A big thank you to everyone who joined our monthly “anywhere, any time” litter pick. Whether it was a lunchtime plog, a riverside tidy-up, or a quick local wander with a picker and bag, every bit helped.

We had members out and about clearing rubbish from local paths, waterways and green spaces — including a great River Quaggy effort where three bags for life were filled. It’s a simple idea: spot some litter, pick it up, send a photo, and help keep our communities cleaner.

Sally and I celebrated Earth Day with a litterpick i • Then it was off to the theatre. The litterpicker wasn't allowed in, but the staff took good care of it. Maybe they used it for a quick bit of litter picking whilst we were in there 16:36

Why litter pick? A very short sea shanty:

There once were some runners who cared for the land, With litter pickers firmly in hand. They cleared up the street, Made the neighbourhood neat, And sailed into May with a plan!

Thanks again to everyone who took part. Let’s go again in May — same idea, anytime, anywhere, solo or with a friend.

A few few people came online to do yoga.

Yoga talk

Yoga can contribute to muscle development while nurturing physical and mental wellness. In yoga studios and classes, practices like vinyasa yoga incorporate strength-focused poses that engage muscles and encourage growth. While yoga’s primary goal isn’t solely muscle-building, it does enhance overall body strength and tone.

Tiny steps, big impact

On a lovely sunny day, we gathered at Stephens House and Gardens for a GoodGym Barnet starter session — a relaxed introduction to how GoodGym connects running, volunteering and local community spaces.

The aim of the session was simple: to give newcomers a flavour of what GoodGym does locally, using two great examples of our community activity — Stephens House and Gardens and the nearby Tiny Forest.

Stephens House and Gardens is one of Barnet’s much-loved green spaces, and GoodGym has helped there in many ways over the years, from gardening and planting to supporting the team with practical outdoor jobs. It is a brilliant example of how regular volunteering can help care for local community assets.

After numbering up and introducing ourselves, we had a fun opening chat about encounters with animals while out running. Needless to say, we won’t go into all the details here — but it certainly got everyone smiling.

We then headed off through the park and down towards the Tiny Forest. This is another fantastic local project where GoodGym has been involved, helping with planting, care and citizen science monitoring. At the forest, we carried out some simple measurements linked to carbon capture and biodiversity, using survey slabs to see how the site may be changing over time — including what is happening in the soil as the forest develops.

It was one of those GoodGym sessions that perfectly combined movement, purpose and community: a bit of running, a bit of learning, a bit of science, and plenty of fresh air.

Afterwards, we headed back to Stephens House and Gardens and enjoyed the sunshine at the café with some well-earned food and drinks.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

We’ll be running these starter sessions regularly, so if you’re new to GoodGym Barnet and would like a gentle taster, keep an eye out for the next one. And if you don’t want to wait, come along to one of our Tuesday evening group activities. We’re a welcoming group, we’re not about super fitness, and we always adapt what we do depending on the task and who is with us.

Clearing the past for the future

Today three GoodGym members came together at St Mary’s Church, Finchley, to help Helen with the careful task of clearing vegetation from around the churchyard memorials.

The aim is to uncover the stones so they can be properly photographed, recorded and categorised. Many of these memorials are Grade II listed, and each one offers a small but powerful glimpse into the lives of people and families who were part of Finchley’s past.

On a beautiful day, we spent a couple of hours working through the churchyard, gently cutting back growth and clearing away ivy that had started to cover some of the stones. It was simple, physical work, but with a real sense of purpose. Every cleared memorial became a little more visible, helping preserve both the history and the dignity of the space.

Helen shared some fascinating details with us as we worked. We learned that some of the smaller burial plots could contain up to six members of one family, and that many of the names recorded were children who had died very young. It was humbling to be working so close to these stories, and it gave the session a quiet sense of history and grounding.

As always with GoodGym, it was a mix of useful outdoor activity, community help and connection to place. We made good progress, but there is still plenty more to do, so we hope to return soon for another session.

A big thank you to everyone who came along, and to Helen for guiding us through the work and sharing some of the history of St Mary’s with us.