Nurturing community spaces is key to helping Essex residents find their active! Through the Find Your Active Places and Spaces funding, community assets across the county are being developed to ensure they’re fit for purpose.
London Marathon Foundation have been able to support this funding following the success of Ford RideLondon – Essex 2023. Not only does the mass participation event encourage people to cycle more but it inspires residents to get active in their own local spaces!
Feeling supported to get active is an important factor and this is being achieved through creating a space where like minded residents can enjoy moving together. Places and spaces will therefore reduce social isolation and social anxiety as a safe environment has been created within their community.
Across Essex, 13 projects have been supported and nurtured so far! These include indoor and outdoor spaces such as bike parking, allotments and table tennis tables. Increasing opportunities for new activities and supporting existing projects will boost the activity levels of residents. Boosted daily movement will improve mood, reduce stress and have a wide range of health benefits.
In Basildon, Northlands Park Cycle Parking has had funding which has resulted in residents being able to cycle more using the parking. Not only has it increased bike usage but now led rides can be planned alongside the Basildon Essex Pedal Power programme which will again build this community around their new funded space.
Relationship Manager, Hayley Chapman, who works for Active Essex said; “This funding has created more accessible opportunities for approximately 2,790 residents to get active in the heart of their communities. We look forward to continuing to work with our Places and Spaces recipients as each project progresses.”
In the midst of the cost of living crisis, it’s important to fund these projects and groups so they have a space they can access free of costs. Removing the stress of paying for activity will ensure residents are encouraged to visit these community facilities and fully embrace the benefits of getting active.
Find out more here: https://www.activeessex.org/find-your-active/the-places-and-spaces-fund/
