Outdoor Gym Equipment Replaced

As part of its continued commitment to improve its parks and open spaces in Hailsham, the Town Council project to replace the outdoor gym equipment located on the Western Road Recreation Ground has now been completed, part of a wider package of improvements to recreational facilities townwide.

As a result of the outdoor gym coming to the end of its serviceable life, combined with the high usage of the equipment since its installation in 2012, plans got under way for all the items of equipment to be replaced with new equipment that is accessible to all. The existing rubber mulch surface on site has also been replaced with tarmac.

The project was paid for by using the Town Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds and will future proof the outdoor gym for the next 10-15 years.

The all-weather outdoor gym located on the Western Road Recreation Ground, which is available to use 24 hours a day, was introduced by the Town Council to encourage more people in Hailsham to take up exercise in the open air and improve their health.

The proposal to install an outdoor gym came from Hailsham Youth Council prior to being formally agreed by the Town Council in 2011. The Youth Council organised a small working party to look at the design of the facility, carry out a community survey on the benefits of installing an outdoor gym, and seeking funding for the project – of which £10,000 was awarded by the Awards For All scheme.

The Town Council also maintains the outdoor gym equipment adjacent to the Maurice Thornton Playing Field in the east of the town.

All equipment in the Town Council’s outdoor gym and children’s play areas conform to strict health and safety guidelines and regular safety checks are carried out to ensure they are not damaged by vandalism or natural wear and tear, in addition to development work to improve the quality of play areas where necessary.

Cllr Alexa Clarke, Chair of the Assets Management Committee commented: “The Town Council’s outdoor gyms and equally, our children’s play areas, strike a balance between providing stimulating exercise and play with meeting current safety requirements, which is why we pride ourselves in maintaining our facilities to the highest standards and undertaking regular inspections, repairs and replacements of equipment and ground surfacing where necessary.”