Published on Sunday 06 November 2022
An England netball star and a GB gymnast will officially open a new beach-based fitness park today (Sunday 6 November).
Boscombe-raised Geva Mentor, England’s goalkeeper in Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, will open Toft Fitness Park between Boscombe and Bournemouth Pier.
She will be joined by Bournemouth’s very own Olympian gymnast Nathan Bailey, who finished ninth at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and won World Cup silver in Minsk in 2017.
The pair will celebrate the opening of the park, which is part BCP Council’s vision to support health and wellbeing among residents and visitors and improve the seafront.
The park, which includes a dip bench, shaped benches, pull-up bars, a rope climber and push-up bars, among other equipment and will be accessible to all.
It was funded by the Talbot Village Trust and Steve Bernard Foundation and delivered by BCP Council, who will manage its ongoing maintenance.
Tony Bernard set up the sports foundation in memory of his 18-year-old son Steve, who died in a road accident in 2005, but whose passion for sport left a lasting legacy.
He said: "Toft Steps represents everything that my son wanted in life, that being the sea, sport and keeping himself fit.
"Steve wanted to be a P.E teacher and encourage more people into fitness, so this is a great honour to him and our biggest asset to date."
Geva, who has 160 caps for England and grew up in Boscombe and went to St Peter's Catholic School, will be joined by her mother Yvonne, who runs the Bournemouth Special Olympics group.
Councillor Jane Kelly, Portfolio Holder for Communities, Health and Leisure, said: "This fitness park will provide a fantastic community space to support health and wellbeing for residents and visitors.
"It’s also a welcome asset to our award-winning seafront, providing yet another reason why the BCP region is the very best to work, live and visit."
Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, Chairman of Talbot Village Trust, said: "To have equipment such as this available for the public to use freely and at ease is incredibly important in making a healthier lifestyle more accessible for all. The Trust is delighted to see the finished result and we hope it will become an asset to the community."
Avonbourne Gymnastics Club will also be at the launch today, alongside representatives from Two Rivers Meet Leisure Centre.
Pedestrians will have room to walk past the outdoor gym, designed by Kompan, once it is in place. Park users will be able to download a Kompan fitness app for free to get general workout programmes while using the fitness equipment.
Existing outdoor fitness equipment along the seafront and elsewhere across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole will complement the Toft Steps fitness park development.
The Council hopes to further enhance the Toft Steps area during 2023 through the development of Toft Steps Beach Box Park, to provide an innovation hub for the fast-growing health and wellbeing sector.
This development is funded by Towns Fund, a government initiative which awarded BCP Council nearly £23 million to turbo charge the regeneration of Boscombe.
Editor’s notes
For more information on Towns Fund see here.
Find out more about BCP Council’s fitness trails here.
Find out more about Who Dares Gyms, a private company operating under license from BCP Council here.
Mentor was a member of the England team that won the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She was also a member of the England teams that won the bronze medal at the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games and at the 2011, 2015 and 2019 Netball World Cups.