraising. If we can raise £10,000, we can cover our increased venue costs and ensure our equipment is regularly serviced for the next year without increasing membership fees.

💙Previous campaign

🔹We were so proud of our members efforts two years ago during the pandemic when we managed to raise £7,515.00 with 84 supporters. We were recognised by British Gymnastics (our governing body) and received a surprise visit, as a result of our efforts, from Olympic trampolinist Bryony Page. The amazing support we received two years ago, got us back on our feet again, but we did not anticipate the current economic crisis.  We're appealing to people to please help us again, by way of sponsoring us, making a donation or even simply sharing our posts online. Anything at all would be very much appreciated. Check out our previous Crowdfunder where we were exceptionally lucky to achieve such amazing help through the pandemic. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-aeronauts-return-from-covid#start

💙How we’ll spend the money raised

🔹We will use the money raised to cover the increased costs of hiring the sports hall we run sessions from and to arrange for the equipment to be serviced quarterly.  

🔹Members' yearly subs usually help towards (but do not cover in full) staff coaching and updated training courses and individual coach insurance, as stipulated by our governing body, however, losing members due to the recent economic crisis, significantly reduces membership fees received.   Any additional money raised will be put towards coach education, coach/club insurance, replacement equipment as needed as well as continuing to support (where possible) members from low income families with club kit and fees. 

💙Community impact 

🔹Without funding, we're not sure how many of the children who bounce with us will be able to continue because the membership fees will be out of their family's reach. As a result, they will miss out on chances to improve their physical health as well as build life skills, self-confidence, and self-esteem, and make new friends.   

💙How can you play your part?

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

🔹Fundraise for us by becoming a 'supporter': If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea! We are required to have 50 supporters for the project to go ahead!

🔹🔹Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us, because momentum is key to our success!

🔹🔹🔹 Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

🔹🔹🔹🔹Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!

💙 💙 💙 Thank you so much for your support 💙 💙 💙