Park active volunteers who have given their time to run free fitness sessions have been praised by health bosses.

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

Park active provides free 45-minute outdoor fitness classes to suit all ages and abilities.

The sessions are family friendly too. Since launching four years ago, more than 3,000 people have participated in the volunteer led sessions. Councillor Ian Bevan, cabinet member for public health, said:

"A huge thanks to all the volunteers who have given more than 1,000 hours of their time to lead our park active sessions.

"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.

"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 on Wednesdays at 9.30am and at Stevens Park in Wollescote on Saturdays at 9.45am.

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

People can complete the sessions at their own pace, which makes them ideal for anyone who has never taken part in this kind of activity before or for anyone who is more experienced.

Booking for all sessions is essential. People can search for park active on Eventbrite.