September litter picking – a little extra care goes a long way

September saw several of us out litter picking in our own neighbourhoods, showing how even a short session can make a noticeable difference.

Paul B returned to his regular route along the River Quaggy in Kidbrooke. Heavy rain had brought a lot of rubbish downstream and he collected around half a dozen bags for life full of muddy litter, with plans to return and finish the job.

Jacqui and Sally managed to combine a night out with a good deed, litter picking on their way back from the Chaka Khan musical in Wembley. Their haul was mainly discarded coffee cups and sandwich wrappers. Cecilia also spent 40 minutes around Herbert Road, collecting a full bag of mixed rubbish and giving the local streets some much-needed TLC.

I did my usual September litter pick, walking from home to a local park via the church. The area around the bus stop and churchyard was particularly bad. While picking in the graveyard, a lady walking through with some schoolchildren stopped to give me a very warm thank you. At the other end of the spectrum, someone rather unusually suggested I should simply “phone the council”!

Thankfully that reaction is rare. Most people are incredibly appreciative. I’ve even had council workers offer me bags and thank me for helping them out when they’re already stretched.

And perhaps that’s the wider value of doing this. It isn’t only about removing litter. It gets us outside, improves the place where we live and quietly shows other people that we care about our community. Adding that little bit of extra care will nearly always be noticed and valued.

Another Tuesday evening saw us gathering in the foyer of the Phoenix Cinema for our regular GoodGym Barnet session this time with a milestone to celebrate.

George had reached his 200th GoodGym good deed, so before we set off he was presented with his badge and his very own GoodGym Barnet cap – England-style! He duly knelt to receive it and wore it proudly for the rest of the evening.

Welcome to Patricia & Victoria both on their first group run!

After our warm-up, our icebreaker was to share a time we’d rescued an animal. Appropriately, George had rescued a fox from some netting that very day, although most of the other stories seemed to involve pigeons and other birds!

We then headed the kilometre or so to Martin Primary School, taking the back streets and stopping for a few exercises along the way to keep everyone together.

At the school we met John and, with limited tools available, split into two groups – one working out while the other shifted a large pile of woodchip across the path into the Forest School area. Twenty minutes later we were meant to swap, but there was still plenty to move, so everyone piled in. With a shiny new wheelbarrow, plenty of hands and even a few saucepans pressed into service as scoops, we got the job done.

Then it was back to the Phoenix for a celebratory drink or two, supporting our wonderful local cinema while raising a glass to George and his 200 good deeds.

Well done George – here’s to the next 200!

REPORT BY NAZIFA

St Matthew’s Gardens had certainly accumulated its fair share of leaves, so it was time for the GoodGym crew to get involved! 🍂

The task was mainly focused on clearing leaves from around the garden and churchyard, with a little bit of litter picking thrown in too. There were* A LOT* of leaves to tackle, but everyone got stuck in. We picked, swept, gathered and bagged them up, with plenty of bags being filled along the way

I made sure everyone had bags to collect the leaves in, and it was great seeing everyone working together to clear the paths and tidy up the area. There was definitely no shortage of leaves, but we managed to make a good dent in them!

It was also my first time leading a GoodGym session, so I was really happy with how everything went. As Emma would say, I can’t “be-leaf”it was my first one!

A big thank you to everyone who came along and helped out. It was a really good experience for my first time leading, and I think we all did a great job

A bright and energetic Saturday morning saw Jacqui, Subham, and Richard heading to Sunny Hill parkrun for a start‑your‑weekend‑right session.

Meeting at the start line just before 9am, with the group gathering at the starting. The atmosphere was classic Sunny Hill: friendly volunteers, eager runners, and that familiar mix of nerves and excitement before the countdown begins.

The trio joined the 5km course, taking on Sunny Hill’s famously undulating route. Whether powering up the climbs or cruising down the descents, everyone kept strong momentum and supported each other throughout. A great effort all round.

The team meant to support the parkrun community but it wasn't required at the end. Sunny Hill parkrun relies on volunteers every week of barcode scanning, stewarding, and keeping the event running smoothly for all participants. Keep yourself updated on their Facebook page

After finishing, the trio walked down to the local cafe to drink a well deserved refreshment.

Turn up and help make someone’s Saturday healthier and happier, we’ll be back again soon.

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!)