Thank you to everyone who attended today's parkrun meetup at Mile End parkrun. It was a joy to catch up with Goodgymmers from all boroughs, regulars from our Achilles International UK guide running sessions (shout out to VI runners Chris, Charles, Jack and Naqi and their guides) and members of Track and Towpath Run Club. It was very special, and I really appreciate it!

(I have included a photo from my very first parkrun - Gladstone Park, Willesden Green, 11th January 2013!)

Picking Up Good Habits

GoodGym members headed out across the country for some anytime litter picking.

Jacqui and Sally cleaned up around central London before rewarding themselves with a couple of free exhibitions at Somerset House. Paul tackled the River Quaggy in Sutcliffe Park, collecting four bags filled mainly with cans and fast-food packaging.

Meanwhile, Gus and I explored a lovely disused railway line, searching high and low for rubbish hidden behind walls and deep in the bushes. Why people go to such trouble to hide their litter never ceases to amaze me—fortunately, Gus proved a very willing assistant! Thanks to Peter for also providing photos.

A walk, run or litter pick is a simple way to get active and improve your neighbourhood. Why not join us and give it a go this September?

GoodGym litter picking any time any place during the month of September. Sign up to commit to improve your Local area. If you need a litter picker and bags, let me know.

https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/anytime-single-or-paired-plogging-litter-picking-walking-or-running-b5da6090-e9e9-47cd-ae3e-fada5aefa603?legacy=true

Ten Years of GoodGym Barnet – Back Where It All Began

Ten years ago GoodGym Barnet held its first group run to Long Lane Pasture. Yesterday we went back to where it all began with old friends, new faces and over 30 people joining us to celebrate a decade of doing good in our community.

A big group set off from the Phoenix Cinema after our traditional warm-up but this time we also went around the group remembering some of our favourite GoodGym moments from the last ten years. Gardening, clearing graffiti from the Phoenix, Halloween runs in fancy dress, Tiny Forests, litter picks and countless community missions. It was a lovely reminder of just how varied GoodGym has been.

We ran through the back streets of East Finchley, keeping everyone together with the occasional stop for squats, exercises and a few questionable drop kicks!

At Long Lane Pasture we met Donald, other volunteers, councillors and GoodGymers who had made their own way there. Donald told us a little about this wonderful nature reserve, saved from development and now looked after by volunteers.

After gathering around the Green Flag for a photo, we squeezed in some gentle yoga breathing and mobility before getting down to business , clearing litter from the footpath alongside the reserve.

Then came the important birthday business: cake and beer!

Huge thanks to Donald and everyone at Long Lane Pasture for hosting us and providing plenty of cake, Richard for the vegan cake, Athletic Brewing for the beers and Theo for some additional refreshments with a little more kick!

There was another milestone worth celebrating too: congratulations to Subham on reaching over a 100 good deeds. What better evening to do it.

Most importantly, it was wonderful seeing people who have been part of GoodGym Barnet at different times over the last decade. Some we see every week, others we haven’t seen for years. You’re always welcome back even if it’s only once a year!

One message we received afterwards perhaps summed the evening up best:

“The energy is infectious. You have created a wonderful community, and Barnet is richer for having you in it.”

But GoodGym isn’t really about what we have created. It’s about supporting people like Donald and the volunteers at Long Lane Pasture, and all those people across Barnet who quietly take responsibility for our green spaces, charities and community organisations.

Sometimes a couple of hours of our time gets a job done. Just as importantly, hopefully it reminds those people that they aren’t doing it alone and that what they do is noticed and valued.

And it does something for us too. Getting outside, being active and doing something useful alongside other people is pretty good medicine for life.

We might only make a small difference each time but a small difference is considerably better than no difference at all.

After ten years, we’re still running, walking and cycling into our community, getting our hands dirty and seeing where we can help.

Here’s to the next few years and hopefully plenty more familiar and new faces joining us along the way. ❤️

Happy 10th birthday GoodGym Barnet!

Six GoodGymers met at Sweet Fig Coffee Lounge this morning, ready to take a colourful message out into the local community. Our mission was to deliver postcards promoting Demelza’s Rainbow Run, helping spread the word about this brilliant fundraising event.

We had two young helpers along for the fun, plus Jay the dog, so our delivery team had plenty of energy and four-legged enthusiasm! Three of us had already clocked up local parkruns before meeting up, so there was certainly no shortage of miles in the legs.

With the sun shining, we headed out around the local streets, popping Rainbow Run postcards through letterboxes along the way. Our final stretch took us through The Goat Field (the local name for Holy Oak Tree Park) making for a lovely end to our route.

Then it was back to Sweet Fig for refreshing drinks and some sweet treats. Sam the owner always makes us feel so welcome.

A colourful morning all round!🌈🏃‍♀️🐕

Returning to the canal club, this time we concentrated on weeding the winding paths between the plant beds, alongside the canal. Others chopped and sawed wood. It was a crowded space for the lucky 13 of us, but we spread ourselves into twos and threes and set to work, while catching up with each others’ activities since last we met

Our reward, supplied by lovely task owner Sally, were weather-appropriate home-made lollipops, with even a choice of flavours! So we continued the socialising while exciting our taste buds, then after most people had dispersed, four of us decided that the night was still young, and headed for The Hare in Cambridge Heath Road

The Canal Club, however, is currently proposed as a site for development. It was built for residents of the Wellington Estate and its activities include toddler storytelling, baby dance classes, Tai Chi, knitting and sewing, outdoor pizza making, breakdancing, line dancing, karaoke social evenings, a science homework club, singing, refugee activities, a food bank, arts and crafts, and Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. There is a ball court and a children’s playground

This is not an empty site! If you want the council to remove the site from its accelerated housing scheme, sign the petition at https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/save-our-space-e2-save-the-canal-club