The evening began at Suitcases, where seven GoodGymers gathered before heading to Princes Park. Sophie, who was leading the run, welcomed everyone and gave a particularly warm welcome to our two new members, Matt and Charles, before the group set off.

With Sophie leading the way, seven members ran to the task while the others made their way to the park separately. By the time everyone arrived, 13 GoodGymers were together and ready for another GoodGym session.

After a few introductions, Kate from Friends of Princes Park welcomed the group and talked us through the evening’s task, along with the important safety points before we got started.

Our work was centred around the paths near the island and the Nelson Mandela Memorial. The task involved trimming back overgrown trees and branches, raking leaves and debris, clearing grass and vegetation, and brushing the paths. It was satisfying to see the difference as we worked along the paths, making them clearer, tidier and more accessible for park visitors.

The shorter days and darker evenings also reminded us that summer is now behind us. It was a timely opportunity to check our headtorches and running lights, recharge them and make sure they were ready for the darker months ahead, and, of course, we put them to good use during the evening.

There was a wonderfully relaxed and friendly atmosphere throughout the session. Everyone worked together, chatted along the way and happily got stuck into the task. The combination of practical work, fresh air and good company made the evening pass quickly.

Moonraking beneath the night sky

Then came one of those little moments that made the evening memorable.

As we worked, the moon rose beautifully above Princes Park, illuminating the evening sky. With our rakes in hand and the moon shining overhead, we had come to clear the paths but it felt as though we were Moonraking beneath the night sky.

It was a fitting name for an evening that brought together community work, exercise and a beautiful autumn sky. Sometimes it is the simplest moments that make a GoodGym session particularly special.

There was another reason to celebrate too: Dinacompleted her 10th GoodGym session! A fantastic milestone, congratulations, Dina!

It was a wonderful evening of running, volunteering, friendship and community spirit, with a little moonlight magic along the way.

A very warm welcome to Mattand Charles, congratulations to Dina on reaching her 10th session, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who came along and contributed to the evening. And, of course, thank you to Friends of Princes Park for giving us the opportunity to help care for this much-loved community space.

Thirteen GoodGymers, a few rakes, a beautiful moon and one memorable evening of Moonraking.

One more task, one more Monday, one more… one more… one more… What’s the point? I’ll remind you.

Recently, someone watching us weed asked, “Why do you keep removing weeds? They’ll be back next week. They win. It’s pointless…”

At the time, I shrugged it off, but the question stayed with me. After a few weeks away from GoodGym, today’s session brought me back to it…why do we keep doing something when we know it will grow back?

There isn’t one answer, but for me it’s about caring for the things that matter. Everyone who regularly comes to GoodGym knows what it means to hold something dear and want to look after it. We also know how difficult that can be when life gets tough and how much a helping hand can make a difference and move the immovable barrier that stops us from showing up and doing the little deeds of care.

It’s not about eradicating the weeds. It’s about consistency and showing up. Sometimes a part of our lives needs a little maintenance, and sometimes we need someone else to help us with it.

This site is a great reminder of that. We return regularly, and it’s always satisfying to see how much difference a little work, repeated consistently, can renew a garden.

Anyway, back to the actual report!

We were joined by Fred (who has already completed five tasks in less than three weeks, Well done!), Erin on her second session (welcome back!), Clara, Bekah, Liam, Miriam and myself.

After introductions and a quick explanation of the task, we got stuck into removing the overgrown weeds before the colder months arrive. Clara and Bekah tackled some litter picking and even found a USB card reader (should we start a GoodGym lost and found?)

As the garden settles, so do the critters and spiders between the plants, making the task slightly more eerie as plenty of them came running out during the weeding.

This site is also known for people noticing and appreciating what we do, giving us great opportunities to tell people about GoodGym. We even met one of the garden’s neighbours, who cheekily invited us to come and work on his garden. I’ll have to think of a comeback for next time!

By the end, the entrance was looking renewed. Another task completed, another small act of care, and hopefully another good deed that will make someone else’s day a little brighter.

And perhaps that’s the answer.. we keep showing up because the weeds will grow back, but so will the good that we do.

