I hadn’t noticed these two new cabinets outside Nationwide in Abingdon until today. One contains a defibrillator and the other an emergency bleed-control kit. They are part of Nationwide’s scheme to install the equipment outside all of its UK branches.

Many people will already be familiar with defibrillators. The bleed-control kit is a new thing in the town centre. It is intended for serious injuries where someone is losing a potentially fatal amount of blood. It contains equipment such as tourniquets and specialist dressings to help control the bleeding until the emergency services arrive.

The annual Healthfest took place in Abingdon Market Place today, organised by the charity Healthy Abingdon.

Healthy Abingdon aims to bring local groups and individuals together to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Abingdon and the surrounding area. One of the ways it does this is through the annual Healthfest, which gives local organisations an opportunity to meet people and promote the activities and services they offer.

The event was officially announced by the Town Crier and ran from 10am to 2pm, with around 14 local groups and organisations setting up stalls around the Market Place.

The Mayor of Abingdon, Cllr Andrew Skinner, visited the Healthfest. He talked to Dave, a trustee of Healthy Abingdon, before making his way around the Market Place to meet the stallholders and find out more about the organisations taking part.

Among those taking part for the first time were Bridge House Care Home and the Riverley Club.

The Riverley Club includes a fitness suite aimed particularly at people over 55. It offers an opportunity to exercise in a different sort of environment – one that is less intimidating than a conventional gym, without the emphasis on people lifting weights and wearing lycra.

Bridge House also has a programme of community activities. It is holding a Beer Festival this Wednesday from 2pm to 4.30pm, with music from the Ock Street Band, dancing from the Abingdon Morris Men and a selection of beers from local brewers.

Flexicare was also at Healthfest for the first time. The charity provides support and sitting services to families who have a severely disabled child, helping to make life a little easier for the families.

Flexicare began in Abingdon 41 years ago and has since expanded its work to cover Oxford, Wantage and Grove as well as Abingdon. Naomi, who was on the stall, had been volunteering with them for 13 years.

The Friends of Abbey Meadow Outdoor Pool were also at the Healthfest, promoting the popular open-air pool.

There is now only one day of regular swimming left this season, tomorrow, Sunday. This will be followed on Monday by the doggy swimming session, when the pool gets taken over by four-legged swimmers.

Also there on the Market Place were:
* Abingdon Parkrun and Junior Parkrun
* Active Communities
* Abingdon Surgery
* local cycling groups
* Abingdon Good Neighbours
* Age UK Oxfordshire
* Healthwatch Oxfordshire
* Dementia Friendly Abingdon
* Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire
* Abingdon Scottish Country Dance Club

Healthy Abingdon — the group behind the annual HealthFest on the Market Place — have added a new section to their website all about Green Spaces in Abingdon. The aim is to encourage people to enjoy local parks and open areas to boost both physical and mental wellbeing.

Today I visited Boxhill Woods by the River Stert.

There are currently 13 green spaces featured on the site. Each one includes a map, directions, a short description, photos, and links to health walks that connect them. More spaces will be added soon.

The organisers say: “We still have more to do, but are giving you a chance to see what we’ve done so far and to share your comments or ideas to help us improve.”

The project is funded by Active Oxfordshire, who aim to make it easier for people to discover and enjoy local green areas.

You can explore the new pages at: https://www.healthyabingdon.org.uk/green-spaces

Abingdon Market Place hosted a highly successful Healthfest, organised by Healthy Abingdon. The annual event brought together more than 20 local groups dedicated to improving health and wellbeing. Helped by some sunshine and an interactive programme, it drew a steady stream of visitors from 10 am to 2 pm.

The Mayor of Abingdon, Cllr Rawda Jehanli, toured the stalls and met organisers. Here she joins Dance Creative, who run ‘Dance for Life’, seated dance classes every Tuesday morning at Trinity Church’s Conduit Centre – a gentle, sociable way to stay active that is great fun.

Abingdon Surgery highlighted some of the many services they offer to their patients.

Abingdon Town Amateur Boxing Club invited young people to try their hand at the sport of boxing.

Abingdon Parkrun volunteers, fresh from that morning’s event with 455 participants, were on hand to explain how to get involved.

Visitors also enjoyed live music from Abingdon’s own ‘André Rieu,’ Ben Heaney. Ben runs age and dementia friendly Moving Music events in the area. His was one of many talented services promoted through Age UK Oxfordshire.

There were some exciting hands-on opportunities. SCAS (South Central Ambulance Service) had an ambulance and were teaching first aid, from practising CPR and the use of an AED (defibrillator), to applying a tourniquet on a nasty looking wound.

The Muse Art School invited people to have a go at making a papier-mâché pear, to give a flavour of their creative classes in Abingdon.

Alongside the demonstrations were stalls from The Abingdon Bridge (TAB), Reducing the Risk, Abingdon Green Gym, Active Communities, UCARE (urology cancer research), Friends of Abbey Meadow Outdoor Pool, Oxfordshire Mind, Abingdon Good Neighbours, Healthwatch Oxfordshire, Dementia Friendly Abingdon, Kennington Memory Club, Mumby’s Live-in Care, Scottish Country Dancing, and Bellevie Care.