On a Saturday evening, while much of Liverpool was heading to Sefton Park to see Lewis Capaldi, a group of GoodGymmers followed the north star in the sky instead, towards the bright illuminations of Blackpool to Run The Lights. Liverpool may have been listening to “Before You Go”, we were getting ready for “Before You Glow”.

This was Clara's bright idea. She had completed the event before and recommended it to us, then met us on the night, combining it with a garden-centre weekend away with her mum.

A huge thank you to Heetu, who unfortunately couldn't make it on the night but had the no walk in the dark task of getting six GoodGymmers successfully registered. That involved collecting all our various bits of information, organising it all and, no doubt, chasing a few of us along the way.

On the evening we arrived in two cars. Bekah (thank you for driving), Ellie and I arrived very early and took the opportunity to walk part of the course, taking in the North Pier, Central Pier and, of course, the famous Blackpool Tower and further than the 5k turn around point. On the way back to the start, we passed the 10p bingo shop, which Bekah remembered from her childhood and was delighted to discover was still there... we think with the same bingo caller! We were so taken up with the sights and sounds of the seaside we had less time than we had planned when we got to the start line... what bright sparks we were!

Meanwhile, the second car was somewhat delayed. Liam (thank you for driving) had picked up Laura and Vikki only to realise he'd forgotten his running trainers. So, they drove back to his house. Liam successfully remembered his... GoodGym T-shirt and then forgot his trainers again! So Liam arrived in Blackpool ready to run 10K in a pair of his regular trainers rather than his running shoes and went on to get a PB! Clearly, the secret to a PB is forgetting your trainers twice. A shining example of thinking on your feet.

There was also a little reminder that, wherever GoodGym goes, the litter pickers aren't far behind. Vikky had brought two litter pickers up with her, which had been left at a previous task and were being transported on to the next one. They therefore became unofficial members of the Blackpool contingent, accompanying us throughout the evening.

Their final outing of the night was perhaps their most glamorous: a Goodgymmer heading into a bar carrying two litter pickers to use the toilet. You can take the GoodGymmer out of the litter-picking task, but apparently you can't take the litter pickers away from the GoodGymmer.

So we had all arrived in Blackpool... the run started at 9pm and the crowds were growing. Then came the difficult bit: getting six GoodGymmers together in the middle of 3,000 people.

Clara did a brilliant job of rounding everyone up — which was harder than herding kittens in a crowd of 3,000 — making sure we were all together for the all-important start photo, holding our valuables including litterpickers and then positioning herself perfectly as official photographer and chief cheerer-on.

Bekah and Liam were taking on the 10K, while Laura, Vikky and Sallyann were completing the 5K. Vikky one of our speedy runners, had sensibly opted for the 5K — although there was always a danger she'd disappear into the distance at the speed of light. Laura, meanwhile, was, as always, beaming from ear to ear, bringing her own illuminations to the evening. Ellie was also intending to do the 5K — but, in a plot twist that nobody saw coming, she missed the turn for the shorter route and accidentally ran an extra mile. So Ellie didn't just see the light at the end of the 5K. She apparently decided to run towards it and then keep going. She deserves a medal of her own.

The run itself was fantastic. We headed along the promenade with Blackpool's famous illuminations lighting the way. The lights were on for this special evening before returning later in the year. Was this a test run for the lights... well the GoodGym Illumination Inspection Team were up for the challenge if it was. The atmosphere was electric. There were illuminated capes, glowing shorts, flashing hair accessories, wings, hats and even a Spider-Man who was practically radiating superhero energy. We were comprehensively out-shone. Clearly, next year we're going to have to raise our game and not keep ourselves in the dark. There is no way we are going to let ourselves be eclipsed again.

Blackpool really is something else. As Ellie pointed out, Las Vegas is the Blackpool of the USA — big, bright and brassy, with slot arcades, bars, stag and hen dos, kiss-me-quick hats, a wedding chapel thrown in for good measure and, on this particular evening, 3,000 runners having an absolute ball. It was quite simply lit.

After the run, we all congregated again, thanks once more to Clara's exceptional crowd-management skills, and headed off for the most appropriate post-race meal imaginable: chips. Because,...well, it is Blackpool. We sat together, ate our chips, shared stories of the evening and enjoyed spending some time together before heading back to Liverpool. And what an illuminating night it had been.

