13. Fitness, sport and recreation

Keeping fit is an increasing emphasis in the programme of the health authorities. A number of facilities, both public and private, are available for this, together with parks and gardens for recreational activities. Despite the abundance of water in the area, little has been developed in terms of water activities. The Sea Cadets have lost their hut at the Canal Basin, demolished due its poor condition, and there is as yet no replacement. There is no public park fitness facility, such as is being developed elsewhere in the UK and in other countries, that encourages members of the public to develop fitness routines in pleasant surroundings.

The SPORT AND COUNTRY PARK seek to fill the gap in facilities here, by locating a pleasant park near the
River Exe and working with the Canal Management and local private companies to provide graded facilities for canoing, and with the health and leisure authorities to provide walking and cycling facilities, outdoor fitness equipment along a fitness trail, and recreational walking with special attention to the biodiversity of the area and to the merits of semi-natural woodland sustainability. Development of recreational walks would use best practice from across the UK to ensure that the trails as DDA compliant as far as the gradient of the countryside permits.

13.1 Tiverton – fitness, health organisations, surgeries and hospitals

13.1.1 The prewar baths site at Loughborough (a name that recalls the location of John Heathcoat’s original bobbin lace factory) is now home to the Red Cross Centre. St. John’s Ambulance also operate in the town.

13.1.2 The postwar swimming pool below Park Hill was replaced by a Leisure Centre with pool and fitness suite in 2001. Fitness classes of various types are held here, and local General Practitioners are able to refer patients to personal fitness trainers at the centre for medical reasons.

13.1.3 A private fitness club is located in the former Co-operative stores building in Fore Street, which is run by qualified fitness trainers. A Physiotherapy and Sports injuries centre in Castle Street has qualified specialists. Fitness classes of various types take place in the local community centres and church halls.

13.1.4 The 5 x 30 Project, set up in 2005 to run for 5 years, promotes 30 minutes of exercise at least five times a week. A website supports this work, and has had almost 4,000 hits to September 2006.

13.2 Playing fields and sports facilities

13.2.1 Most schools and the college in the area have playing fields. In a small number of cases, the public have access to some of these grounds.

13.2.2 There are a limited number of communally owned playing fields in the villages and in the suburbs of Tiverton, that serve local use.

13.2.3 The parks in Tiverton (Amory Park, People’s Park and Westexe Recreation ground) provide some public playing field facilities, children’s playgrounds and even a bandstand, as well as paved paths. Amory Park, in particular, provides football facilities including a pavilion, for children and is home to the thriving Twyford Spartans Football Club for young people from around 6 years upwards.

13.2.4 Toilet facilities adjacent to these public facilities, formerly good in the Tiverton area, have closed due to financial difficulties in Mid Devon District Council. At least one village is working to buy out the closed toilet facilities in order to re-open them.

13.2.5 A number of local clubs, for which membership is required, provide sports facilities specific to their sport, and clubhouses with bar and relaxation facilities.

13.3 Sports clubs

13.3.1 Clubs with their own facilities include bowling, cricket, football, golf, rugby and snooker.

13.3.2 Many other clubs rent facilities, have allocated time in public facilities or simply provide starting points for their sport. These include angling, athletics, badminton, cycling, hockey, martial arts, shooting, squash, swimming, skittles, tennis, weight training and yoga.

13.3.3 Sporting activities for the disabled include the TORS Club (Tiverton Outdoor Recreation and Sports Club for those with a learning disablility), Riding for the Disabled, Tiverton Swimming for People with Disabilities and Table Tennis for the disabled.

13.4 Gardening and horticulture societies

These are found in both the town and the villages in the area, and have a range of purposes.

13.4.1 Gardening Clubs and horticultural societies are found in Bampton, Burlescombe and Westeigh, Tiverton, Sampford Peverell, Washfield and Witheridge, and amongst other activities promote natural composting. They also organise visits to garden shows and public gardens.

13.4.2 Flower Clubs are located in Silverton and Tiverton. The Friends of Westexe organise the annual Westexe Flower Show, which is an important event in the local calendar.

13.4.3 Tiverton has an allotment owners association, with membership from allotment holders across the town.

13.4.4 Bampton and Tiverton have groups that manage the public flower displays through the summer and entry to competitions. Bampton in Bloom and Tiverton in Bloom have good track records in competitions.

13.5 Sport and recreation focus group public consultation analysis

The Group carried out interviews with 336 people over the summer of 2006, of which 201 were male and 135 female. The consultations covered a wide range of age groups including children of 12 or under (69), 13-19 year olds (36), 20-30 year olds (68), 31-59 (137) and over 60 (26). They were interviewed at primary schools, on the West Country Driving Range at Sampford Peverell, Tiverton’s Leisure Centre, Tiverton BMX Club, and other sport and recreational locations within the Exe Valley.

13.5.1 Consultees were asked which of the following sporting activities they participated in.