Community garden turns into community gym

OUTSIDE exercise equipment has been installed at a Community Garden in Clacton to help residents and patients keep active and healthy.

Four new pieces of equipment have been installed at the Kennedy Way Community Garden to create a free community gym.

Nestled within the garden, the gym includes a pedal and arm machine, a combi, a double rower and a special arm and pedal bike for the disabled.

The gym is part of phase 1 of Community Voluntary Services Tendring’s community garden development at the Kennedy Way Medical Centre car park.

It joins the raised beds, grassed areas with benches, polytunnel, and men’s shed already in situ.

Nicola Vella, volunteer co-ordinator at CVST, said: “It’s brilliant to see the outside exercise equipment in place, which is the last part of Phase 1.

“Volunteers and visitors have already been trying it out and having lots of fun.

“The community garden has grown hugely in popularity and is really becoming a buzzing place for community activity.

“We are now looking forward to starting Phase 2, which will include a new community building, vegetable planters and a sensory garden.”

The community garden officially opened in October 2021 and is a result of a unique collaboration between the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System Local Estates Forum, the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance, site owners NHS Property Services and Community Voluntary Services Tendring (CVST).

A compost toilet is the last piece of equipment be installed at the site under Phase 1 and already CVST has received hints and tips from a guest horticulturalist from the RHS for Phase 2.

New additional features in place include a new compost box and a disabled ramp to access the Men’s Shed.

The community garden is now also the base for Abberton Rural Training’s Seeds4Growth rural skills courses.

For more information about Kennedy Way Community Garden visit Kennedy Way Community Garden – CVS Tendring.