In 2021, Tendring District Council were success in a bid to Sport England through the Local Delivery Pilot scheme for funding to develop an Active Outdoor Gym in Holland on Sea. As part of this bid, the Council secured a budget of £2,000 for community activation to support local providers to deliver physical activity sessions at the outdoor gym, encouraging use of the site and increasing confidence in using the equipment, particularly for those who would benefit from improving their strength and balance.
Following advertisement of the opportunity to bid for this community activation funding, which was open to all, the Council received a bid from Flexfityoga who are a local CIC working in Tendring, for £1,925 to deliver 26 weekly 1.5 hour strength and balance sessions during the spring and summer of 2025 at the active outdoor gym. This will be delivered by a qualified personal trainer and yoga instructor who also has qualifications in exercise referral and working with disabled clients. For the first half an hour, participants will be familiarised with the KOMPAN Fit app and outdoor gym equipment. Participants will also complete a PARQ health questionnaire before use of equipment. This will be followed by 1 hour of working with participants to ensure of correct and safe use of equipment and to deliver effective strength and balance training for rehabilitation.
Flexfityoga are a local CIC working in the Tendring area and have gathered a lot of local interest for their sessions. Flexfityoga currently work with:
- Headway Essex - providing yoga, fitness and physical activities for people living with brain injury
- Tendring Specialist Stroke Services - providing yoga, fitness and physical activities for people living with stroke. Providing yoga for people living with Parkinson’s
- Sport For Confidence - ?Working as lead coach in their long COVID exercise referral scheme
- ESNEFT - Contract to deliver Cancer Rehabilitation in Jaywick
The decision has therefore been taken to award Flexfityoga CIC community activation funding to support their strength and balance rehabilitation sessions at the Active Outdoor Gym in Holland on Sea.