When famous Ultra runner Damian Hall puts out appeal for help it felt like the GoodGym thing to do to volunteer.

Touring the country on a speaking tour, Damian needed an extra pair of hands at the end of the show. So, Peter stepped up and manned the book stall.

A really interesting night learning about how the body changes with age and how being active can help. Being active sounds right up GoodGym's street!

We had a bonus Tuesday task this week as Peter and I had the great honour of attending the Kendal Mountain Tour event at Broadway Cinema in Nottingham. The tour features a selection of amazing outdoor adventure films and guest speakers, and this was its final stop on the 2026 live event tour.

The GoodGym slot was just after the interval, so we got to sit through some great films first. We also heard from one of the stars of the film Swim Sistas, and also from Louis Hall who told us all about his adventures trekking the length of UK and across the Ligurian Alps with his horse, Sasha.

After a quick rehearsal in the interval with host, Indus, we were up on stage answering questions about what GoodGym is, why we love it and what we get up to. Obviously we remembered things afterwards that we forgot to say, but we tried to get as much information into our 5-minutes as possible.

Afterwards, we could relax a bit and enjoy the rest of the films before heading home. Below are the films and speakers that we got to see:

Speaker: Louis Hall

After growing up in Scotland, Louis Hall's journey began with a trip to northern Mongolia at age 18 in search of the Tsaatan tribe, where he first discovered the profound connection offered by the horse. This experience led him to embark on a 1147-mile ride down the length of the UK, which raised funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and paved the way for 'The Big Hoof', a Scottish mental health charity. Later, accompanied by his horse, Sasha, he spent 111 days crossing Europe, establishing the first recorded conclusive horse-trail across the Ligurian Alps. His debut book, In Green, chronicles this expedition – Louis will join a Kendal Presenter on-stage to share this journey.

Swim Sistas (Director: Cat White)

Swim Sistas is a poetic, visually stunning love letter to water, sisterhood, and the enduring strength of Black women across generations. Featuring the voice of Academy Award nominee Naomie Harris (Moonlight) as Mami Wata, part deity and part ancestral memory, the film flows across generations: from a young girl diving into joy, to Great Britain’s first and only Black female Olympic swimmer breaking historic barriers, to a woman learning to swim at 54, defying a legacy of inherited fear. It is a celebration of connection, resilience and hope, told through the lens of the rising tide of Black women reclaiming their place in the water, and in history.

Skate Like a Lass (Director: Juliet Klottrup)

Female established inclusive grassroots Skateboarding communities based in the North, UK. From mountains in Lake District to Blackpool promenade. These skate collectives were created to provide a safe space & welcoming environment for female & LGBT+ skaters in the area.

Lost Boys of Carbis Bay

A daring band of unlikely explorers embarking on a quest to uncover the forgotten mines of Cornwall, only to unearth an unexpected journey of self-discovery. Transcending mere adrenaline urges, the group becomes a vital means of connection and understanding, underscoring the importance of community in our lives. Best Adventure & Exploration Film Award Winner at Kendal Mountain Festival 2025.

Breaking Trails

Two mountaineers, Tom and Maud, explore risk, motivation, and loss, confronting why we seek extremes and how experience reshapes our relationship with adventure. Breaking Trails is a standout series that sees the GORE-TEX brand partner with pioneers from around the world who are breaking barriers and pushing for a more inclusive and respectful future in the outdoors.

Trango: Presented by The North Face (Director: Leo Hoorn)

After a two-year attempt, ski mountaineers Christina ‘Lusti’ Lustenberger and Jim Morrison, joined by Nick McNutt and Chantel Astorga, ski the first descent of the Great Trango Glacier. They navigate risk, grapple with grief, and face physical danger as they push the limits of human experience. At 6,000 meters, constant exposure tests their resolve, but it’s the unspoken trust and support within their expedition team that allows them to face the unimaginable together.

