The weather was a bit dull, but we had a great session yesterday – we helped the Scope’s new charity shop in 93 London Road to get ready for their great opening next Thursday, 28th April!

Nicole and Karen, leading the great opening, welcomed us at big arms and really appreciative of GoodGym ignition of superpower at the end of their tiring day! So, with the soundtrack music of Jim Reeves – He'll Have To Go played by the vinyl discs recorder, we dusted off all the new shelving units, hoovered the big new shop area, moved and smashed cardboard boxes for a greater Good!

Scope, is the disability equality charity in England and Wales; they provide practical information and emotional support when it's most needed and campaign relentlessly to create a fairer society. In the new charity shop there is a nice mural made by students of the Downs View College brightening a dedicated corner where the visitors can enjoy some resting and social time in the shop.

We had a really Good time, and we could not resist the temptation to try some of the dresses on – Donated second hands or gifted new, all is welcome here, especially more volunteers!

We are all invited to the great opening next week, hosting special guests like the local artist Jonny and Electra Fence! Can’t be missed.

Last Saturday, a window of gorgeous sunny weather gifted us with an amazing landscape view on Brighton Sea from the top of SheepCote Valley! Not surprisingly, this attracted a reasonable group of enthusiastic volunteers and four GoodGymers, including new member Olivia, Lucia and Hannah to help parkranger Lindsay with the conservation of East Brighton citypark. Lindsay’s engaging enthusiasm is contagious, and we always have a great deal of fun altogether!

Who cleared brambles, who cut overgrown branches, who piled up green waste, who burned those collated twigs, woods, branches, and dry leaves by keeping fires well controlled …. And who, like me 😊, had a first time to unstrap overgrown bramble’s (almost tree) roots by using a tree hoper – new garden tool! Exiting.

After running the parkrun, I felt all the effects of such a green workout, but it was well worth it. I also found out that in Autumn those nasty hedgerow brambles produce berries that can be harvested to produce a good taste gin!

A group of Good-Gymers jogged two miles up an incline to Cardinal Newman School. Meeting the rest of the group there! After we found the entrance we were met by the care taker Pedro who showed us the school gym which needed cleaning. We welcomed two new members Olivia and Hannah and welcomed back Daniela who quickly got stuck in.

Looking at the school website we were in the St Augustine Building which also has a climbing wall - a nice one to discover next time!

We donned gloves and got to wiping and dusting the pretty dusty gym equipment. Some of us who were good at multi tasking managed to use the running machines and clean! We had fun on the balance board. We were impressed with their moto use your muscles not your mouth although we definitely used both!

After we finished up we jogged up a hill to The Dyke Alehouse to enjoy a drink and some chips. Nice meeting here Lucia too!