AN Outdoor Gym in Lymm’s Ridgway Grundy Park has been officially opened by former international footballer and local resident David Weir.
The gym – funded by a number of organisations and groups – has nine pieces of equipment designed for use by adults and over-16s.
Parish council chairman, Cllr Anna Fradgley, welcomed guests to the ceremony and invited local resident Denis McAllister whose idea it was, to talk about the background to the project.
He said: “A few years ago when on holiday I used a fitness area in a nearby wood and thought we should have something similar in Lymm. I approached the parish council for support and a small team was set up to investigate the idea and look at possible locations.
“It is well established that exercise is beneficial to both physical and mental health. Most of the funding came from WREN, a not-for-profit organisation whose source of money is landfill tax.”
Cllr Ian Marks who also worked on the project added: “We are very grateful for the additional funding support from Lymm Round Table, the parish council, Active Cheshire and crowd-funders. We are also grateful for the letters of support from various local sporting organisations and the two doctors’ surgeries and for those people who gave a positive response to our public consultation survey. Lastly I would like to thank Warrington Borough Council for filling in the WREN grant application form and for managing the installation for us.”
David Weir a former professional footballer with a career spanning two decades performed the opening ceremony. He played for Everton and Rangers among others and had 69 appearances for Scotland.
He said, “I have used this park for 20 years and my son used the equipment yesterday. I am a firm believer that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. I hope the equipment is put to good use.”
Pictured: Active Cheshire mascot Archie, Denis McAllister, Cllr Ian Marks, David Weir and Cllr Anna Fradgley
