Liverpool put on a lovely clear night for my last task with Good Gym Liverpool. I met Liam, Aatefa, Sophie and Steph at the suitcases. Steph, who is in the midst of half marathon training, was even mid long run. We cannot wait to hear how the race goes!

We enjoyed a lovely nearly 2km run to Princes park to meet the rest of the group. We were so impressed to see Dike who did not let running back to back marathons put him off joining the regular Monday night task! Well done Dike! 👏

Before we got started, Bekah said a lovely goodbye and I was given some very generous gifts from the team. I may have shed a few tears and had many bittersweet goodbye hugs.

Katy and Liz then gave us the briefing. Our goal was to revitalize a very muddy and slightly overgrown area of path near to the island. Armed with wheelbarrows, shovels and loppers, we headed down to get stuck in to the task, in true Good Gym form. Highlights included debating the difference between a shovel and a spade and seeing a frog! By the end of the hour we had cleared a whole lot of mud from the path and filled this in with overgrowth that others had cleared from nearby.

At the end of the task, some walked and some ran back to the suitcases where after a quick stretch, we headed to the pub. What followed was a lovely time catching up and chatting about how lovely it is to be a part of Good Gym Liverpool!

Thanks again to everyone for being a part of my journey and for the excellent send off!

The mid April weather being what it is, our latest group run began with a mix of a rain deluge and sunshine at the Suitcases, which rewarded us with some beautiful rainbows before we even started. A nervous Liam stepped up to lead the run for the first time, leading Aatefa, Sallyann, Heetu, Steph, and Laura on a short but sweet run through the Georgian streets toward the Cathedral. It was a great way to warm up before the main event.

By the time we reached the gardens, the sun had come out fully as we were joined by the rest of the group. We were delighted to celebrate two big milestones: Aatefa completing her 10th task and Miriam reaching her 50th! To mark this milestone Bekah brought a box of chocolates for Miriam, which she kindly shared with the group. We’re all looking forward to seeing Miriam in her new black GG T-shirt soon!

After a helpful briefing from the Friends of St. James Gardens, we got straight to work in high spirits. Heetu and Sophie did a great job clearing litter to keep the space tidy, while Aatefa, Sallyann, Jess, Pri, and Ellie planted new flowers near the Parliament Street end. It’s always rewarding to add something lasting to the gardens and the new flowers will be a lovely addition for the gardens.

The rest of the team headed to the old towpaths at the back of the gardens, working together to clear branches and foliage from the walls. Some of the branches put up a fight but the team weren't accepting defeat and managed to clear a large section of the walls. This essential maintenance helps preserve the site's history, and the team made light work of it with plenty of chat and energy.

The time really flew by and before we knew it we were back at the Huskisson memorial in the centre of the gardens to wrap up the task under the shadow of the Cathedral. A special thanks from Liam to the rest of the group for making the task go so smoothly. It was really appreciated!

A huge thank you to everyone for your hard work and for making the session so enjoyable—we look forward to seeing you at the next one!