A SPORTS club which has nurtured talented young people into national sporting talents, may have been thrown a lifeline for its survival.

The Europa Gym Club, based in Fraser Road, Erith, has built a reputation for producing top class competitors in sports such as gymnastics, weightlifting and boxing.

But planned rent increases could leave the club, housed in a former industrial warehouse, “dead in the water”, according to gym owners Len and Yvonne Arnold.

Now the future of Europa may lie in the hands of a developer which has offered the club a site to turn into a new gym within its own development project and cash towards the venture.

But it all hinges on whether the proposed development gets planning permission.

Mr Arnold, 53, and his wife, who are both British Gymnastics master coaches, say the proposals offer the club “a glimmer of hope” for the future.

When the couple moved into the Fraser Road building 16 years ago it was just a bare shell with no lighting or heating.

With the help of supporters it has been transformed into a fully functioning club with specialist facilities such as a full-sized competition sprung floor area and a pitted area filled with a solid foam block to provide the gymnasts with a soft landing.

But the couple, who sold their home and moved into the building to save cash, have been unable to secure a long lease.

And without it, the club cannot qualify for funding from bodies such as Sport England.

Now the building’s new owners want to bring the rent up from the current £30,000 a year to commercial levels.

This will see it rise this year to £55,000 and £80,000 next year. By 2011, the club will have to pay the going commercial rate which could be as much as £120,000.

Mr Arnold, England gymnastics team manager, said: “We’ve got kids here competing at a national level. There’s not many other places which can give kids this opportunity.”

Youngsters include weightlifter Zoe Smith, 14, from Abbey Wood, recently crowned Athlete of the Year by the British Olympic Association; Jack Oliver, 17, from Bexley, also part of the Team England weightlifting squad; and Sophie Brundish, 15, and boxer Lewis Pettitt, both members of the England national squads.

Zoe said: “If I had to travel to the only other London weightlifting centre at Crystal Palace I’d never be able to do it and this would have an effect on my progress.”

The club currently has around 1,400 members, but in new purpose-built premises it could easily expand this to more than 3,000.

It would also enable Europa to become a competition venue for its various sports and a training venue for the 02 Arena, which will host the World Gymnastics Championships in October this year.

Bexley Council has been working with the club and the developer, who cannot yet be named for commercial reasons, to look at the latest proposal and is helping explore funding options.

Councillor Peter Catterall, cabinet member for leisure, arts and tourism, said: “It would be a very sad day for sport in London if Europa was forced to close and Bexley will continue to work closely with Len and Yvonne to prevent this from happening.”