Building Strength, Confidence and Community: RISE Calisthenics at Pymmes Park
RISE Projects' calisthenics programme at Pymmes Park is helping young people build strength, confidence and connection through accessible outdoor physical activity, with 37 participants engaging across the programme so far.
Delivered in Enfield and funded by Compass Wellbeing, the programme gives young people a free and welcoming opportunity to become more active without needing a gym membership, specialist equipment or previous calisthenics experience.
Sessions combine bodyweight training, strength, mobility, technique and progressive movement with something equally important: a regular positive space where young people can meet, build relationships and develop confidence.
Progress that can be seen each week
The programme has developed steadily, with participants improving their strength, technique and confidence as the sessions continue.
Progress looks different for every participant. For some it is completing a movement they could not manage when they started. For others it is becoming fitter, attending consistently or simply feeling more comfortable taking part alongside other young people.
That sense of progression matters. Calisthenics gives participants something tangible to work towards and allows them to see their own improvement over time.
young people engaged across the calisthenics programme
age range for the wider youth wellbeing programme
regular outdoor sessions building consistency and progression
accessible provision with no gym membership required
Sessions combine structured physical activity with informal youth engagement, encouragement and peer support.
More than an exercise session
Physical activity is the starting point, but the wider purpose of the programme is youth wellbeing.
Training alongside other people can help young people develop discipline, confidence and positive routines. It also gives RISE youth workers an opportunity to build relationships in a relaxed environment where conversations happen naturally.
This is particularly valuable for young people who may not initially engage with something described as a wellbeing or support service. Sport and movement can provide a much more accessible first step.
“The calisthenics sessions have been going really well, with everyone improving their strength, technique and confidence. It has been great to see the progress and engagement each week.”
Mohamed Abdulkadir, Youth Engagement Officer at RISE ProjectsDeveloping physical fitness, movement and technique through progressive bodyweight training.
Helping participants set goals, recognise progress and build belief in their own ability.
Supporting positive routines, physical health, mental wellbeing and resilience through regular activity.
Creating a welcoming environment where young people train, connect with peers and build relationships with trusted adults.
A location with its own powerful story.
Sessions take place at the Steel Warriors outdoor training space in Pymmes Park.
The outdoor gym itself was created using recycled steel from knives removed from UK streets, transforming something associated with harm into a place for strength, exercise and positive activity.
For a youth programme focused on wellbeing, confidence and positive choices, that makes the setting particularly meaningful.
Young people's lives cross borough boundaries.
The calisthenics programme is Enfield-focused, but RISE's base in Tottenham places us close to the Haringey and Enfield boundary. Young people's schools, families, friendships, employment and community networks often stretch across both boroughs. The programme allows RISE to build on those natural connections while increasing provision for young people in Enfield.
Understanding who we are reaching
Wider engagement with young people involved in RISE's youth wellbeing work has also helped us understand the communities around the programme.
Across 79 responses to our wider youth engagement questions, Enfield was the most represented borough at 39.2%, with Haringey accounting for a further 29.1%.
The largest age group was 18 to 20 at 40.5%, followed by young people aged 20 to 22 at 25.3%. The responses also included young people studying, working, undertaking training or apprenticeships and those currently looking for work.
These insights reinforce the importance of providing flexible activities that work around education, employment and the different pressures young adults experience.
Connecting activity with wider support
Calisthenics sits within a wider approach to youth development at RISE.
Young people engaging through sport and physical activity can also connect with youth workers and wider opportunities, including mentoring, employment support, workshops, community activities and personal development.
The aim is not to turn every activity into a formal support intervention. It is to create enough trusted routes into RISE that young people know support and opportunities are available when they need them.
Physical activity as part of wider youth wellbeing.
The calisthenics sessions form part of RISE's wider approach to creating positive, safe and engaging spaces for young people.
Alongside physical activity, the programme connects young people with wellbeing support, positive relationships and the wider youth provision available through RISE.
Investment in accessible youth wellbeing.
This programme is funded by Compass Wellbeing, enabling RISE Projects to provide accessible physical activity and wellbeing opportunities for young people. We thank Compass Wellbeing for supporting community-based provision and helping make the programme possible.
Building on the momentum
With 37 young people engaged across the calisthenics programme, the focus is now on maintaining consistency, supporting participants to continue progressing and introducing more young people to the activity.
What we are seeing at Pymmes Park is simple but important: when young people have somewhere positive to go, people who encourage them and something meaningful to work towards, physical activity can become a route to much more than fitness.
It can help build confidence, relationships, resilience and a stronger sense of community.
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