100 signatures reached
To: Mayor of Tower Hamlets and London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Campaign for Outdoor Gym in Sir John McDougal Park, Westferry Road, E14
We the undersigned - residents of Canary Wharf ward and Isle of Dogs - support the campaign by our local independent Cllr Maium Miah (Canary Wharf ward) to have an outdoor gym installed by the Council in Sir John McDougal Park (Gardens), Westferry Road, London E14. The Council has been considering a proposal to install outdoor gyms but fails to confirm or inform residents about the locations or how are these being chosen. The Council has formally stated that “outdoor gyms are on the agenda”. We ask the Council to confirm that an outdoor gym will be installed in Sir John McDougal Park within its existing proposal. In addition, S106 and Community Infrastructure Levy monies can easily be - and must be - used by the Council to invest in local neighbourhoods and communities particularly given the rate and scale of development in Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf where the case is even stronger and makes perfect sense.
We want the Council to keep the local residents fully informed and consult with them properly instead of deciding where to install outdoor gyms behind the closed door.
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Why is this important?
The benefits and reasons to have public outdoor gyms in parks are well established. The outdoor public gyms enhance the local area, have positive impact on the public health locally and can improve the quality and versatility of its green and open spaces. However, the decision where to install these must be made in a transparent manner by the Mayor and the Council.
Research conducted by Liverpool John Moores University found:
• 75% or more of participants believed that outdoor gyms are easily accessible to them.
• Beneficial for their health.
• Enjoyable to use - 70% of participants find exercising outdoors is more beneficial for health than exercising indoors. 80% of participants find exercise more enjoyable when outdoors than indoors.
In addition, outdoor public gyms in parks help in:
1. Cutting obesity - encouraging healthy living for all.
2. Providing free exercise equipment, enabling those who do not have the money for a gym membership to exercise.
3. Proving a family-friendly environment - a great way for parents to encourage their children to exercise. Even if children are too young to use the equipment themselves seeing adults working out in an environment that they are familiar with helps to make this seem like a natural part of daily life. As well as this, outdoor gym equipment in parks is an ideal way for families with older children to get out and exercise together.
Cllr Maium Miah