About the Kendal Mountain UK Live Tour 2026

ADVENTURE FILMS AND LIVE SPEAKERS

Our Tour takes place between February to May each year, up and down the country with both cinematic and theatre experiences showing the best of the world’s stunning landscapes through a curated selection of Kendal Mountain festival award-winning short adventure films. But it's not just about exploration – storytelling is at the heart of this event. Alongside these powerful films, adventure speakers and local community groups will take the stage to share their own personal stories, offering a deeper connection to the people behind the adventures. Whether you’re an avid explorer or simply someone who cherishes the power of storytelling and the beauty of nature, the Kendal Mountain Tour 2026 promises to leave you inspired and moved by the shared human spirit of adventure.

The weather was most definitely against us last night!

We've been working on the railings at the ICCA on Hucknall Road since January and somehow May is the first time we've had to cancel due to rain.

Luckily we've got a boot full of litter pickers, hi-vis and bin bags so we decided to take a pass of the Pirates Park and churchyard. Lots of soggy tissues and bits of paper, but nothing too exciting.

Afterwards we reconvened at The Gladstone pub for a swift half and to prepare Rachel and Peter for their talk at the Kendal Mountain Tour next week. You can get one of the last remaining tickets for 20% off with the voucher code "ADVENTURE20".

For this week’s task we returned to the Sherwood Community Centre where our host, Louise, always has a range of fun jobs for us. However, before we started work, we had another important job to do…have a photoshoot!

We were joined by two photography students, Damon and Deanna, from Nottingham College who are working on a project about sustainability. They wanted to take a few snaps of us before the task, so the Nottingham Taskforce - Leah, Peter and Rachel - pulled out their best litter picking poses in the woods to get the shots that were needed.

Once everyone else arrived, we set to work in and around the centre. Peter, Shauna, Annie and Jo were out in the grounds weeding some of the beds and clearing leaves. Jo was joining us from Exeter where she is a GoodGym regular, so it was lovely to have a tourist in our midst.

Inside, Charlie, Matt and Nat did a bit of moving and shifting, and also built a shelf/trolley contraption for extra storage in one of the cupboards. After this, Matt had the important job of mopping all the signs in and around the carpark to remove all the dirt, bird mess and general muck that was covering them.

Finally, Khiltee, Leah and Rachel returned to the basement to carry on with some of the painting that we had been working on over recent weeks and months.

After an hour, we had a photo with one of Matt’s freshly mopped signs and went on our way.

Damon and Deanna's photography project will be on show at the Surface Gallery in Nottingham very soon, and we hope to go along to check out our photos and learn more about sustainability projects in the city.

We were back at the ICCA this week to carry on with our on-going project of painting the railings.

Accompanied once again by a slightly chilly wind, Charlie, Khiltee, Matt and Rachel set to work and managed to finish the last remaining section of railings on the half that we’d been working on (bar a few bits that we may have missed!!).

Our next job when we return will be to paint the large, elaborate gate. In preparation for this, the team spent the last quarter of an hour sanding off all the loose paint and moss which will hopefully make things a little smoother for us next time.

We’ll be returning to tackle said gate (and the rest of the railings) on 13th May - why not come and join us? The more hands we have the more we can paint!! Sign up here

We spent a lovely Wednesday evening at Edwards Lane Community Centre for this week’s session. Seven of us met Hya on arrival who tasked us with clearing and tidying the area out the front of the building. This was in preparation for a big event taking place at the centre at the weekend.

The original plan was for one of us to be jet washing the concrete but, sadly, the hose had escaped somewhere so the machine could not be used. Much to everyone's disappointment as we've not had the pleasure of jet washing yet! Instead, we all got stuck in with weeding the beds, scraping and sweeping the paths, and generally making things look a little bit neater.

After an hour’s work and with the fading sun leaving us a little chilly, we packed up and had our group photo. Despite the pressure washer not being used on this occasion, Nat ensured that it still featured in the photo and, somehow, Leah still managed to jet wash herself! Before we headed home, some of us took a little look inside at the toilets that we’d started painting on our last visit to Edwards Lane (see report). We can confirm that the painting is now finished and the loos look great.

We welcomed Sian and Susan to their first GoodGym tasks – lovely to meet you both. They joined Dayna, Leah, Matt, Nat and Rachel. Good work everyone!