A TWO-YEAR ‘Health for Life’ activity programme at the Countess of Chester Country Park has been hailed a “great success” after seeing significant improvements in participant’s physical and mental well being.

The £70,000 ‘Health for Life’ programme, which was funded by the Cheshire Wirral Partnership NHS Trust, The Big Lottery, The Mersey Forest and Cheshire West and Chester Council has seen nearly 700 different events organised at the park for the public and NHS staff from the nearby hospital.

Park owners, Land Trust, worked with the Natural Health Service Centre of Excellence, which includes both the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, to measure participants health and well being at the start and end of an 8-12 week programme.

In virtually all cases, people reported spending more time outdoors and feeling healthier and happier as a result. There was a dramatic reduction in the time participants spent sitting each day, with a corresponding leap in vigorous physical exercise of nearly 60 per cent.

Alan Carter, Land Trust portfolio director said: “The Countess of Chester Park is a major success story.

“Thanks to our funders and the dedication of our enthusiastic rangers and volunteers, the Health for Life programme has resulted in hundreds of people enjoying the fantastic new green space on their doorstep."

The park, which opened in September 2014 on the site of scrubland and a former landfill site has since become a haven for wildlife and a popular, free, green leisure space used by thousands of local residents.

Sheena Cumiskey, Chief Executive at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP), said: “We’re delighted that the Health for Life project is going from strength to strength and I’d like to thank everyone for working so hard to make it such a success.

“The Countess of Chester Country Park is a wonderful asset to our community and I’m so pleased that it continues to bring joy to people accessing our services, their carers and families, and of course our fantastic staff.”

Community volunteering charity TCV have helped to organise activities at the park which include Nordic walking, green gyms, buggy walks and popular weekly parkrun, which attracts more than 300 runners every Saturday morning.

Margot Murphy, who signed up for volunteer activities at the site when she retired in January 2016, said: “Getting involved with practical conservation activities has helped me in so many ways. I’ve learnt new skills, improving my fitness levels while at the same time breathing in the fresh air.

“The location at the Countess of Chester Country Park is fantastic, but what makes particularly enjoyable are the people, those who volunteer and especially the organisers who make everyone welcome.”