It’s not always easy to drag yourself out to do these things, but I always think its satisfying.

Well done for signing up and making the commitment. Let’s continue it into the spring trying to make a little bit of a difference.

Goodgym Barnet came to support the community of people that had helped develop the Tiny Forest in Barnet. We had planted the forest just over a year ago, and cared for it through drought, torrential rain and littering. It is developing well with only a few casualties from last year. We are also updating the National portal with data on the trees in terms of growth, biodiversity and carbon capture. amongst others. This will be analysed by Earthwatch along with hundreds of other Tiny Forest all over the UK. We are hoping it continues to be a source of focus in the community about understanding our local environment and the need for sustainability. We encourage everyone to come and see the forest and upload data about health and positive effects of the trees.

Thank you to all those people involved in looking after the forest over the last year, and who came today to celebrate.

thanks to Dan for the cake!

Tiny Forest , Barnet a Poem on its first anniversary.

In the heart of Barnet lies a little space, The Tiny Forest, a peaceful embrace, A plantation of trees that grow tall and strong, With leaves that rustle as the winds come along.

These trees are our guardians, so wise and so true, They take care of our planet, for me and for you, With roots that reach deep into the soil, They help keep the air we breathe pure and royal.

The leaves release oxygen with every breath, And cleanse the air of pollutants that lead to death, The soil they enrich, creating a home, For creatures great and small, like a kingdom grown.

In the Tiny Forest, the sun dances through, A symphony of light, a vision so true, And as we stand beneath its branches so green, We feel a peace, a calmness that can only be seen.

This precious little space is a symbol of hope, For our community, a way to cope, With the challenges we face each day, It's a reminder to take care, in every way.

So let us cherish the Tiny Forest Barnet, And tend to its trees, our planet's garnet, For it's more than just a simple wood, It's a gift to us all, our home for good.

A magnificent seven, Goodgym Members came together at the Phoenix Cinema to help Martin Primary School in East Finchley. Most people met at the cinema to chat and warm up. We set off, on a cool, cloudless evening, , at a slow pace along the High Street . We met Kirsten and Cloud before joining up with our host John at the school. He provided us with the tools to spread the woodchip over the paths inside the forest school.

Goodgym Barnet loves this mission!

After the mission Cloud took us through some Fartlek training in the school field. This involved simple jogging in One Direction and various levels of sprint back before repeating over four minute period.

We then jogged back to the cinema for a warm down and refreshments.

Thanks for coming running and doing some good.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Our burgeoning new Goodgym Barnet run leader Antonio led the session for new starters. We gathered at Stephens House Gardens which is the jewel in the crown of Finchley. It is a charitable trust that relies on volunteers, including GoodGym. Beautiful gardens and café.

It was a chilly morning, so we started off with a gentle jog to warm up then Antonio took over the session in a sheltered pathway.

Antonio beautifully demonstrated some warmup exercises and then initiated a running session with sprints.

We then ran on to deliver leaflets from the Phoenix Cinema to local houses in the area. Another charitable trust that we like to try and help and hosts our Tuesday sessions. We did a warm down in the café with some refreshments to aid our weary limbs. look forward to all the carrot cake, Antonio!

Thanks for coming running and doing some good - I hope we ticked all the boxes.

A few Good Gym members came together (and four dogs! ) to help Stephens house and gardens in Finchley. The clear night and the full moon seemed to cause an unplanned pack of dogs to join Goodgym Barnet... courtesy of three members. Most of us met at the Phoenix Cinema numbered up and discussed our favourite recent films or TV shows. We then set off through the dampened streets of East Finchley stopping every so often to recover from the heavy pace set by the leading pack! ( and also dealing with the odd mishap) We were all dog tired by the end of the run. We met Alison and Warwick who split us into groups to gather leaves for composting. We put them into big rubble bags and dragged or wheeled them to the compost area in the depot. - it was a good workout! We then finished the session with a breathing exercise! Almost everyone then came back for some food and drink at a nearby house.

thanks for coming running and doing some good!

paws for thought .. even dogs can do good our new doggy members are Gus, Murphy Leona and Sunny.

Today people all over Britain and the world exercised for 27 minutes in support of the batten being run to Egypt for cop 27. The batten is encouraging people to engage and show support for action over Climate Change.
This includes highlighting projects and Community activities encouraging sustainability. thank you for your support!

do you look up! ... running out of time! https://running-out-of-time.com

please share any other pictures for the report.

Thinking about GoodGym?

Goodgym looks to promote sustainable activities in our community.

We do this by physically supporting local green spaces. Building fitness and resilience in our members. Encouraging active travel. Cycling walking, running. Discover and engage with our local environment and its communities.

Check out our reports https://www.goodgym.org/areas/barnet/reports

What’s my motivation? If we physically engage with our environment (and its communities) studies show it improves our sense of well being and connection. Active travel improves our health and of the environment.

What’s the bigger picture? Check out this TED talk. Please DO LOOK UP!

https://www.ted.com/talks/al_gore_how_to_make_radical_climate_action_the_new_normal?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

https://www.goodgym.org Goodgym is a national charity looking to get people active and connected with its local community and environment. Charity number 1160988 It’s FREE to join but we do ask for a donation if you use us regularly.