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Earlier this year, a Llandudno gym had dwindled to 15 members and was on the brink of closure. Eight months later, it is riding the crest of a wave having produced a new British champion. Diamond Weightlifting on James Street was a thriving after-school club that supplied more than its fair share of competitors to the Welsh development squad. But by March 2025, it was just weeks away from shutting down after membership plummeted. Under new management, numbers have doubled and the gym’s enthusiastic squad of young lifters are shining again. Leading the way is 13-year-old Charlie Ellis-Perry, from Colwyn Bay , who struck gold at September’s British Junior Championship in Birmingham. Charlie, who has been with the gym from the age of seven, made six out of six lifts for a winning total of 112kg. Meanwhile, teammate Izzy Deakin, 14, claimed bronze. Iwan Pemberton, 16, smashed his personal best and his sister, Della, a Welsh squad member, built on previous achievements. They’re looked after by local couple Claire and Phill Higgins, who took charge of the gym on April 1. Supporting them are two qualified coaches and some enthusiastic parents. “The club was within a couple of weeks of closure when we took over with only 15 members when it once had 60,” said Claire, whose day job is chief executive of the Anheddau charity which helps adults with support needs. "The nearest clubs to us are in Holyhead on Anglesey , and Mold in Flintshire , so that would have been difficult. "But we’ve kept it going and managed to double the membership. We still need a few more. We also really need new premises so we’re actively looking for somewhere suitable because we have a really dedicated team here and some really promising young weightlifters.” Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now In the five years after the gym opened in 2019, it produced two international athletes and 10 North Wales development squad members, some of whom went on to become Welsh and British champions. The facility has an impressive array of equipment spread across two floors. Currently, three girls and one boys are in the all-Wales top 10 in their categories. The gym also caters for children with additional needs. Coaches are careful to teach good technique as weightlifting is “not just brute strength”. Among them is Seamus Leonard-Thomas, 19, who said: “I’ve been training here since I was 11 – my mum had seen it advertised and I was keen on rugby and thought that weightlifting would help me with that. “What happened was that the lifting took over and so did the coaching. Now I work with the minis and juniors and I really enjoy it.” Junior weightlifting is an engaging, goal-oriented sport that offers psychological, and social benefits as well as explosive strength, power and speed. Parents have been quick to recognise the benefits. Jack Such, from Llandudno Junction , said his son Theo is already “hooked” on the sport at the tender age of six – he’s is one of the club’s youngest members. Jack, himself a weightlifting enthusiast, wishes he’d started sooner himself. He said: “Theo is into football and swimming and he needed somewhere else to direct his energy. So we started him on weightlifting and he loves it - he gets more excited about it than his football. “The guys who coach here really teach them properly with a real focus on technique and things like diet. I think the sport is really good for discipline and application. Theo is absolutely hooked on it and we tell him, ‘You’re not going to get your deadlift up if you don’t eat your chicken’.” Isabella Ledru’s son, Anakin, has been with the club for two years. She said: “He would come here every day if he could. He loves it. “He plays a lot of other sports too and it helps with them and with his ADHD. It’s really good for him and for his self-discipline and we can see the progress he has made. The people here are lovely too. Seamus the coach is brilliant with them and the kids love him.” The club is actively recruiting, especially in the six to 10-year-old minis and the 11-15 juniors age groups. It runs five training sessions a week at the town centre gym. Claire added: “We have young lifters developing fast and new faces joining weekly. This month we’re rolling out a new timetable with updated class times, new development groups and pathways for adults to move up to higher levels. “Whether a child wants to compete or just build fitness and confidence, Diamond is a welcoming space for all and we’re excited for the future.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Diamond Weightlifting holds afternoon sessions from 4pm-7pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and on Saturday morning. You can find more details here. Find family activities near you
