Who are we?
The Sonning Common 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, fences, gateways and stiles, restoring downland, creating nature areas and fostering rare plants and animals. We had our 10th anniversary in 2009 and we are still very much alive and kicking.
We were the first green gym to be established in the UK. Not surprisingly Sonning Common if you know that the Green Gym was thought up by Dr William Bird of the Sonning Common Health Centre. He launched the idea 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 we have been operating on our own as a self managing and self funding venture. We do voluntary work in a wide circle around Sonning Common and our volunteers come from the same wide circle. We have been successful with various projects and have even achieved awards for the work performed.
Click here for A Word from our Chairman
For a journalists view on the Sonning Common Green Gym see Amanda Castleman’s report from the Oxford Times.
Who can join?
Anyone can join in our green sessions and also children under 16 accompanied by an adult are welcome – we can provide child sized tools.
Sessions run Thursdays and Saturdays and you can join in for as many or as few of the sessions as you like. You can also choose to participate only for a part of a session.
There are usually a number of different activities during each session, so you are able to start off by way of a gentle task and build up to something more strenuous as you get in better shape. Look at booking a session for more information on how to join us. You are welcome to try it out!
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