As the leaves began to fall, GoodGym Barnet gathered at the Phoenix Cinema to warm up ahead of tonight's task in East Finchley. Rachel brought this week's icebreaker, asking what childhood books had shaped us. We followed George's lead, and skipped and jogged along the High Road up to the Fuel Land Allotments, discussing all things Roald Dahl to Tolkien.

Once we reached the imposing metal gates, our GoodGym crew grew again. Great to see Simone, alongside our regulars, and special shout out to Will who joined us for the first time and hopefully not the last. The staff and volunteers from Finchley Charities led us through the gates into the allotments, a green oasis hidden away from the busy street and even sheltered from the autumnal winds blowing beyond.

Once gloved up, we got to work. Beattie wielded a mattock and no bramble stood a chance. Lucy and Simone helped fill in gaps around the pond, taking care to leave the logs undisturbed that served as a bridge for amphibious friends. George got his steps in while ferrying a wheelbarrow along the length of the allotment. Rachel and Will made fast work of building a new compost heap, keeping an eye out for nesting slow worms.

As evening descended, we dug through the soil (and agreed it's officially time to dig out the head torches). Once we were satisfied with what we could still see of our handiwork, we were thanked for our efforts and could leave the allotments knowing we've helped both Finchley Charities and Finchley Food Bank. The leaves may be turning golden and the days getting shorter, but that won't stop GoodGym Barnet from lending a helping hand and digging deep where we're needed.

The amazing Orchard Project have been helping volunteers maintain an amazing old orchard on the site of the old St Joseph's Monastery in Mill Hill, with trees over 75 years old. A small, amazing team of volunteers reclaimed the orchard from brambles and have been working with orchard tree experts for a few years to see the best apples picked and distributed through the Felix Project.

I joined a bunch of volunteers from the Orchard Project and the orchard's core volunteer team. We grabbed two sacks - one for eating, one for juicing - and made our way through the orchard picking apples. They had so many varieties - spartans, joybells, bramleys, something that looked a bit coxy, something a bit pearmainy, a lot more unidentified. We even ate a few along the way. The eating apples were picked for perfection - clean, free of holes, no bruising or pecking. The juicers were a bit more rough and ready, including some windfall, as the juicing process pasteurises the results and bottles and seals it all up.

After an hour and a half, we stopped for lunch at the picnic area in the orchard, eating a few more apples and some of the free seaweed crisps the Orchard Project gets from their sponsors. The hardcore volunteers then got back to it for another hour or two, though there were so many apples they didn't pick them all.

If the juicing is successful, they'll need help picking loads more - and Goodgym will be there again!

Leaflets, Locals & A Sprint Finish

This week we gathered once again at the Phoenix Cinema, rallying to support our much-loved local gem as it faces financial difficulties. Just last week we enjoyed a social there watching The Materialist, and this time our mission was more practical: helping spread the word about the Phoenix’s upcoming French Cinema Season (and a few other cultural treats) by delivering leaflets.

We kicked things off in the Phoenix foyer with a chat about unusual places to stay — suggestions ranged from ice hotels to cliffside camping, with even a prison-themed hotel thrown in for good measure. After a warm-up, we set out into the streets, navigating the heavy traffic caused by the tube strike and keeping an eye out as we ran.

Our leaflet drop took us through Brim Hill, a leafy and well-to-do area perfectly suited for Phoenix patrons. It was heartening to hear the positive responses when locals learned of the cinema’s financial struggles — a reminder of just how valued the Phoenix is in our community. Between us, we managed to deliver around 200–300 leaflets before heading towards Mutton Brook, where the air was fresher and the streamside paths gave us a welcome cooling breeze. Places like this are a vital part of city life, just as much as the Phoenix itself.

To round things off, George put us through our paces with a sprint finish, before we cooled down with some stretches. It was lovely to welcome back Lucy and Scarlett — we hope to see you both again soon!

GoodGym is all about supporting the people, places, and spaces that matter most in our communities, and this week felt like a perfect example.

A few GG members came online to do yoga

Yoga talk

Its good for you!