NEWTON-le-Willows' Hope Acrobatic Gymnastics Club opened the new competitive season with a trip north to compete at the South Tyneside International Acro Cup at Sunderland's Stadium of Light complex.

It was a refreshed line up for the club as new partnerships began their journeys, while other were stepping up to higher grades.

There was a fantastic start on Saturday morning as Rosie Kay, Lola Sitko and Evelyn Tetlow-Waites continued where they left off last season with a convincing victory to take gold in the Grade 2 Women's Group. The future looks bright for the young trio as they go from strength to strength.

More success followed for Hope in the Grade 3 Women's Group. The new partnership of Emma Green, in her debut as a base, Eva Barron and newcomer Zlata Zaharia took to the floor hoping to gain experience together. A fantastic performance saw them take 2nd place and a silver medal that was beyond their expectations. They were joined on the podium by clubmates Fliss Roberts and sisters Amelia and Mollie Hughes who claimed a fantastic bronze for their 3rd place finish in large category of 23 competing trios. Harper Mines, Jessica Bithell and Ivy Fisher also showed great potential as a trio with their creditable 8th place.

Hope were agonisingly close to the medals in a couple of categories. Isabel Rummery, Caitlin Hanley and Amelia Harper produced a wonderful display in a tough Youth Women's Group section, up against 22 rivals. A 4th place finish was well deserved and they will surely be amongst the medals in their next outing.

Another 4th Place finish came in a huge and highly competitive Grade 4 Women's Group for Hannah Gannon, Alice Pownall and Olivia Semmens with their thrilling routine, and they were closely followed by Hattie Lloyd, Eva Booth and Ella Dajani in 6th with another outstanding performance.

Isla Cook, Lily-Mae Crabtree and Libby Williams took their place in the FIG 11-16 Women's Group category, a huge step up in class for them and they showed they belong in such quality company. A 5th Place finish in the Dynamic competition was followed up with a 6th place in the Balance section. A solid start for the trio in a field of top quality gymnasts.

In the IDP1 Women's Groups, Ava Earley, Daisy Kay and Luna Tootle showed their grit and determination as they fought through significant setbacks to take an 8th place finish in a top quality field in the Dynamic section.

Next up for Hope is a short trip to Wigan to compete at the North West Championships in a fortnight's time.