PARK active volunteers who have given their time to run free fitness sessions across the Dudley borough have been praised by health bosses.

Sunday February 19, marked the fourth anniversary of the launch of the Dudley Council-run park active sessions.

The park active initiative provides free 45-minute outdoor fitness classes to suit people of all ages and abilities.

Since launching four years ago, more than 3,000 people have participated in the volunteer led sessions which are family friendly.

Councillor Ian Bevan, cabinet member for public health at Dudley Council, thanked all the dedicated volunteers who he said have given more than 1,000 hours of their time to lead the sessions.

He said: “They do a sterling job week in, week out with their enthusiasm for getting people moving and motivated.

“Park active understandably couldn’t go ahead during the pandemic but it’s encouraging to see them grow in popularity once again and become an established activity within the community.”

He added: “While these sessions are primarily about getting people active to improve their physical health, they can also have a huge benefit to a person’s mental wellbeing.”

Sessions are held at Stevens Park in Quarry Bank on Mondays at 10am, at Buffery Park, Kates Hill, Dudley, on Wednesdays at 9.30am and at Stevens Park in Wollescote, Stourbridge, on Saturdays at 9.45am.

Sessions are also held at Abbey Street Park in Gornal on Saturdays at 9am and at Grange Park in Dudley on Sundays at 10am.

People can take part in the sessions at their own pace, which makes them ideal for anyone who has never participated in such activity sessions before or for anyone who is more experienced.

Booking for all sessions is essential. People can search for park active on Eventbrite or find out more online at https://lets-get.com/explore/healthy-hubs/park-active/