Town Council Promoting Health and Fitness in the Community

Hailsham Town Council will be taking further steps to enhance its parks and public open spaces over the course of the next few months.

Following discussions about the Town Council’s Assets Plan for the future, recent findings gathered as part of the ‘Health Parks’ project’ have been considered, which the Town Council agreed to participate in, designed to give suggestions for improvements to parks and open spaces and maximise community benefit from such spaces in terms of health and well-being.

The Health Parks project report focused on current facilities available at three key sites – the Western Road Recreation Ground, Maurice Thornton Playing Field and Hailsham Country Park – as well as potential features which could be available and promotion of those activities both currently and potentially in the future.

Suggested projects include the replacement of outdoor gym equipment at the Western Road Recreation Ground (to be carried out next year); new peripheral pathways, shaded seating areas and a zip wire facility at the Maurice Thornton Play Field site (the latter having recently been completed); and increased parking, additional seating and the creation of a picnic area and fitness trail proposed at Hailsham Country Park.

Additional informational signage at each of the three sites will be installed in the coming months as advised and the development of the Town Council’s website has reflected this with the inclusion of a dedicated web page focused on leisure facilities in the town – including links to organisations practicing sports and promoting health and fitness.

Explaining the rationale behind the decision to carry out the recent and proposed future improvements to Town Council-maintained parks and open spaces, Town Clerk John Harrison said: “We agreed to participate in the Health Parks project, which is designed to maximise community benefit from green spaces in terms of health, fitness and well-being. The purpose of this document is not to analyse that process but to pull out the salient points and present them, showing where there is potential for asset development to the benefit of the local population. ”

“From the findings received through the Health Parks review/survey, it can be seen that the science is to compare features or facilities in green areas to potential health benefits. Each location is assessed not only with the physical facilities that it has, but also the activities that take place there, and how these can be accessed and made known to people.”

Mr Harrison added: “It goes without saying that parks and green spaces provide a variety of health benefits by promoting physical activity, connection to nature and opportunities for community engagement. Furthermore, they create environments that not only support active lifestyles, but improve access to exercise opportunities into the bargain.”

The recent installation of information signs at the Western Road Recreation Ground, and forthcoming placement of signage at the Maurice Thornton Playing Field and Halsham Country Park is just the beginning of a separate campaign to introduce further exterior signage at Town Council-maintained parks and open spaces onext year. Other sites where signs will be installed include the Common Pond, allotment sites, children’s play areas, Orchard Park and Hailsham Cemetery.