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Saturday 17th of May 2008 - Welcome to The Blue Falcons Website, Part of Chelmer Valley High School
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>> About Us
The Blue Falcons Gymnastic Display Team was founded in 1974 by Team Manager Mick Ford. The team is based at Chelmer Valley High School and is composed of students both past and present. Over the past 30 years The Blue Falcons has gained a reputation as one of the foremost gymnastic display teams in the country.
The main format of the displays is based upon the Armed Services form of gymnastic displays, therefore vaulting provides the basis, although there is no limit to the type of vaults performed. In its repertoire the team include vaulting each other, hoops of fire, cars and can, if the weather is favourable, vault the school minibus, width and lengthways. This is a feat we feel is unique to the team.
From the first ever public display at Broomfield Women’s Institute, The Blue Falcons have received much recognition. Throughout the year the team regularly appear at fetes, carnivals, shows, spectaculars and fun days, but have also had the pleasure of appearing at larger national venues.
In 1991 The Blue Falcons appeared at Wembley Stadium as part of the BBC’s Children in Need Appeal. The team also had the honour of performing before HRH The Duchess of Kent and 10,000 spectators at the 1995 Royal Tournament (the first school gymnastic display team to have done so). Such was the response that the team gave repeat performances in 1996 and 1997.
In 1998 The Blue Falcons were given the honour of Classic FM’s first ever national ‘Team of the Week’.
In December 1999, in the teams 25th year, The Blue Falcons successfully achieved an official Guinness World Record for the amount of vaults completed in 1 hour.
The Blue Falcons have also had the pleasure of performing at such venues as Police Fun Days, Chelmsford Spectacular, Military Tattoos, and The Royal Navy’s Festival of the Sea – Portsmouth and ‘Navy Days’ – Chatham.
Appearances have been made on both local and national television including: TV South East, Anglia News, Look East, BBC Children in Need and Blue Peter.
In 1996 and 1998 The Blue Falcons gained the Award for Youth from Chelmsford Borough Council in recognition of its work and achievements. In one fundraising event the team vaulted continuously for 24 hours, not only completing a World Record 212,775 vaults but also producing enough money towards replacing the school minibus as well as provide Broomfield Hospital with a new TV and Video for its Children’s Ward.
In September 2003 at The Meadows Shopping Centre, Chelmsford, The Blue Falcons held a sponsored World Record Event with two teams aiming to beat their own Guinness World Record for the ‘most vaults in one hour’ set in 1999. The event was a complete success with both teams breaking the original record with 4575 and 5685 vaults respectively and once again making The Blue Falcons official Guinness World Record Holders. Funds raised were donated to Little Haven Children’s Hospice and were sufficient enough to sponsor a specialised nurse for six weeks.
Successfully combining endurance vaulting with fundraising the team have managed to raise well in excess of £15,000 for local, national and worthy causes.
Such is the demand for places in The Blue Falcons that in 1994 a junior team was formed, The Fledglings. This team is mainly made up of Year 7 students who are given the opportunity to gain confidence and ability before moving up into the main team. This ensures that The Blue Falcons consistently maintains its high standards of performance.
Members of The Blue Falcons are deeply indebted to their current sponsors The Royal Navy, Waterhouse Mercedes and Visteon.
The Blue Falcons appear by kind permission of Mr. D.N. Franklin, Head Teacher, Chelmer Valley High School...
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