Dike, Fred, Bekah and I walked together to the task where we met new member Erin - welcome Erin! Today also marked Fred's 5th task - well done Fred! We did introductions and then got more information about the task. The task was to weed and tidy the paving area around the gravestone of Kitty (Catharine) Wilkinson (née Seaward) (1786-1860). Kitty Wilkinson was a pioneer in public hygiene - responsible for developing the first combined public wash house and public baths in the UK (right here in Liverpool) helping to stem the outbreak of cholera during the 19th century. In Liverpool in 1832, she opened up her house so that neighbours could use her boiler (the only one in the neighbourhood) to wash and disinfect their clothes and bedding - this would become the blueprint for the the first official wash house and public baths opened in Liverpool on Frederick Street in 1842. This saved many lives and educated many on public health. Her gravestone reads: “Indefatigable and selfdenying. She was the Widows Friend: the support of the Orphan, the Fearless and Unwearied Nurse of the Sick: the Originator of the Baths and Wash houses for the Poor. It is apt that there are many tributes around the city to Kitty recognising her significant contributions. Some include: - The Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science at Liverpool John Moores University will soon be housed in the "Kitty Wilkinson Building" - Liverpool Hope University has a halls of residence - There is a marble statue of her in St George's Hall (the first women to be honoured in this way). - Kitty's Laundrette is a not-for-profit community Laundrette in Everton

We split up into two groups. Dike, Fred and Bekah worked on tidying the edges of grass around the pathway leading to Kitty's gravestone while Erin and I weeded the groves in between. Erin made super light work of the main section of the task so we moved outwards to cover wider ground. Dike, Fred and Bekah made the edges very neat and tidy and also supported the sweep up of grass and weeds removed. Well done everyone! We cleared far more than we expected and all before the rain set in!

I believe Kitty would often talk about the importance of supporting her neigbours and community and it was while we were doing this task that we had a lovely visitor from Liverpool City Council say hello and thank Goodgym for all its efforts in the community. Community and connection are always the words that come to mind when I think about goodgym.

Some GoodGym sessions have you running. Some have you gardening. And every so often, if you’re lucky, you get both in one evening. That’s exactly how six GoodGymers ended up trading trainers for trowels, joining Hope and Adrian to give the planters along Smithdown Road some care and attention. The brief was simple: weed, tidy, top up the soil and pick up any litter along the way. Liam, Fred and I started the evening with a run from the Liverpool Women’s Hospital area towards the traffic island where Ullet Road meets Smithdown Road, where the rest of the group was waiting. Once everyone had gathered, Liam took us through the safety guidance, making sure we all knew how to work safely around the traffic. Hope then talked to us through the task and explained what needed to be done. With the safety briefing complete, the instructions clear and the gloves on, we were ready to get stuck in. We started at the traffic island itself, coaxing the planters back from “a bit wild” to something genuinely lovely. We pulled out the weeds, added fresh soil, and gave everything a proper tidy. From there, we worked our way along Smithdown Road, planter by planter, weeding, trimming and maintaining the plants, while also clearing litter from the surrounding areas. Ten planters later, the road was looking noticeably brighter for it. There was a small milestone worth mentioning too: Amina turned up with her own new pair of gardening gloves for the very first time! A proper GoodGym rite of passage. The gloves were on, the weeds were warned, and there was no turning back. A Blooming Good Session It really was a good bloom session. There’s something quietly uplifting about working your way along a row of flowerbeds. The more we cleared, the more colour seemed to spring back to life around us, as though the plants were paying us back in kind for the attention. We’d started at a traffic island, but happily there wasn’t a hint of a jam. Instead, there was steady progress from planter to planter, with soil under our nails and the road looking better with every stop. The plants were putting down roots, while the GoodGymers were putting in the graft. And as for the weeds? They never stood a chance. Wrong place, wrong time, and definitely not part of the plan. Between pulling weeds, hauling soil, trimming plants and picking up litter, everyone found their part in the effort. There was plenty of enthusiasm throughout, and by the time we moved further along the road, Smithdown was beginning to look as though it was smiling back at us. The flowers may have been the ones doing the blooming, but there were plenty of smiles blooming among the GoodGymers too. Putting Down Roots, Then Running Home We wrapped up a few minutes ahead of schedule, with 10 planters looking brighter, the surrounding pavements tidier, and Hope and Adrian’s Smithdown in Bloom project given another helping hand. With the gardening done and the weeds well and truly defeated, it was time to swap the trowels back for trainers. Liam and I ran back to the area where we had started, bringing the evening neatly full circle. We had begun by running towards Smithdown, spent the middle of the session among the flowerbeds, and finished by running back with that satisfying kind of tiredness that comes from knowing you’ve left somewhere a little better than you found it. A big thank you to Hope and Adrian for organising and guiding us through the task, and to Liam for taking us through the safety guidance and keeping everything running smoothly. And, of course, a big well done to everyone who turned up, got their hands dirty and helped make the evening such a good one. It’s a nice reminder that small deeds can add up to something real: a few pairs of gloves, some fresh soil, a group willing to get stuck in, and a stretch of road that feels a little brighter for everyone who walks past it. We arrived on foot, stayed to dig in, put down some roots, pulled out a few weeds, and left Smithdown blooming. From sole to soil and back again, not a bad way to spend an evening.