A new gym for Horsham Park – bringing fitness into the fresh air

As a first for Horsham town, an outdoor gym has been installed in Horsham Park, building on the council’s commitment to help people live a more active healthy lifestyle.

The equipment, which is situated in two different sites in the park, is free to use and fully accessible for users of all fitness levels.

Over the coming months the council’s Wellbeing team will be providing free training sessions on how to use the gym equipment and signage at the equipment locations will provide instructions on how to use each item safely.

Horsham District Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture Cllr Jonathan Chowen invited along members of Horsham Rusty Brains - a group of people living well with dementia,instructors from Outdoor Military Fitness and a selection of the council's Wellbeing clients to try out the impressive range of new equipment with training instructors on hand to show participants how to use the various apparatus.

The outdoor gym, initially suggested by Denne Neighbourhood Council, is split into two separate fitness sites with different styles of training. The first site near the High Ropes facility caters for users new to exercise and includes a cardio range cross trainer, recumbent bike & spinning bike, leg press and lat pull down/shoulder press.

The second site situated on the other side of the Pavilions in the Park leisure centre caters for more advanced fitness users and features Calisthenics tools to improve upper body strength, including sit up benches and monkey bars for a more advanced workout.

This is just one of many improvements to Horsham Park that the council has delivered recently. In recent months the tennis courts have been completely refurbished and in November 2017, floodlights were installed to the courts, enabling users to continue playing until 10pm at night over the autumn and winter months.

“Horsham Park is the town’s most central green space and as such is very deserving of all its recent investments.

“Thanks to Section 106 funding from developers which is set aside to provide infrastructure and public realm improvements, this town centre space can now host an impressive range of all-weather gym equipment for members of our community.

“This all contributes towards the council’s ambition to make Horsham Park a multi-purpose, welcoming public space with facilities for everyone to enjoy outdoor pursuits and promote healthier lifestyle choices.

“We particularly want to encourage more senior citizens to stop by and try out this new equipment whilst they are enjoying a stroll or walking their dogs in our much loved central park.”

Councillor Jonathan Chowen, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture

“We are delighted to launch our 1000^th gym here at Horsham Park. The two gyms here cater for the whole community – from people new to exercise to the super fit.”

Georgie Delaney, Managing Director of the Great Outdoor Gym Company