As autumn colours start to turn to winter, four Good Gym volunteers wearing woolly hats and gloves, ran and walked in the luckily dry evening to Manor Paddock where we met Luc for some gardening tasks. We welcomed back Rebecca (or Rib as she likes to be called) who hadn’t been for a few months due to an injury and met Sherman at the task.

During the task, we learnt from Luc about that Manor Paddock retirement housing complex has six flats and eighteen bungalows. We also chatted about local news about The Bevy fundraiser and the campaign against over-development on the Greenway.

With our head torches in place, we completed all the tasks including pruning the bay tree, pruning the lavender and cutting back and bagging other plants for the winter. Luc was so pleased as with Good Gym’s help, together we collected a total of eight bags of leaves!

This week, GoodGym Brighton proudly joined forces with This Girl Can for their powerful #LetsLiftTheCurfew campaign. As the clocks go back, nearly three-quarters of women alter their outdoor fitness routines due to safety concerns after dark. Our GoodGym community mission tonight wasn't just about the physical workout, but standing in solidarity to challenge this reality, ensuring everyone has the freedom and confidence to stay active outdoors year-round.

🧽 We returned to the Community Kitchen for our Social Scrub Up to support Brighton & Hove Food Partnership (BHFP)'s projects that tackles local food waste, combats food poverty, and runs vital community cooking clubs. True to GoodGym style, we combined fitness with a thorough deep clean. Armed with sponges, cloths, and plenty of enthusiasm, we scrubbed surfaces, sanitised equipment, and tidied cupboards—leaving the space gleaming for its next session!

🌱 During the task, we caught up on BHFP’s brilliant eco-friendly initiatives. The kitchen actively uses surplus ingredients in its classes to prevent food waste. To push their mission even further, they are now encouraging participants to bring reusable containers for leftovers. In just one week, this simple switch has already saved more than 50 single-use plastics!

👟 Our group walk to and from the venue was dedicated to the Let's Lift the Curfew movement. By moving together as a bright, visible, and supportive group, we can help overcoming the barriers women face when exercising after dark. GoodGym highly encourage all members to look through GoodGym's male allyship training guide to help keep Brighton safe and inclusive for every runner, walker, and cyclist.

🎁 Giving Back (and Giving Thanks!). As always, we got active, gave back, and supported great causes. We also received some wonderful perks! Our gracious host, Jo, rewarded us with a jar of Bold Beans, a recipe booklet, and a ‘Thank You Relay’ card, extending her appreciation to our community and inviting us to join her in this movement. A fantastic GoodGym welcome to our newest member, Ana.

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This week, GoodGym Brighton returned for our annual visit to the Brighton Youth Centre to help them prepare for B'fest, continuing our commitment to youth-led creativity, collaboration, and cultural expression across the city.

Yesterday’s fast and furious GoodGym session saw 10 GoodGymers bring plenty of energy and joy to the festival prep. We moved panels, heavy poles, and bamboo canes, stacked up seating, and weeded the yard to get everything looking tidy and ready for the young crowds visiting the venue soon.

We always love visiting the Brighton Youth Centre. As one of Brighton & Hove’s longest-running and most popular youth services, it helps young people thrive through everything from skateboarding and stand-up comedy to dance, D&D, street art, radio, music, and theatre. Run by and for young people aged 13–19, B'fest is the ultimate Brighton Youth Arts Festival. The doors open this Saturday 24th October and run until the 30th of October during half-term, bringing together young creatives from across the South East.

GoodGym is so inspired by what you do! We left the building full of good vibes and are ready to spread the word through leafleting.

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Another mild evening greeted nine GoodGym Brighton runners as they returned to action. This time, we visited the Change Grow Live (CGL) Brighton and Hove Recovery Service at Richmond House, which offers a safe, non-judgemental space for drug and alcohol recovery. Our host, Rita, has been instrumental in creating a green oasis here, and GoodGym was ready to lend a helping hand.

This Tuesday’s mission was to tackle the overgrown bushes in the front parking area. Armed with loppers and GoodGym-hand pruners 😊, we got to work cutting down top branches and pruning them back. To speed things up, we formed an efficient GoodGym "human chain," passing the green garden waste down the line. We were even illuminated by professional studio LED lights—usually used by CGL for video and photography—making it look like a live-streamed production of doing good and getting fit!

After sweeping up the final leaves, Rita invited us to the opening of the "Three Frames" (Object. Person. Place.) photography exhibition. Organized by CGL as part of Photo Fringe 2026, it runs every Saturday in October at Richmond House. The exhibition showcases powerful work produced entirely by service users exploring their personal recovery stories.

Want to get involved? Join GoodGym for another session!