With a solar eclipse due later this evening, today's mission was all about bringing a bit more light into Mr A's day.

A dense wall of brambles had blocked access to his garage and rear garden, so I spent the session cutting them back and clearing a path. By the end, the garden was accessible again and a major source of stress had been removed.

6 GoodGymmers ran and cycled their way to FareShare Sussex and Surrey’s depot this evening, to help them prepare for tomorrow’s deliveries and collections.

After donning our mandatory kit of boots, high viz vests, and gloves - we were given our instructions by task host Steven.

After a rather hot and sweaty 2.5 mile run, Rosie, Jane and Nicola were eager to help out in the refrigerated section of the warehouse, picking orders ready for collection, while cyclists Rachel, Sarah and Sarah opted to keep warm and help load the van with tomorrow’s deliveries to the Guildford hub.

FareShare Sussex & Surrey provide food to more than 144 local charities and community groups that not only deliver meals but provide additional services, such as advice and guidance, health support, counselling and befriending. They are an environmental charity that uses surplus food as a vehicle for good above and beyond alleviating hunger.

Yesterday, six magnificent Brighton GoodGymers ran up to Lavender House for a weeding blitz. The sun was out, and so was our appetite for destroying invasive vegetation to help the local retirement housing community thrive.

A massive GoodGym Brighton welcome goes out to Douglas, who joined us for his very first session! Douglas jumped straight into some intensive gardening, proving himself to be an absolute natural.

Meeting at our usual spot, we kicked off the evening with a brisk group run up the hill to Kemp Town. It was a perfect leg-burner to get everyone’s heart rates up and muscles primed before diving headfirst into the physical task. Upon arriving at Lavender House, the crew was greeted by Nial with the massive task of tackling fast-growing "idle weeds" creeping along the perimeter. Armed with garden tools and plenty of enthusiasm, we split up along the property boundaries and fanned out across all edges of the building.

Working at a blistering pace, the group cleared pathways and gravel borders in just 45 minutes. The result: 100% of the building’s edges were completely transformed, leaving the outdoor space beautifully tidy, safe, and accessible for the residents. It was an incredible display of team efficiency, proving once again how much a small, dedicated group can achieve in under an hour! We packed the tools back into the shed, thoroughly enjoyed drinking some refreshing water with squash to rehydrate, snapped a quick group photo, and headed off on our well-earned cooldown run back down the hill.

I had a great time volunteering at the GoodGym beach clean-up on the Sunday of Brighton Pride!

On a sunny Sunday morning, numerous volunteers gathered at the Kings Road Arches to collect the rubbish left behind after the previous day's Pride celebrations, along with what appeared to be the remains of several beach barbecues.

We filled plenty of bags with plastic items, bottle lids, broken glass and even a tent peg. However, the prize for the most unexpected find has to go to a pair of sunglasses!

Afterwards, many of us headed to Pride in the Park to enjoy performances from Paris Hilton, Mel C and the wonderful Diana Ross, safe in the knowledge that we'd done our bit to help keep Brighton's beautiful beach cleaner and ready for everyone to enjoy.

As is Brighton GoodGym tradition, a few of us headed down to Hove Park on the eve of Brighton Pride to participate in the annual Rainbow Run 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Organised by Brighton and Hove Frontrunners, the Rainbow Run raises funds for MindOut, a local LGBTQ+ mental health charity.

Sadly, none of us were victorious in the post-race raffle, but we did enjoy some very nice non-alcoholic beers to get rehydrated. Afterwards, Carla and Philippa stayed a little longer to take down bunting, pack up hi viz vests, and help dismantle a gigantic (and very bamboozling) gazebo.

After that it was home to get some sleep before a weekend of dancing, singing, litter picking, and more dancing (finishing with an iconic performance from Diana Ross on the Sunday) 🙌

On Tuesday, GoodGym took a gentle run over to the he Community Kitchen in central Brighton—one of our favourite projects from the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership!

During the summer, the kitchen hosts a packed schedule of seasonal activities, from school holiday baking and family workshops to adult cookery classes. With so many kids dropping by, greasy handprints had made their mark everywhere!

Wiping those away was our main mission, but we also cleaned the windows until they sparkled and tidied out drawers and cabinets—a meticulous job for a dedicated few.

It was another Good session, leaving us all keen to return soon. And we definitely will!