By the time we arrived home at almost 2am, Liverpool felt very quiet and very dark in comparison. After an evening of lights, laughter, running, chips and a little bit of accidental extra mileage, we had certainly left Liverpool in the dark.

It had been a glowing success from start to finish.

And next year? We're coming back... hopefully with more Goodgymmers. Definitely brighter and sparklier, maybe on route and probably a litter picker or two. Goodgym Liverpool shines wherever we are but Blackpool certainly gives us an opportunity to turn up the wattage!

The weather looked like it was threatening to rain as Liam and Vikky met at the Hope Street suitcases, but luckily the downpour held off. ensuring they didn't bother arrive drenched following their run to the task.

Upon arrival, the team grew to seven strong as they met Bekah, Sallyann, Miriam, Dike and Laura. Armed with tools and ready to roll, the group got straight to work tackling the out of control weeds in both the front car park and along the driveway running down the side of the building.

It was no easy task, with one particular section requiring all of our weed destroying skills. Through great teamwork however, every single overgrown patch was defeated. By the time the session wrapped up, the green bin was overflowing with weeds, leaving the area looking neat, tidy, and welcoming.

A lovely task to start the week, swift run, great company, and a very satisfying result for a hugely important local charity!

Sophie, Vikky and Aatefa ran to Princes park from Hope Street when the temperature was still very warm. Laura, Steph and I were with Ali, a Friend of Princes Park helping him get the wheelbarrows, watering cans and the water butt on wheels out of the lock up. Katy from Friends of Princes Park gave us some instruction on what we were going to do today; water some of the trees that were earmarked for watering in the park. Apparently a new tree, up to two years old, needs a minute of watering every few days as it has not yet developed a deep root system that can access lower ground water. Dina and Ellie joined us before we started wheeling our water collectors down to the lakeside. There we formed a human chain, passing watering cans along to fill up the water butt and the cans, it was a workout! Some twisting and lifting. Then we made our way to the new trees that needed watering. They were each labelled and we marked each label as we watered so that we knew which ones had been done. Liam, Tsitsi and Craig joined the group just in time to see the Cinnabar moth caterpillar on a piece of grass. It was black and yellow striped, the nature signal for ‘don’t eat me, I am dangerous’ but there was nothing dangerous about this caterpillar except that they were munching all the leaves on our baby trees. We watered plum trees, cherry trees, oaks and horse chestnut trees. Ali asked us to water a few extras that weren’t marked just because he liked them which was very sweet and a sign of how much he cares for the park, developing fondness for the trees. I eyed up a fantastic blackberry picking location that I will definitely be returning to in a week or so when the berries have ripened so I can forage a few to have in my porridge. We definitely got our lifting exercise in on this task and really enjoyed the beauty of the park on this warm sunny evening. Katy told us about the Friends of Princes park anniversary event that is happening in a few weeks so many of us agreed that we would love to return for that.

On a beautiful summer Monday evening, GoodGym Liverpool once again answered the call of the Friends of Princes Park.

Twelve GoodGymers volunteered for the task. One by one, we gathered along the park's main avenue near the Friends of Princes Park building. The evening carried the gentle warmth of summer, and the park seemed to be waiting for us. After a few minutes, we were welcomed by Katie and Laura, from the Friends of Princes Park group.

Liam, our task leader for the evening, gathered us together for a safety briefing and outlined the mission ahead. Beside him stood two wheelbarrows laden with gardening tools, impatient soldiers waiting to be deployed. The moment Liam finished speaking, the wheelbarrows rolled into action and our small expedition set off.

Liam and Sophie led the way while the rest of us followed, chatting as we walked through the park. Along the route, a small comedy unfolded. Bekah, believing Leo was still somewhere behind us, thoughtfully sent him the location pin and tagged him in the group chat. Moments later, Leo appeared in a selfie with the group, having already caught up.

Our destination was a quiet corner of the park, tucked away from the main lake and resting beside a beautiful pond. It was one of those hidden places where the world seems to slow down, allowing nature to speak in its own language.

Before I had even decided where to begin, everyone was already hard at work.

