Despite half the sign‑ups bailing at the last minute (classic British weather sabotage and they can't be blamed for canceling 👌), Lee, Hazel, and Ben heroically stepped out into full‑blown monsoon conditions for today’s litter pick collaboration with Hazel Grove Mutual Aid.

This outing was extra special because it was Lee’s very first GoodGym session — welcome aboard, Lee! 🎉 And he even brought along his son, Luca Codling, who braved the elements for his Duke of Edinburgh volunteering. Fun fact: the weather clearly sensed a new recruit and decided to give the full “authentic GoodGym baptism” of drenching rain. How thoughtful!

The original plan was to tackle Hazelwood Road… which turned out to be annoyingly clean. (How dare it!😜) So the team scattered across nearby streets, becoming soggy, determined litter‑seeking ninjas. In the chaos, the group sadly missed bumping into Lee and Luca — presumably they were somewhere nearby, also being rained on and valiantly filling bags. Still, drenched or not, everyone did their bit, every bag made a difference, and another Sunday was chalked up in support of Hazel Grove Mutual Aid’s mission. And, another half marathon completed by Ben.

Here’s hoping Luca’s DofE assessor appreciates the commitment demonstrated in near‑aquatic conditions — and here’s hoping we see both Lee and Luca (preferably in fewer inches of rainfall) at the next GoodGym Stockport session! 🌧️➡️🌤️💪

Tanoshi and Ben joined in with the Great British Spring Clean with a few groups in Ardwick. Co-organised by Ardwick Climate Action, Brunswick Parish Church, M13 Youth group, and the local Scouts, around 30 people took part to help clear up in the local area.

We were split up into groups, with some tackling a green space closer to Plymouth Grove, while we joined a group to tackle a spot beyond Ardwick Green. We were provided with gloves, litter pickers of different sizes, and plenty of bags.

In our group, we managed to collect ~26 bags in total, including a couple that were combined, plus a toilet seat (of course) and a few laughing gas cannisters. In total, we collected 65 bags of litter, tidying up the local area and all reported to Keep Manchester Tidy for collection.

Afterwards, we were treated to a warm soup lunch and plenty of sweet treats and cake, a just reward for a couple of hours of hard work.

Three GoodGymers grabbed their gloves, litterpickers, and refuse sacks to take part in the Great British Spring Clean 2026. Stefanie, Sam, and Ben ran the short way towards Hulme to tackle any litter and discarded waste.

The empty and unused warehouse was our first port of call, with a quick clear up on the perimeter, with council notices evident on the gates. More bottles, cans, laughing gas cannisters, coffee cups, takeaway waste, and a Coronation St DVD lay around the corner, with a few bottles (broken or otherwise) too. After crossing the bridge, we struck upon the aftermath of a small party, with Budweiser can strewn across the grass with the odd Stella can thrown in too. There was also a toy globe that was broken and split (possibly a subtle metaphor...) and another more grown-up toy hiding in the bushes too.

Overall, we collected 7 refuse sacks plus 3 cannisters. All reported to Keep MCR Tidy for collection soon.