Bromley Green Gym is a small group of local volunteers working to transform an underutilised park in the centre of Bromley into a wildlife garden where the whole community can actively contribute, relax, benefit from, and belong. The potential of the space is enormous and funding has been secured by the Mayor’s Pocket Parks programme to buy materials to create new wildlife habitats, build new features for growing plants, provide shade and new areas to relax, and materials for the community to learn from the Pocket Park. However, we need man-power to carry out the work, and resources to train and mentor the group to become a sustainable community Green Gym that will manage the park for years to come!

The Conservation Volunteers Green Gym is a scheme which inspires you to improve both your health and the environment at the same time.

What we'll deliver:

• Provide capacity for up to 25 volunteers to join weekly Green Gym sessions
• Train volunteers in conservation skills, like planting hedgerows, building raised beds and constructing bird boxes
• Train 4 volunteers to become confident and experienced Green Gym Leaders
• Develop a volunteer committee complete with constitution, insurance and bank account
• Support committee members to become Secretary, Treasurer, Chair as well as other roles
• Give committee members the tools to become self-sustaining i.e. decision-making, fundraising, project planning

Why it's a great idea:

College Green & Slip is located just minutes away from Bromley Town Centre. By recruiting local volunteers to help transform this underutilised public park, into a vibrant space for the community with high wildlife value, we’ll be creating a hands-on learning experience for people, and encouraging community involvement in local spaces.

Bromley Green Gym is inclusive of any ability, level of fitness or background, and is an environment where people feel valued. By facilitating the development of a community group with the necessary resources and training to become self-sustaining and independently manage and improve their local pocket park we are helping to create a sustainable community that is knowledgeable about their environment and able to make local decisions.

There is a wealth of possibilities for community involvement, education and wildlife conservation in the park, we need your help to give Bromley Green Gym the best start!

Steps to get it done:

• Promote Bromley Green Gym, and develop new health and community support partners who will refer new volunteers
• Deliver weekly TCV-led Green Gyms sessions until March 2015 to develop people's skills and improve their health
• Train Green Gym leaders in First Aid, Green Gym Essentials, Project Leadership, Risk Assessment and Safeguarding
• Help the group to form a committee and hold monthly meetings
• Provide training and support for volunteers to take on committee roles, and eventually take over the project
• Provide guidance on the formation of Green Gyms through workshops, research and visits to other groups
• Facilitate the committee to run an annual open event to encourage involvement by the local community ccccccccccccccccccc
• Provide access to TCV’s Community Group Network
• Provide ongoing support for the following two years after independence

We will be working with Bromley Mencap and the Bromley NHS to recruit volunteers who will most benefit from improvements to their skills, health and wellbeing.

“Much needed enhancements to this public space have recently been hampered by council budgetary constraints. We are therefore very excited by TCV’s proposal to improve it over the next 2 years, and it’s engagement with volunteers of all ages to help achieve this.” Jeff Royce, Secretary, Friends of Bromley Town Parks and Gardens

"We work with TCV in four areas of the UK to offer the varied opportunities created by Green Gyms to local communities near our shopping centres. I am particularly proud that the first of these Green Gyms to become an independent community group is the one intu Bromley helped create at Winsford Gardens. Everyone at intu looks forward to helping the new Bromley Green Gym get off to a flying, or should that be growing, start.” Alexander
Nicoll, Director of Corporate Responsibility, intu Properties plc