New gym equipment for park
New gym equipment and an open air cinema event are part of the rejuvenation of Morningside's Sutton Park.
RESIDENTS living around Sutton Park can now keep fit, minus the gym fees, as new gym equipment has been installed in the park.
According to ward councillor, Martin Meyer, the equipment was installed last week as park of the Sutton Park Rejuvenation Project.
“This comes from the meeting in Sutton Park last December, which was attended by the Department of Parks and Recreation, and this was one of the issues discussed. This equipment is a good start in trying to encourage the community to take ownership of the park and use it for the right reasons,” he said.
Meyer said the lighting near the equipment would need to be attended to so it is directed onto the site.
“I urge the community to give it a chance and to use the equipment. We thank the parks department for the positive input, and we hope to see a lot more,” he said.
Alliance Française is joining this initiative by hosting an Open Air Cinema in Sutton Park on Friday, 13 February at 6pm to 7.40pm, which is free and open to all. The movie 'Two Days in Paris', directed by Julie Delpy and starring Adam Goldberg and Julie Delpy, will be viewed.
Sutton Park will morph into an open air cinema, and people are invited to take their table, chairs and snacks to have a good time and enjoy the experience.
“Alliance Française Durban intends to give the park a more social and livelier image. It is through access to culture that we want to give a new identity to Sutton Park. Throughout the year, Alliance Française de Durban will take initiative to animate the park for the residents and the community to pulse to the Sutton beat,” said Carole Durand.
The topics under discussion at the meeting held in December were the state of the park, security concerns, and possible solutions in securing the park for use by all residents in the future by creating a safe and engaging environment in and around the park.
It was a very successful meeting, with more than 30 residents and business owners present, and Alliance Française provided some interesting proposals. The residents also appointed a Working Committee to map the way forward.
“The idea is for the community to reclaim the park by finding innovative ways to encourage positive use of the park. This will include monthly picnics by residents as well as other projects to enable families to use the park again,” said Meyer.
