If you’re a school, council or other body and want your community to enjoy the multiple benefits of an outdoor gym, you may be wondering how to fund a facility like this.
At Fresh Air Fitness, the UK’s leading supplier of outdoor exercise equipment, we strive to make our pieces as cost-effective as possible, with frequent discounts and special offers. However, we appreciate that, for many organisations, finding the money for their project can pose a challenge.
So we’re here to help, with extensive information and opportunities to support our clients in making their dream outdoor workout amenity a reality. Our specialists can help you achieve your funding goals. We’ve worked with many PTAs and others to help them secure the necessary finances and we could help you, too, with impartial advice on available strategies and options. We provide this support for free, plus you keep 100% of all money raised.
26th February 2025
Thanks to our experts’ skills, we can assist you in designing a new outdoor gym which meets your needs and within your budget.
Kick off by checking out our dedicated fundraising support page and viewing our list of available schemes and grants for which you could apply.
Additionally, if your site is near a landfill site, wind farm, solar park, airport or nuclear power station, there may be further opportunities.
Fresh Air Fitness has a new partnership with Community Inspired, a social enterprise who has been working with schools for nearly a decade and has established it’s position as an expert in the school fundraising market through FundEd and PTA+.
FundEd –go-to experts in school fundraising, supports schools to generate additional income streams, from the initial strategy onwards. We’re delighted to announce that we are their preferred supplier for outdoor gym equipment. And PTA+, who provide a raft of support to parent-teacher associations in running all kinds of events and raising funds.
A lot will depend on your own situation, location etc. Some organisations may do better in pursuing grant applications; others may prefer to raise money via the local community.
What you can do will also be influenced by the staff and volunteers who can help, available time and in-house experience and knowledge of fundraising. Involve as many people as you can, bearing in mind that successful fundraising can boost morale.
Start by assessing previous successful fundraising projects, and trial a variety of new ideas to see which are most successful.
Again, research previous applications which have succeeded, and look online for funders. Look into local funding opportunities from councils, businesses, charities and others near you.
Why not download our FREE guide on Funding, which provides comprehensive list of both national and local grant funding opportunities currently open.
Sometimes you’re asked to find some of the grant value yourself, or ‘match fund’ the sum awarded. Or you may need to have charitable status so, for example, the PTA might have to apply on behalf of a school.
If successful, you may need to keep in touch with the grant provider about the impact the funds awarded have had.
There are no specific targets here – so you can go on raising money after reaching your goal. Going online can be effective, good publicity and complement another fundraising drive. It can be especially useful if you don’t meet the criteria for applying for a particular grant.
Create and promote a compelling story, with reasons why people should donate, to maximise your chances of success.
FundEd can also help you set up a Funding Wall, an online platform which simplifies and maximises fundraising efforts as a dedicated hub for all campaigns, projects and donations.
These can be fun, and can raise your profile while reaching more potential donors, plus there are myriad possibilities. Smaller events can generate top-up sums to reach goals with other sources of funds, while bigger ones can generate significant sums.
You could also raise money by selling printed items from mugs to tea towels, or toys or other merchandise, recycling ink cartridges or completing similar projects, while some affiliate shopping schemes pay money when you sign up to a shopping rewards programme.
Finally, harnessing the support of local businesses may yield greater results than you’d imagined. So work your contacts! Some, for example, may agree to match fund employee fundraising efforts. Be clear on the positive impact the outdoor gym will have on your community from the outset.
Back to all blog posts