One team cleared grass from the roadside and used the removed turf to repair a waterlogged area nearby, transforming it into a neat and orderly patch that looked freshly planted. Another team trimmed grass and vegetation growing along the retaining wall. Several friends were amazed by how quickly everything had grown. Nature, it seemed, had been busy while we were away.

Others gathered and removed the cuttings, ensuring the site remained tidy. Everyone worked in harmony, each person contributing their own small part to a larger achievement.

Yet the loudest activity of the evening was not gardening.

It was sneezing.

The pollen season had arrived in full force, and before long an unexpected symphony filled the air. Sneezes echoed from every corner of the work site, one answering another in almost perfect rhythm. It was a concert unlike any other, performed without rehearsal and entirely free of charge.

If someone had opened a nearby tissue stand, they might have retired by sunset.

Then, suddenly, the symphony stopped.

"Frog!"

Bekah and Tsitsi had spotted a frog that had fallen from the retaining wall and was desperately attempting to climb back up. Again and again, it tried, as though the word surrender simply did not exist in its vocabulary.

The determined amphibian continued its struggle until Naser decided to intervene.

Armed with a shovel and perhaps more confidence than expertise in frog transportation, he gently launched the frog several metres into the grass. To everyone's surprise, he did not aim for the pond as expected.

The frog experienced what was likely the longest jump of its life. Perhaps it broke a personal record. Perhaps it is still telling the story to its descendants. Either way, I doubt it will forget the experience anytime soon.

Then, far sooner than anyone wished, the announcement came.

"Time's up."

What a strange thing time is.

In ordinary life, people count the minutes until work ends. Yet here, among friends, nobody wanted the evening to finish. Everyone wished for a little more time, another conversation, another laugh, another shared task.

When people truly enjoy being together, time loses its meaning.

The tools were packed away; a group photograph was taken and then came a surprise announcement.

It was Sallyann’s birthday.

Not simply a birthday.

Her sixtieth birthday.

They had arranged a small celebration, and suddenly the evening became about something much greater than gardening.

Some people may think these weekly tasks and reports are repetitive.

They are mistaken.

GoodGym is not merely a running club that volunteers. It is a place where people practice community. A place where exercise becomes friendship, where volunteering becomes belonging, and where strangers slowly become fellow travellers.

Each of us joined for our own reasons. Some came to run. Some came to help. Some came searching for company. Yet over time, something deeper develops. Empathy. Trust. Kindness. Friendship.

Shared goals bring people together.

People give those goals meaning.

That truth became beautifully visible during Sallyann's celebration.

Bekah led the presentation of gifts. Many had been carefully Organised by friends both present and absent. Behind the scenes, people like Heetu, Bekah, Miriam and others had quietly spent time planning this moment.

As Sallyann opened each gift and read each message, she tried her best to remain composed.

Above us, the sky was heavy with clouds.

It wanted to rain.

Yet somehow it waited.

Message after message, memory after memory, gratitude after gratitude. Each word touched her heart a little more deeply.

Eventually, the clouds no longer needed to rain.

Sallyann's eyes did it for them.

The first tears appeared.

Not tears of sadness.

Tears of belonging.

Tears of gratitude.

Tears that only appear when a person feels truly seen and truly loved.

It was a beautiful sight.

A group of people from different countries, backgrounds, professions and cultures had gathered to celebrate one person who had touched so many lives. Sallyann had lived through countless moments over sixty years, yet this simple gathering of friends carried a magic all its own.

As Sally later reflected:

"I joined GoodGym because I wanted to make a difference. I don't think I had any idea of the difference it would make to me, or how important it and everyone within it would become. It truly is a group that supports, helps and makes a difference. When I say that, I don't mean only the wonderful things we achieve with spades, shovels, shears, litter pickers and paintbrushes. I mean within my life, my heart and my soul. Thank you so much for being part of my life."

Those words captured something many of us already knew but perhaps had never fully expressed.

We often hear that teamwork, volunteering and shared goals create belonging, reduce loneliness and strengthen communities.

But how do we measure success?

Not in kilometres run.

Not in flowerbeds restored.

Not in volunteer hours recorded.

The true measure of success was that moment.

The moment Sallyann cried.

Tears are often the most private possessions a person has. They emerge only when something reaches the deepest places of the heart.

