Placemaking supports health and well-being

During lockdown, Steph Paladin of SixTwo Pilates hosted online classes although they barely covered her costs.

When she saw the Manningham Placemaking funding, she jumped at the opportunity for support to help her business thrive after lockdown.

“Our Pilates and yoga studio was closed for more than eight months last year, so I really wanted to ensure our face to face sessions were as fresh and innovative as possible.

“We held three health and well-being yoga sessions in the temporary pop-up park in Jackson Court and gave attendees free coffee vouchers after class.

“It was a great initiative to get people outdoors in a safe space as we emerged from the long Covid lockdown.

“When we advertised the sessions in the pop-up park, they booked out so quickly. I think it made people feel safer to be doing exercise outdoors and the feedback we received was really positive.

“The Placemaking funding came just at the right time. We were in the middle of moving studios and it helped us launch our new studio space.

“By hosting Pilates and yoga sessions in the middle of Jackson Court, people could see us and find out what we had on offer. It was great to connect with people and it really opened up new avenues of business for us.

“We gained some new clients from the pop-up park sessions and they got a taste of SixTwo Pilates in a safe, healthy way.

“It was a nice seeing people in the pop-up park enjoying the outdoor space and connecting with each other. It allowed new people to meet and have a chat with current Pilates members.

The temporary trial of the Jackson Court pop-up park is now complete and Council looks forward to working with the community and traders to plan what’s next.

The project was funded by Manningham Council and the Office for Suburban Development, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions