People suffering mental health after effects from the catastrophic flooding will benefit from a new, free space – the Gympie Rotary Community Exercise Park.
“One of the best aspects of this project is its accessibility to everyone in the community, a space that is free and beneficial for all to enjoy,” said architect of the idea and former Rotary president Karen Gresham.
“Regular exercise improves physical health and also boosts mental health and well-being and with the flooding, this will be a great asset,” she said.
“We linked with Chief Training for guidance on specific suitable options for inclusivity, connected with A-Space for quotes and applied for a Council Grant for the first step in our search for funds.
“We have begged, borrowed and stolen from some very generous donors to get enough cash together to pull this project together and have also been fortunate enough to have the support of many local businesses to provide us with their specialised services to make this project a reality,” she said.
The park was officially opened on 25 July, with roughly 130 people and dignitaries in attendance and the project cost in excess of $90,000 to construct.
“Gympie Rotary is so proud to have pulled this off for the whole Gympie community,” she said.
“This community exercise park offers opportunities to families, seniors engaging in gentle exercises to improve flexibility and balance, people with disabilities working on their abilities and youth developing healthy habits and building on their strengths.”
The park is situated on the corner of Hyne and Rose Streets and all of the equipment is free to use by any member of the community at any time.
There are QR codes on all the machines, which connect to videos to detail how each machine is correctly used.
