9 GoodGymmers walked, ran and cycled over to Round Hill to help the Round Hill Society keep the streets of the neighbourhood tidy. We welcomed local councillor Raf for his first mission as a GoodGym member and welcomed back 3 of our recent marathon runners (Rosie, Liam and double-champ "more marathons than a 1980s tuckshop" Ruth).

Upon arrival we got a quick pep talk from Dom and then went to pick-up brooms, shears and spades and set to work trimming back the hedges, cutting back bindweed and picking up litter. It was great to see the hedges still looking in a good condition after our visit last year and this time we didn't need to cut back anywhere near as much - although there was of course a healthy chunk of bindweed.

This mission was part of the Workout For The Future campaign recently launched by GoodGym to promote activities that help the environment, create a community connection and keep people healthy. Look out for more over the next few months! The task marked the 1 year anniversary of the creation of the Round Hill Community Pocket Park by the Society.

We made quick work of the topiary and after a snap with Dom we crept back home in the fading spring light.

*Report title must be sung to the tune of One Step Closer by Linkin Park

On a sunny but chilly Tuesday evening, 12 GoodGymmers made their way up (and up and up...) to St Luke's Primary School in Hanover, for our annual task of helping to get the props ready for the Children's Parade, which kicks off the Brighton Festival.

This year the parade is themed on the National Year of Reading, and the children of St Lukes chose the book "The Cave Baby" for inspiration - complete with a giant mammoth puppet. However, we kept our hands dry from papier-mache this time round, and were instead tasked with cutting out as many paper leaves as possible - to be used for the children's cave baby costumes.

We were given a blue-peter style demonstration by our host Lara, and after a hunt for left-handed scissors and some ingenious card-folding - we set about drawing and cutting.

We posed for a quick photo proudly holding our leaves (points to our lovely first timerDerek for creativity) and then headed to the park to share some delicious homemade Tiramisu to celebrate our own Stefania birthday!

On a gloriously sunny morning, Sherman and Roy headed out to help Mrs I with her lovely garden. As Mrs I is currently unsteady on her feet, we focused our energy on the bottom end of the garden, an area she finds particularly difficult to reach.

Sherman took charge of the rear bushes, giving them an impressive trim and clearing away stubborn weeds. He also skillfully lifted and separated one of Mrs I's favourite plants, replanting it in several new spots to help it thrive across the garden.

Roy focused on the rear patio and beds, ensuring every weed was accounted for. He also successfully removed a small, dead tree trunk that might be hazard to the grandchildren.

After completing the task, we were treated to some very welcome coffee and chocolate snacks. It was a pleasure to sit with Mrs I and enjoy the view of her refreshed garden. She hopes we'll return as there's always work to be done! Another successful mission.

Tonight’s GoodGym Brighton crew rolled up their sleeves for one of our favourite long-standing partnerships — a deep clean at the brilliant Brighton & Hove Food Partnership Community Kitchen. We love supporting BHFP’s mission around food waste, food poverty, healthy eating and community connection, and this session was the perfect blend of elbow grease and good vibes.

What we got up to

• With Jo welcoming us in, we split into teams and got straight to work:
• Ovens: scrubbed, polished and restored to their shiny best
• Cupboards: emptied, tidied, reorganised and generally shown some love
• Windows, tables and chairs: wiped down until they gleamed
• General chaos → calm: the whole kitchen got a refresh thanks to everyone’s effort

There’s something strangely satisfying about transforming a busy community space back into tip-top condition — and as always, the chat, teamwork and laughter made the time fly. Those who finished their tasks had the opportunity to do some “stickering” – which was essentially branding takeaway bags with BHFP stickers. It proved a good way to wind down. After we had finished, a huge number of us went to the Lord Nelson for the pub quiz and our monthly social. We hope to see the two newcomers, Lucy and Derek, who joined us this evening again real soon!

A little bonus knowledge

Jo reminded us that GoodGymers can get a discount on Community Kitchen classes — a great excuse to sharpen your cooking skills or try something new. If you’re curious, just ask Jo for details next time. And if you want to stay in the loop with BHFP projects, events and those coveted LatePlates last-minute class discounts, you can sign up to their newsletter here: https://bhfood.org.uk/get-involved/sign-up/

A big well done

Huge thanks to everyone who came along and helped make the Community Kitchen sparkle. It’s always a pleasure supporting BHFP, and we left knowing the space is ready for the next round of community cooking, learning and connection.

Until next time — great work team!