The Rise of Outdoor Gyms
A success story going from strength to strength!
You may have noticed that glossy exercise machines are cropping up in parks, near the brightly-coloured swings and slides for children. It's the latest Government initiative to get people active.
Fitness equipment such as exercise bikes, high bars and cross trainers are an innovative way to encourage people to exercise. For a long time, cost and accessibility have been the two main barriers for people wanting to exercise, free outdoor gyms remove these barriers.
Initiatives like this which help to develop sustainable healthy communities are a great way of adding value to public spaces and engaging with the community. But parks and playgrounds (particularly in urban areas, often get a bad press) as often they are seen as a breeding ground for crime and other undesirable activity, such as vandalism.
So, when planning to create beautifully designed public spaces, what steps can be taken to stop vandalism?
One innovative approach is that of 'Target Hardening', this is a police and military term which refers to strengthening of security to limit attack. Security fasteners are one such measure that can be taken to help increase the physical security of equipment/property and in doing so has two distinct advantages; firstly, it limits the opportunity for vandalism, by resisting attack. Secondly it works as a psychological deterrent, as seeing a security fastener in use will often deter the criminal from even attempting attack, as it will take longer and so increase the risk of being caught.
Target hardening is an approach that needs to be considered at the very beginning of the planning process. So, it's important for distributors of security fasteners to engage and talk with architects, environmental planners, local councils and other relevant parties in order for them to be aware of the benefits of using security fasteners to help safeguard our public spaces. This way our communities can continue to enjoy the beautiful spaces, minus the clean-up bill.
Did you know...at Hafren we have dedicated technical site visit engineers that are always willing to help you!
If you know of any upcoming projects and need any help inspecifying security fasteners then get in touch, our experts staff are always happy to help!
+44(0)1686 621 300
sales@hafrenfasteners.com