A Flinders Island hall is hoping to promote more physical activity in its small community and boost membership numbers over the winter months with the trial of a new fitness program.
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The Lady Barron Hall and Recreation Committee, via the Flinders council, are calling for expressions of interest to run a 12-week program consisting of twice-weekly gym sessions at the hall's fitness facility.
Committee member Judy Clark said the council had recently been awarded grant money through the Tasmanian Healthy Communities Fund and was now looking for one or more qualified trainers to take up the challenge.
"Basically there is a group of interested fitness people at Lady Barron and they're keen to see the fitness facility used to its full potential," Ms Clark said.
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The facility currently operates on a buddy system, with a range of equipment purchased after community fundraising efforts.
Ms Clark noted the program would allow the removal of a number of barriers currently restricting people from using the facility on a more regular basis.
"We have a small population and you have to find someone else to go at a time that suits you both," Ms Clark laughed. "So the [grant] submission was to remove the barriers of needing a buddy."
"The other barrier for the 12-weeks is cost. You're going to get access to a fitness instructor at no cost."
The trial is hoped to bring about a number of results, too, including drawing on the success of a facility in the more-populated town of Whitemark.
"People might experience the benefit of regular physical activity, so we might get new people in the facility that might experience a benefit and keep going," Ms Clark said.
"But also we're wondering whether the fitness instructor might see that it's a viable addition to their business and might be able to do it in an ongoing way where they charge for it."
Interested parties are encouraged to contact Ryan Lees, who works with Flinders council on community development, and is helping coordinating the trial.
"I think it's going to be beneficial and they've done a really good job in getting the grant," he said.
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