A specialist exercise area for the elderly and vulnerable has opened in Rutland.

The Rainbow Trail has been spearheaded by Dr Mary Hardwick of Inspire2Tri in Manton.

Dr Hardwick won the support of Rutland County Council and others for the scheme, which will allow groups vulnerable people to Covid-19 to exercise safely.

As previously reported by Nub News, the trail is located in a field west of St Mary's Road.

A socially-distanced opening ceremony took place on Saturday featuring Dr Sarah Furness, Lord-Lieutentant of Rutland, and Rutland High Sheriff Richard Cole.

In her speech, Dr Furness paid tribute to Mary Hardwick for her enthusiasm and ideas, which means Dr Hardwick gets things done fast.

Even after lockdown, restrictions in place limit exercise in indoor studios. Studies show being outside lowered the risk of Covid-19 transmission and physical fitness is important in fighting the disease.

Dr Furness continued: "Mary thought rehabilitation for the elderly and vulnerable may no longer be possible indoors but it would be outside.

"The idea for the Rainbow Trail was born – the aim is to provide a very low risk outdoor exercise option delivering varied and appropriate exercise for older and more vulnerable populations."

Now, the Rainbow Trail is helping to restore mental and physical well being and providing opportunity for old friends to meet safely and for new friends to be made.

Some 130 exercisers are registered with more joining all the time. The Trail is well used but is always Covid compliant.

Dr Furness then praised Mary for her 'inspiration, determination and drive', also thanking Mark Hollingsworth and Tim Polito for turning Mary's drawings into reality.

Dr Furness continued: "Mary's staff provided 4 months of mostly unpaid work keeping the rehab community together with videos, zoom calls and support. Dr Hilary Fox gave unwavering support too. Many of the rehab clients supported the project throughout.

"Copthill School gave support and created inspirational quotes. The Head, Helen Schofield, is here today and on behalf of us all I thank her.

"Rutland Cycling showed their community concern and donated their bike cages to hold sanitiser spray on the exercise posts.

"Many of the fitness clients donated money, plants, wrote letters of support and took time to prepare the trail."

Other supporters included Rutland County Council and the National Lottery.

Dr Furness added: "The Rainbow Trail may be a one woman vision but, typically of Rutland, it has also been a great community effort. It is a trail but also a trail blazer – one of a kind which in our changed 'new normal' world may be useful to other communities beyond Rutland's boundaries.

"Covid has provided significant challenges to our duty to care for and protect one another. Meeting those challenges has meant thinking 'outside the box' and finding new ways of doing things.

"Our world has changed – Mary and all who have helped her have demonstrated that out of difficulties can come positive new developments. So I would like to thank Mary, encourage her to keep having 'daft' ideas and thank all who have helped bring this trail to fruition."