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

It was funded by £12,000 from a Section 106 planning agreement from a nearby 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.

Deputy mayor Coun Craig Whitby, ward councillor for the Manor Park area, wh supported the friends’ group in applying for the funding, said: “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.”

The outdoor gym is next to an existing play area and features pieces of equipment suitable for the disabled and mobility impaired.

Improvements are also under way at the park’s pavilion. The showers and eight changing rooms are being refurbished and an area could be used for a café/bistro type of business.