On a cold (but dry!) December evening, 14 GoodGymers made their way to the tool library in Kemptown. Once there they were greeted by a cheery Gary and approximately a hundred crates of random tools in various states of rust.

The team soon got to work sorting the various items into boxes, and slowly but surely the room was transformed from a junk shop into a workshop.

Stefania then led us in a few rounds of squats/lunges etc., and then we went off into the night - some to the pub for taskforce strategising, others to a well-earned dinner.

Welcome new member Claudio!

A cold fast run led our evening to the warm welcome of our yesterday’s host: the Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project. BUCFP was set up in 1981 and is a registered charity providing practical support, education, advice and much more to the unemployed and those in poor living conditions, benefit claimants, the unwaged, pensioners, families and those on low incomes in Brighton & Hove. The centre is run by volunteers for the benefit of all users, alongside a small team of part time paid workers.

All are welcome!

The centre is organising several festive events, including a ‘Community Christmas Lunch‘ with activities and presents on the 13th December and a ‘Families Christmas Party‘ on the 15th December. Lots of presents needed to be wrapped for the event’s raffle and this was our task yesterday! What a fun session, really. Reminded my childhood when my favourite entertainment was apparently to wrap-up everything in the house making to find things a real challenge for my parents 😊

We enjoyed fully wrapping presents and we ended up our session with a present ourselves, leaving the centre with a big smile on our faces and a loaf of rustic bread – surplus food. A nice welcome to new member Patrizia

Seven Good Gymmers and Angela’s partner George ran, walked, cycled and took the bus to the recently re-opened Martlets Hospice on a cold but sunny Saturday morning. We met head gardener John and he told us that before the hospice was off-sited for 18 months so it could be re-designed and improved, he managed to save all the garden furniture, pots and planters. However the regular gardening volunteers were unable to lift them and move them into the right place. This was where we came in so with eight of us there, and a couple of wheeled trollies, we figured out how to safely move the items and worked as a team to do it. We were very grateful to Angela’s partner George who helped Rosie and Rebecca to manoeuvre the heavy planters on to wheels, while Frannie, Rosie, Ben, Tabi, Angela and I moved the pots. Then all of us, together with John moved the garden furniture to the back of the hospice. We also learnt from Rosie a new word, apricity (meaning the warmth of the sun in winter) which we have been using ever since!

GoodGym anti-tagging missions are like a “Tug of War” between the residents re-imaging their city without graffiti on the street walls and the artists (or sort of) making them.

Brighton GoodGym was in Hanover and Elm Grove ward this Tuesday to tackle street graffiti, again!

Armed with brushes and rolls, magnolia and brilliant white paints, we tackled unwanted graffiti in Melbourne Street and Pevensey Road, bringing lots of satisfaction to us all and especially to a local resident who was very pleased and thankful offering us tea and biscuits. An invite to return here, as we probably will.

But for now, job done. NOW WOW!

Graffiti tagging is one of the engagement theme of Re-Imaging Brighton & Hove to shape the future of our city together. This is a Brighton & Hove council initiative engaging all, especially young people, to share experiences, hear ideas and turn ideas into action to help deliver the Council Strategy Plan for 2023 to 2027. The first appointment is on 21st November, at 6pm at the BMECP (Black and Minority Ethnic Community Partnership) Centre.