Bekah and I arrived promptly to Mrs M’s on this sweltering day. When we met Mrs M she directed us to the two fridges in her spare room. We got cracking straight away. She needed them put in her front yard so that they could be collected by bulky bob’s tomorrow. One was a table top fridge which we managed with ease and the other was a much bigger fridge freezer which we just about manoeuvred around the corners and out of the door, that one was pretty heavy. The fridge freezer had leaked a bit across the floor so we wiped that up with kitchen roll for Mrs M so that she wouldn’t slip. Within 10mins we were done and Mrs M remarked that we were super fast and efficient which is always nice to hear. Bekah and I were free to enjoy the sun and look forward to this evening’s England semi-final World Cup game against Argentina. Come on England!!

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.

The summer sun certainly made its presence known this Saturday, and the soaring temperatures persuaded many to enjoy a slower start to the weekend. But for a small and determined group of us, the heat was simply another challenge to embrace. Dike, Suren and I laced up our running shoes and headed to Princes Park, looking forward to another Saturday with our Parkrun family, and, of course, another Sticker Saturday.

Every Parkrun tells a different story, and today's wasn't about numbers or personal bests. It was about showing up, encouraging one another, and celebrating the community spirit that makes Princes Park so special.

While we took the course, Steph proudly stepped into her much-appreciated role as our Sticker Guardian, welcoming everyone from the lodge with her usual warmth, positivity, and a well-earned post-run breakfast. On a day like today, cold water truly beats the heat, and those simple moments, a refreshing drink, good food, plenty of laughter, and great company, became the real rewards of the morning.

One of the greatest joys of Princes Parkrun is knowing that no one is ever truly running alone. A heartfelt thank you to Kate and the wonderful Friends of Princes Park, whose cheerful encouragement reminded us that support doesn't always come from those running beside you. Sometimes, the loudest motivation comes from those waiting with a smile, a kind word, and unwavering encouragement. Their generosity creates a genuine sense of belonging, friendship, and community that stretches far beyond the finish funnel.

That same spirit is at the heart of GoodGym. Our presence at Parkrun reflects what GoodGym is all about: promoting health and wellbeing through physical activity while building stronger, more connected communities. We run to keep ourselves healthy, but we also run to support others, volunteer our time, and give something back to the places we call home.

At GoodGym, we believe that positive change begins with action. We don't need grand speeches to show our values because our actions speak for themselves. Every run, every community mission, every volunteer hour, every helping hand, and every word of encouragement is another step towards creating healthier, kinder, and more resilient communities. Whether we're running a Parkrun, helping a local project, or simply cheering someone on, we know that even the smallest act of kindness can leave a lasting impact.

Today's Parkrun reminded us that success isn't measured by the size of the crowd or the time on the stopwatch. It's measured by the friendships we nurture, the encouragement we share, the communities we strengthen, and the willingness to show up for one another.

The sun may have warmed up the day, but it was kindness, community, and friendship that truly made it shine. Because when people come together with purpose, every step forward becomes a step towards a stronger community. 💙🏃☀️

It was a very warm evening in Liverpool. Sefton park was very busy with people enjoying the evening sun, picnics, ball games and singing.

In a corner of the park runners were gathering to run the annual Tony Barnes Memorial 5-Mile run. Tony Barnes was a member of the Mossley Hill athletics club and when he passed away his community started this run in his honour.

Waiting at the start line were Sophie, Bekah and Steph. Lots of other runners were in their packs of running club mates, it was both reassuring and intimidating to our goodgym runners… this would be a great run but also a challenging one with lots of strong runners picking up the pace.

Me and Aatefa pitched up at the intersection where runners would pass multiple times as they made their way in a figure of eight around the lake and around the top of the park. Sallyann cheered on the runners from the pavillion area of the park.

It was a gruelling run in the heat. Lots of runners were visibly struggling but all three of our goodgym runners managed to smash the 5-miler (8km) race in under an hour. Steph came in at 58.38, a whole 12 mins under her predicted 1hr 10mins. Bekah came in at 52.54, a whopping 3.20 mins faster than her time last year. And Sophie came in at just 45.34, an amazing achievement.

Once our runners were finished it was time to head to the picnic tables for our annual picnic, Dike and Ellie joined us and there was so much delicious food we had enough for all of us to take lunch for the next two days! Special mention for Steph’s homemade brownies, Bekah’s famous salt and pepper sausage rolls, and Dike’s incredible effort into cooking fried chicken wraps and fried plantain. He may have decided not to run the race but more than made up for it in his cooking efforts. We all decided that Dike had set a level of expectation in us all that would mean he would have to prepare this for every future gathering.

It was so nice to stay out until late in the park and enjoy this summer tradition. Well done runners and thank you to everyone for making a great picnic.

This was our second visit to Mr G’s to clear the rest of his garden. He had bought a small saw for us to use in cutting back the last branches of the conifer and some other overgrown bushes on the other side. Tsitsi and I set to work with the help of Mr G’s friend’s son. As Tsitsi got further into the conifer she realised that it was actually three trees disguised as one! My lopper that I bought for £14 went into retirement as the handle came off it. The most impressive tool was Mr G’s small saw which achieved so much and apparently was only £3! In an hour and a half we had completely cleared back the growth and now there was a huge mountain of cuttings in the middle of the garden. Mr G was so happy with the work. He told us his plans for paving some of the garden and adding a seating area, he also said that now the sun could shine on the whole garden so they could plant things in a wider area. Mrs G showed us the roses that she had bought at the market and planned to plant in the garden. She also encouraged us to smell the scented rose in the front garden, that was gorgeous. When we finished we were invited in for lunch. Mrs G had cooked a delicious and healthy vegetarian feast. The Palestinian dish mujaddara, made with lentils, bulgur wheat and caramelised onions and served with a tomato, chilli, garlic and ginger sauce. Mrs G explained that this is a popular Arab dish. It was incredibly delicious. I ate as much as my stomach would allow and then Mrs G packed up the rest for us in pots. She then served us pudding!! Roasted nuts in wheat baskets dribbled with syrup. They were so yummy. We chatted about food and language and learned a couple of Arabic words, we also discussed the football and how impressive some teams were. Mr & Mrs G were so generous, we came away with our hearts and bellies full 🥰

Seven intrepid goodgymmers braved the heatwave to lend a hand at the German Church to help the prepare for their Sommerfest.

Whilst gathering before the task we were treated to a little history lesson, learning that the post box on the street was one of only two in existence to have Edward VIII engraved on it.

We were then guided through the church to a surprisingly large and tranquil garden, a real oasis in the city. This is were Sommerfest takes place and were we given the task of clearing as much foliage as possible to make way for the guests. We soldiered on in the heat and were quickly able to see the difference!

Well done to everyone, the church volunteers were so pleased with the progress! Here's hoping the Sommerfest went well.