What is a Green Gym?
The Green Gym is a distinctive exercise group which aims to promote health, fitness and well being through physical work whilst improving the local environment, learning new skills and meeting new people. Although primarily a health group, participants take part in conservation activities such as tree planting, hedge laying, constructing dry stone walls, fences, gateways and stiles, restoring downland, creating nature areas and fostering rare plants and animals.
The Green Gym was thought up by Dr William Bird of the Sonning Common Health Centre after the success of his award winning Health Walks project. The Sonning Common Group was originally set up as a pilot project run by Yvonne Trchalik with funding from BTCV. Since 1999 it has, however, been run by its own members as a self funding venture.
For a journalists view on the Sonning Common Green Gym see Amanda Castleman's report from the Oxford Times.
Some of our members.