New equipment installed at Mansfield park

Cllr Whitby at the official handover of the equiopment at Manor Park from a representative of Wicksteed
Cllr Craig Whitby at the official handover of the equiopment at Manor Park from a representative of Wicksteed

New outdoor gym equipment, aimed at teenagers and adults, has been installed at Manor Park in Mansfield.

The equipment was funded by £12,000 from a Section 106 planning agreement from a residential development off Park Hall Road and £15,000 from an application submitted by the Friends of Manor Park group to the Mansfield Community Grant Fund.

This fund, administered by Mansfield CVS, came about after a bid by Mansfield District Council to the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2022, and resulted in an allocation of £2.955m to be spent by March 2025.

The bid outlined how the council would work with the CVS to share out its allocation to community projects that would make a real difference to neighbourhoods, improving health and wellbeing and enhancing engagement with culture and community activity.

Community and voluntary groups have been able to bid for up to £15,000 from Mansfield Community Grant Fund.

Cllr Craig Whitby, Deputy Mayor, Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Finance and ward councillor for the Manor Park area, supported the park’s Friends’ group in applying for the funding.

He said: “I was really pleased to help the Friends group. This was exactly the kind of project that the Community Grant Fund was set up to help.

“We have excellent play facilities for younger children, but this new gym equipment focuses on supporting the park as a hub for fitness. It’s designed for older children, teenagers, and adults, and complements the playing fields by offering new opportunities to stay active.

“I would strongly urge other parks to set up a Friends group. These local volunteers can make a huge difference to a park and can often access funding streams that the council itself cannot.”

Cllr Whitby oversaw the official handover of the equipment from installer Wicksteed last week.

The new equipment is next to the existing play area and features a number of inclusive pieces of equipment suitable for the disabled and mobility impaired.

The council will also be installing three new picnic benches adjacent to the play area in the coming weeks.

In addition, improvements are currently underway at the park’s pavilion to make it more attractive for business lettings and reduce energy costs.

The showers and eight changing rooms are being refurbished and an area of the pavilion is being sectioned off to enable the council to let it to a café/bistro type of business.  

Published: January 29th 2025