Schools getting outdoor gyms

LISNAGARVEY and Fort Hill College are to receive new state of the art outdoor gym facilities as part of a £500K contract.

The new gym is part of a new £300,000 contract commissioned by the South Eastern Education and Library Board which will be rolled out to two local schools as well as Down High School, Saintfield High School, Regent House and Glenlola Collegiate in the coming months.

This follows an initial £200,000 contract secured in December 2012 for outdoor gyms within five secondary schools, Ballynahinch High School, Priory Integrated College, Glastry College, Newtownbreda High School and Laurelhill Community College.

Mr Roger Sayers, Head of Property and Planning Services at the SEELB, said, “We are delighted to be able to enable a further six schools to reap the benefits of an outdoor gym facility – we have had nothing but positive feedback from each of the schools so far.

“We are committed to raising the standards of learning and levels of achievement of the young people in our area and what we have here is an innovative and fun way in which pupils of all ages can benefit from a wide range of physical activities.”

The gyms will be installed by Ballynahinch-based company Garden Escapes, in partnership with the Great Outdoor Gym Company, Ireland. The gyms are the first to be located in schools and the largest outdoor gyms in the country, offering pupils of all physical abilities the opportunity to further learn and practice PE outdoors, before, during and after school.

Richard Stuart, Managing Director of Garden Escapes and TGO Ireland said: “Never before has there been such a focus on health and well-being with the interest in outdoor exercise being at an all-time high – especially in children and young adults.

“Physical inactivity causes more deaths than obesity – only smoking, high blood pressure and high blood glucose are responsible for greater mortality.

Richard concluded, “The South Eastern Education and Library Board is to be commended for tackling this problem head on, and we look forward to working with the children in each of the schools alongside local sporting personalities to help show them how to use the machines on a regular basis and integrate physical activity into their school day.”

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