Those tears revealed that over the years, through leaders and members like Sallyann, GoodGym has become more than a group.

It has become a family.

In an age when so many voices preach division, communities like GoodGym quietly build unity. While others draw lines between people, groups like this build bridges across them.

Charities, community groups and organisations like GoodGym are beacons in a fragmented world. They remind us that kindness remains stronger than indifference and that belonging remains stronger than isolation.

Happy Birthday, Sallyann.

Thank you for being exactly who you are.

Thank you for reminding us of what community looks like.

May your eyes shed tears only for joy.

And may we all be fortunate enough to celebrate your hundredth birthday together.

We were so excited for our first task with Park Palace Ponies as our Group Run this week. Although the plan was to clear out the office, and not actually play with the ponies, we were hoping to sneak a peek as we galloped in for our task. Alas, the best laid plans... An hour before we were due to meet for our run, disaster struck, and Park Palace Ponies contacted us to regretfully cancel due to a safety issue - the roof had leaked and impacted the electrics. Everyone (and the ponies!) were fine, but they had to close the centre and the task wouldn't be able to go ahead at all.

Now as gutted as I was, even I recognised water + electricity = not safe, so regretfully we had to concede defeat and agree to reschedule when the office is back up and running.

That left the big question - what DO we do? Options varied from cancelling (not really the Goodgym way), an impromptu social, or a litter pick. The litter pick won out.

And so after swift organisation and collection of the litter picking kits, we headed to Smithdown Road where we'd heard there was some litter which needed clearing up. Thank you to Sally Ann for whipping up the litter pickers, and to Laura for savvily intercepting Sally Ann en route to carry the litter pickers whilst Sally Ann headed to the group run meeting point to capture anyone who hadn't got our messages.

Clara was fresh from organising her first GG Parkrun tourist trip to Worsley Woods over the weekend, and met Naser, who was proud to wear his red Goodgym shirt for the first time.

I was sulking about missing out on the promised ponies and reluctantly dragged myself along, finding litter little solace in this no-horse race. But the spirit of the team soon cheered me up. The group was such good company as we walked along, clearing as we went. We found no less than 3 x complete pairs of shoes, a little flashing blue light, and a Santa which was well overdue a clear up. Our wandering took us past a little green area on Smithdown Road, which happened to be the site of Naser's first ever task with us. We reminisced about that lovely task - Laura has been so good with the children who were 'helping' with painting the benches, and the fire brigade had arrived to check there was no anti-social activity going on - in fact it was quite the opposite!

Before we knew it, an hour had passed and we had 4 bags of litter to dispose of in the council bins. Despite the grey skies, the rain, and the distinct lack of ponies, we were all glad we'd turned out to do our little bit to contribute to the community.

Well done guys for the speedy change of plans and dedication to doing a little something to help out, even if it wasn't our 'mane' task. You can sleep easy when you 'hit the hay' tonight, knowing you've kept our contributions 'stable' and 'trotted' around the local area 'champing at the bit' to help (I really should save some of these for when we reschedule...)

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening for our latest session in Princes Park, with the temperature thankfully dropping from the highs earlier in the afternoon. The park was buzzing with people enjoying the warm evening sun as our group gathered. Liam and Chris ran from the Suitcases, and we had a great turnout, especially from those in the group doing their second task of the day!

Our mission was to make sure the park's youngest resident trees stayed hydrated in the warm weather. This meant filling up a giant water tank from the lake to water the newly planted baby trees. Because the tank was so large, the team set up a brilliant, fast-paced relay operation using watering cans and buckets to bridge the gap between the lake and the tank, which would have worked brilliantly if one of the buckets hadn't been full of holes!

Once the giant tank was full, the team walked it over to the lakeside, making sure all the young trees got the deep drink they needed to thrive in the summer heat.

While the watering crew was busy by the lake, another hard-working group tackled the lakeside path. They focused on clearing away weeds and litter from the sides of the paths, which has made the whole area look much tidier and far more accessible for everyone visiting the park.

It was a beautiful, productive evening that showed just what can be achieved with a bit of coordination and a lot of team spirit. A massive thank you to everyone who came along, especially those who doubled up on tasks today—your energy and effort are hugely appreciated! See you all at the next run!