What needs to be done immediately to maintain a happy and healthy meeting place in the residential community

Mornings in Yen Bai ward begin with bustling sounds. Music from the speakers of the Aerobic group, the rhythmic footsteps of people walking and exercising… in the central square or small parks in the wards, outdoor exercise equipment from treadmills, waist twisters, horizontal bars, parallel bars, bicycles, hand cranks, abdominal pull-ups… all attract people to exercise.

Outdoor equipment is not only a fitness equipment, but also a familiar meeting place, a place to connect people after work or every relaxing morning. The elderly meet to exercise and chat; young people exercise to increase their endurance, health, and dynamism; children play... creating a vibrant space, uplifting the spirit, and improving health in the community.

Despite being so useful, in some small parks, many sports equipment have peeling paint, loose screws, rusty pedestals... Some equipment has long been unusable due to damage. In some places such as: Hong Tien residential group small park, the stadium area or Yen Hoa Park... weeds grow all the way to the base of the equipment, full of rubbish.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh, 62 years old, in Hong Tien residential group, shared with regret: When the machines were first installed, our people loved them and came out every morning to practice. Now many machines are broken and can't be used anymore. Old people like me are afraid of falling, so we have to walk around the neighborhood.

Sharing the same opinion, Mr. Hoang Van Dung, 35 years old, an office worker residing in Nguyen Thai Hoc 1 residential group frankly expressed: "Outdoor sports equipment, exposed to the sun and rain, if not repaired and maintained promptly, cannot last, it is very wasteful."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Oanh - Head of Hong Tien Residential Group shared: When we first installed outdoor sports equipment, we were handed over and cleaned it every day, but it was very difficult to maintain because it was easily damaged by rain and sun when left outdoors. In the first two years, there were officers checking, but now they are gone. It is a pity to see damaged equipment. We hope that the ward authorities will soon check and maintain sports equipment so that people can exercise and improve their health.

Ms. Nguyen Thuy Chinh - Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Society of Yen Bai Ward said: The whole ward currently has 276 sets of outdoor sports equipment, distributed to 71 residential groups. This system really brings many benefits to community health, but management and maintenance are not regular. Maintenance costs are limited, while the equipment is located in public places, strongly affected by the weather and users' awareness is not uniform.

It is known that from the beginning of 2025 until now, Yen Bai ward has recorded many complaints from people about the damaged state of equipment. In many cases, the safety pins are rusted, causing danger when used. Currently, the ward is developing a plan to conduct a general inspection and classify equipment according to the level of damage to have a plan for repair and replacement. At the same time, propaganda will be increased so that people can use it properly and mobilize socialization in investment and maintenance.

In addition, for these kits to be effective, there needs to be a regular maintenance process. Each device should have a clear instruction manual attached, along with a contact phone number in case of problems. In addition, it is necessary to promote socialization in management, such as assigning it to neighborhood groups or volunteer sports clubs to monitor and remind.

In the long term, the ward can consider installing equipment from anti-rust materials, durable in mountainous climates, combined with roofing designs or planting trees to create shade, limiting direct weather impacts. Not only stopping at the issue of facilities, community awareness is also a key factor. People need to raise awareness of protecting common equipment, avoiding misuse, overloading or unintentional vandalism.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/viec-can-lam-ngay-de-duy-tri-diem-hen-vui-khoe-trong-cong-dong-dan-cu-post881787.html