Outdoor gym equipment is to be installed in Victoria Park a Park in Royal Leamington Spa, following the generosity of a property development company.
The Rotary Club of Royal Leamington Spa raised £5,000 towards the project in Victoria Park including a donation from The Rotary Club of Bruhl, which Royal Leamington Spa is twinned with, before approaching AC Lloyd for sponsorship.
Alistair Clark, managing director of AC Lloyd Homes, was happy to support the club’s idea and agreed the company would pay the remaining £20,000 for the exciting project.
The outdoor gym equipment will be installed near the skate board park as soon as possible.
Brian Bassett, a member of The Rotary Club of Royal Leamington Spa, said he thought the outdoor gym equipment would be popular with all ages.
He said: “It is a method of encouraging people to go out and do some exercise and help the general public to become healthier and fitter.
“We have chosen two bicycles and two cross-trainers as well as parallel bars and other pull-up equipment and astro turf is going to be laid in this section.
“There is a track that goes round Victoria Park which is half-a-mile long so people could come and use the equipment and cycle or run round the park as well as part of their fitness routine.
“There are many outdoor exercise classes held in Victoria Park and these groups will be able to incorporate the equipment into their sessions. We really hope it will benefit everyone.
“I think it is a wonderful gesture by AC Lloyd to donate £20,000 and I’m sure it will be hugely appreciated by the town’s residents.”
Alistair Clark, of AC Lloyd Homes, said they were delighted to help the project get off the ground.
He said: “More and more people have enjoyed exercising outdoors during Covid-19 and this outdoor gym will hopefully play a part in encouraging others to get fit.
“We have held regular discussions with Warwick District Council to find the ideal place in Victoria Park for the gym to be situated and bikes and cross-trainers are always popular pieces of equipment in an indoor gym so I’m sure they will be just as well used in the great outdoors.
“This gym will also be an attraction for purchasers of our apartments at nearby Victoria Point since they will be able to nip across the road into the park and exercise.”
Councillor Alan Rhead, Warwick District Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment & Neighbourhood services, said the new outdoor gym equipment would be an excellent addition to the park.
He said: “This was a wonderful donation by AC Lloyd and The Rotary Clubs of Royal Leamington Spa and Bruhl, which will help residents take part in an extended range of activities.
“The new equipment will give park users the option to do exercise, that they would have normally done in an indoor gym.
“The outdoor gym is in addition to many upgrades and restoration projects that are currently taking place in the park, such as the upgrading of the children’s play facilities and the resurfacing work carried out on the parks paths, to help residents stay active.”
The new outdoor gym in Royal Leamington Spa’s Victoria Park, is one of many infrastructure and public realm improvement projects being supported by Warwick District Council and the Government’s Local Growth Fund through the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Lawn Bowls and Para Bowls competitions, taking place in Victoria Park.
Caption: Brian Bassett from The Rotary Club of Royal Leamington Spa (left) with Alistair Clark from AC Lloyd at Victoria Park