BLACKBURN with Darwen Acro Club were among the medals once again proving that all the hard work – not to mention no lack of talent – is paying dividends.

Hot on the heels of scooping silverware at the British NDP final in Stoke, the Darwen-based club were perching on the podium once again at the North West Tariff Championships.

The competition, one of six held throughout the year, was staged at Robin Park, Wigan and Blackburn with Darwen Acro Club enjoyed one of his biggest medal hauls yet – scooping seven golds, three silvers and two bronze medals to underline their reputation of producing talented young gymnasts.

Billy Walpole and Richard Crewe led the way by winning gold in the Grade Five Pair Tariff 15 event – the highest grade the club competed in on the day.

The pair’s success followed their medal winning exploits in the British final where picked up a stunning silver medal.

William Duffy, Andrew Mares, Reece Holmes and Josh Brown also reached the British finals and finished in a creditable fourth place.

And the awesome foursome showed of the acrobatic talents in Wigan when they also struck gold in Grade Three Tariff 15 event.

There was also a gold medal for Carla Hughes, Chloe Smith and Niamh Killen in the Grade Four Women’s Group 10 Tariff.

At the other end of the scale, in the Grade One 15 Tariff Women’s Pairs, Rose Stancliffe and Ava Chester won gold. Matilda Wood, Olivia Shorrock and Darcey Merrick won the Grade Two Tariff 10 Women’s Group – and there was also a victory for Isobel Merrick, Freya West and Sacha Brown in the Grade Two Tariff 15 Women’s Group event.

And the gold rush was complete when Hannah Brown and Lily Hilton won the Tariff 15 Women’s Pair.

In the Grade Three Tariff 10 Women’s Pairs, Jasmine Neild and Darrell Kileen won silver and Alyssa Wrennall and Aimee Navesey won bronze.

Jessica Henderson, Georgina Bradshaw and Aimee-Leigh Emms were the highest competing girls in the Grade Five Women’s Group Tariff 15 and didn’t disappoint as the picked up a silver medal.

And there was also a silver for Hannah Simm and Poppy Ainsworth in the Grade Two Tariff Women’s Pairs. Molly Holden and Jessica Mathew put on a good show for their fourth place in the Grade Four Pair Tariff 15 and in the Tariff 10, Charlotte O’Neil and Flynn Chambers won bronze.

The gymnasts all train under a dedicated coaching team that includes Samantha Crewe, Marian Lawrenson, Cathryn Crewe, Elaine Riley, Gemma Wignall, Jill Ashcroft and Nicola Bradley.