A GROWING junior weightlifting club is hoping to open its own gym in a bid to boost young people’s strength and fitness.

Wildboar Weightlifting launched last year as the only junior weightlifing club in the Forest, and six of its young members have just lifted medals at the South West Regional Youth Development Competition at Bullpen Fitness in Worcester.

Sporty schoolgirl Mia Bishop, 14, has even been called up into the England junior squad after taking silver in the U15 class at the British junior championships in September, lifting 48kg, some 5kg heavier than she weighs.

And now Wildboar is raising the bar with plans to take over an industrial unit in Lydney’s Whitecross Business Park so it can hold even more training sessions.

The club, which has already been made a talent academy for the south west, currently trains four times a week at the Fortitude Gym next door to the targeted Old Farmer Stores unit, and has around 35 youngsters on its books aged seven to 18.

Coach Josh Telling said: “As we continue our growth, we are looking to have a separate space so we can offer more sessions, work with more young people and have a greater impact on our local community.”

At the regional championships earlier this month, Jake Turley took first in the 15-year-old 109kg and over category, matched by Josh Byett in the 14-year-old 71kg category and Mia in the 14-year-old 49kg category, which earned her an England junior squad call up.

Mia hit a personal best 89kg total and a new PB clean and jerk of 50kg.

Melody Beddis (15-49kg), Libby Ellison (13-45kg) and Jayden Thorne (15-89kg) also took seconds, and for all but Mia and Josh it was their first competition, and all hit PBs.

Their coach added: “Our mission is to work towards getting young people more active. Currently less than 25 per cent of boys and less than 10 per cent of girls meet the basic government recommendations of physical activity levels per week in the UK.

“This is an alarming statistic and has ignited our passion to make a difference and offer something truly unique to young people within our community.

“We currently have a development group and a beginners group to ensure we are inclusive and developing young people effectively and have been selected by British Weightlifting as a talent academy for the south west of England.”

If Forest planners agree to grant a change of use licence for the unit, the club will need up to four coaches to cover sessions, plus cleaning, adminstration and accounting staff.

Projected opening hours are from 6am to 9pm weekdays, 8am to 5pm on Saturdays and 8am to 4pm on Sundays.