A Ranger, Ranging Far: Barnet Green Gym: Zero to Launch

TCV London Health Manager, Chris Speirs (front centre), and Cllr Robert Rams
of Barnet Council (front right), discuss the exciting new project which launched today!

Today was one of those milestones, the kind that are really worth shouting out about. It was the official launch of TCV's new project the Barnet Green Gym. This project, the first Green Gym in the borough, is in partnership with Barnet Council, who are very much on board. Councillor Robert Rams has spoken up in support of the project: "“It is fantastic to see an initiative such as the Green Gym in Barnet and I wish it every success in Barnet" said Councillor Rams (see article here). He also came along to the launch event today, and enjoyed his morning judging from his tweet!

Great morning with the #greengym in West Hendon Playing Fields pic.twitter.com/cfF8OlMQ9p
— Cllr Robert Rams (@CllrRobertRams) September 11, 2013

So what is a "Green Gym" anyway? Green Gyms are a fantastic idea that unite environmental and social aims, projects that get local people active and healthier but also achieve nature conservation at the same time. Local people learn skills and help to look after their local green spaces. Win-win! Yesterday's task involved cutting back some blackthorn bushes near the orchard area, and creating beetle habitats in the cleared space. Volunteers made the habitats by digging down and installing logs in an upright position, mimicking dead tree stumps that are important habitats for many invertebrates including Stag Beetles (a protected species here in the UK).

Barnet Green Gym group, with Project Officer Gareth Chalmers
(centre, in blue) and Volunteer Officer Tom Heenan (left, in green)

The project has been in progress at the West Hendon Playing Fields site since June, following the award of a grant from the Big Society Innovation Bank (read more here). Taster sessions have been taking place every Wednesday since the start of July... until today's Official Launch: the Barnet Green Gym is now officially open! I have been very fortunate to be involved from an early stage, assisting Gareth Chalmers (the TCV Project Officer) with a site survey in June and then helping on the weekly volunteer sessions. We have tackled a wide variety of tasks already, from maintaining footpaths and managing woodland areas to creating wildlife habitats. The project has really been building up steam, it's been fantastic to see the number of volunteers increasing and their involvement in the project increase too as the weeks have rolled by. TCV have been getting different organisations on board, for example a contingent of volunteers joined us today from the Martin B Cohen Centre for Wellbeing. It's inspiring to see the amount of people supporting the project, and the benefit people are getting out of the volunteer tasks as well.

Unfortunately my involvement in the project will be coming to an end now, as I pursue other goals. The Barnet Green Gym has been very close to my heart though, and I will really miss my Wednesday work session with the volunteers. It's not only the volunteers that feel the benefits of the fresh air, exercise and friendliness every week! If you are interested in the Barnet Green Gym, you can find out more at www.tcv.org.uk/london/green-gym-london/barnet-green-gym, or find out more about Green Gyms generally (and find one near you!) on the TCV website at www.tcv.org.uk/greengym.