Health Board work out on Green Gym

24 March 2009

Conservation Volunteers hosted a Green Gym practical day on 20 February on the Comber Greenway for employees of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board (EHSSB).

To celebrate 37 successful years of health provision in the EHSSB area the staff wanted to mark the occasion with something they could enjoy that would also benefit the wider community. Taking part in a Green Gym task day to plant native trees on a community site seemed the perfect idea. 

Conservation Volunteers challenged the EHSSB employees to plant 500 native trees, benefiting their own health, helping to create a healthier living environment for future generations whilst taking small steps to reduce their carbon footprint.

“This Green Gym was a great opportunity for many employees to get a real taste of this practical project, benefiting their health and enhancing one of the few green spaces in East Belfast.”
Anne Lynch
Director (designate) of the EHSSB

Conservation Volunteers have worked in partnership with the EHSSB for the past 10 years developing the Green Gym project, a health initiative promoting health fitness and the environment.

The Green Gym works by involving individuals and groups from a range of backgrounds in practical conservation projects in their local area for the benefit of their physical and mental health and social well-being, whilst benefiting the local environment.