Mayor Encourages Residents to Take Advantage of Local Sporting Opportunities

The Town Mayor has launched another initiative to encourage Hailsham residents to take advantage of the many recreational and sports opportunities offered within the town.

“Participate in local sports, join exercise classes, stay active and share your sporting interests,” said Mayor Cllr Paul Holbrook, who encourages residents to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle and get involved in a specific sport or exercise session by joining one of the many clubs which operate locally.

“Hailsham has a thriving sports community and is home to numerous clubs and groups suitable for people of all ages, each offering different ways to become more active and engage in activities with family members, friends, neighbours and co-workers, whilst supporting the local sports community at the same time.”

“Many of Hailsham’s sports clubs offer sessions for complete beginners as well as more experienced participants and will look after all ages and abilities. Therefore, you don’t have to be experienced in a particular sport to get involved and become a member. It’s also a great opportunity to share existing coaching or volunteering skills for the benefit of others and to make new friends, within a sporting environment.”

“Your Town Council continues to work in partnership with Hailsham Active and other agencies to increase our current sports facilities, whilst at the same time, supporting local sports clubs and organisations.”

“There is a wide range of sports clubs in Hailsham suitable for various ages and abilities, all of which we are keen to see fully utilised. Many are looking for volunteers as well as members.”

Details of sports clubs and exercise groups in Hailsham and surrounding villages, including membership enquiries and contact information are available here and on the Hailsham Active Facebook page: facebook.com/hailshamactive/.

Health, exercise and wellbeing are essential parts of everyday life and are crucial in terms of leading a happy and healthy lifestyle. As the first tier of local government in Hailsham, closest to residents, the Town Council plays a significant role in ensuring our local community is healthier and Hailsham is a thriving place to live.

Residents can benefit from many recreational, exercise and sports opportunities offered at the Town Council’s public open spaces, including those at the Western Road Recreation Ground, maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle in the process and getting involved in specific activities by joining one of the many clubs which operate locally.

In 2020, the recreation ground benefited from the construction of a new all-weather perimeter path (of which the Town Council allocated over £137,000 from Section 106 developer contributions for leisure facilities), giving access around and through the park all year and suitable for walking, cycling and running.

More recently, as part of its continued commitment to improve its parks and open spaces, the Town Council’s project to replace the outdoor gym equipment situated on the recreation ground was completed late last year, part of a wider package of improvements to recreational facilities townwide.

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

The all-weather outdoor exercise facility is available to use 24 hours a day and was introduced by the Town Council to encourage more residents to take up exercise in the open air and improve their health.

The Town Council also maintains the outdoor gym equipment situated adjacent to the Maurice Thornton Playing Field in the east of the town, a facility which includes exercise equipment opportunities for rowing, steps, arm exercises and weightlifting.

Equipment at both outdoor gym sites conform to strict health and safety guidelines, with regular safety checks being 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 outdoor gym facilities where necessary.

“The Town Council’s outdoor gyms 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 upgrades, inspections, repairs and replacements of equipment and ground surfacing where necessary.”