Chislehurst Thrives, a festival of fitness, health and wellbeing took place in leafy Chislehurst on Sunday 30th June, a new, free, fully accessible event for the BR7 community.
The festival spread across both Chislehurst and Walden recreation grounds, creating a fully accessible fitness arena, for all ages and abilities. Festival goers were encouraged to try new sports, challenge themselves against a ball machine on the tennis courts, try out Thai Chi, chair based Yoga, boxacise or meditate with a sound bath. Others took a more educational route listening to talks on nutrition, wellbeing and physical health. Some pushed themselves to the extreme with tug of war, boxacise and a bootcamp assault course.
Colourscape proved a fantastic draw. A maze of interlocking tunnels of multicolour light, with music playing. The light plays with one’s senses and gives a wonderful uplifting feeling of freedom and movement.
The idea of Chislehurst Thrives originated from a conversation with Chislehurst Tennis Club and Matthew Venner, Founder and Head Coach of Chislehurst Fitness, also a volunteer Director of Visit Chislehurst for a Chislehurst based sports day. Matthew said, ‘we are so proud to have hosted such an incredible event. Offering a chance for our local community to come together and thrive – and for our fitness, health and wellbeing businesses to shine – it is exactly what Visit Chislehurst is about.
Some more stats to give a flavour of the festival: 7 inspirational talks, 7 dance shows, 11 health and fitness classes, 6 other sporting activities, 49 stalls, including 12 food stalls, and one incredible Colourscape!
And finally, a massive thank you to all our amazingly generous sponsors and wonderful volunteers: we couldn’t have done any of this without you.’Rachelle Harte, Director of Lollipop Events said ‘We are incredibly proud to have supported such an amazing event, showcasing our commitment as event professionals. Providing excellent facilities for individuals with complex needs has always been a priority for us. Too often, families are unable to fully enjoy events due to a lack of accessible facilities. This event represents a significant step forward, ensuring that everyone in our community, regardless of their needs, can create cherished memories together.’
Mike Jack, Chair of Visit Chislehurst said, ‘Chislehurst stands out thanks to events like Chislehurst Thrives.
Chislehurst is centred around community involvement, actively engaging local businesses, volunteer groups, and residents in all our activities. This collective effort shines through in today’s fantastic event.’
Photo Credit: Clare Herriot Media.
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