Liverpool put on a lovely clear night for my last task with Good Gym Liverpool. I met Liam, Aatefa, Sophie and Steph at the suitcases. Steph, who is in the midst of half marathon training, was even mid long run. We cannot wait to hear how the race goes!

We enjoyed a lovely nearly 2km run to Princes park to meet the rest of the group. We were so impressed to see Dike who did not let running back to back marathons put him off joining the regular Monday night task! Well done Dike! 👏

Before we got started, Bekah said a lovely goodbye and I was given some very generous gifts from the team. I may have shed a few tears and had many bittersweet goodbye hugs.

Katy and Liz then gave us the briefing. Our goal was to revitalize a very muddy and slightly overgrown area of path near to the island. Armed with wheelbarrows, shovels and loppers, we headed down to get stuck in to the task, in true Good Gym form. Highlights included debating the difference between a shovel and a spade and seeing a frog! By the end of the hour we had cleared a whole lot of mud from the path and filled this in with overgrowth that others had cleared from nearby.

At the end of the task, some walked and some ran back to the suitcases where after a quick stretch, we headed to the pub. What followed was a lovely time catching up and chatting about how lovely it is to be a part of Good Gym Liverpool!

Thanks again to everyone for being a part of my journey and for the excellent send off!

This Saturday, a team of five volunteers from GoodGym came together at Princes Park to support Princes Parkrun, which was at risk of being cancelled. We quickly got into position, each taking on different roles to help the event run smoothly. I was at the front line, encouraging participants to keep moving forward, guiding them to stay in line, and motivating them with positive energy as they completed their run. Other team members supported by scanning barcodes, marshalling along the route, and helping runners who had issues with their QR codes by assisting them in accessing their Parkrun ID numbers. It was a fantastic experience being part of such a supportive and energetic environment. Despite being tired, runners shared smiles, waves, and thumbs-ups, which made the atmosphere even more rewarding. We all left feeling proud that we had helped make the event possible. Volunteering like this not only supports physical activity but also has a positive impact on mental wellbeing by creating a strong sense of community and encouragement.

Picture it: 11.30am, a normal working Wednesday. I'd done my morning workout, got ready for the day, and settled down into work as usual on the laptop at home. Then there was a call out on the Goodgym Liverpool WhatsApp group.

"I need a favour for the Choir With No Name!"

And like Queen Susan's Horn, or the Horn of Boromir, (depending on whether your like your fantasy by C.S. Lewis or Tolkein) it summoned Goodgymmers across the city.

The task? To collect 50 Easter Eggs from MPAC (Merseyside Play Action Council), and safely deliver them to the Quakers Meeting House, ahead of the Choir With No Name's weekly rehearsal this evening. The eggs were lovingly donated by friends of the choir The Liverpool Homeless Football Club.

The challenge? Volume to be moved. Car access to pull up & unload can be tricky in the city centre at the best of times, and whilst it wasn't the weight we were concerned about (as we're all Goodgymmers and therefore dead strong, obviously) it was the logistics of carrying so many. Oh, also - we had less than 2.5 hours to complete the mission, due to venue closing times.

Challenge accepted.

Within 29 minutes of the call for help being put out, FIVE goodgymmers had responded and formed a plan.

We jumped into action and dug out all the oversized bags we could lay our hands on. Cupboard under the stairs filled with bags of bags - time to shine 🌟 It was the moment I'd been hoarding for.

We met right on time outside MPAC and headed inside to collect our precious cargo. We had a wheeled trolley, and wide variety of bags ranging from Primark to Superman. Many hands make light work and we'd quickly packed them all up. Clara showed her strength by immediately deciding the trolley was too noisy to wheel and casually carrying it instead. It was a short walk through the busy city centre and we arrived at Quakers Meeting House, where our Area Activator Ema had arranged for reception to safely store the eggs until the Choir's arrival this evening. After swiftly unloading, and claiming a little egg each which Ema had very kindly arranged to thank us for our time, we were back on our merry way.

The reasons we were able to eggs-ecute this impromptu plan varied: some gave up their lunch breaks, some had a fortuitous window of availability, and some were using the opportunity to procrastinate on tasks they ought to be getting on with (marking and DIY!). But one thing is clear - when a Goodgymmer asks for help, Goodgym Liverpool responds. You'll Never Walk Alone, indeed.

Well done everyone - cracking job. Eggcellent work. You're all good eggs.

It was March 23rd, 2026 — four days into spring. Just as the sun began to set across the Mersey, six GoodGymers assembled at the "Suitcases" on Hope Street. Dressed in their running gear and ready for action, the group prepared to jog to the Urbanscape community garden on Mulgrave Street to tackle the task of the week.

Run leader Sophie McClellan assembled the runners into a small circle for introductions. The team consisted of Liam, Heetu, Sophia, Sevan, and Dike, with a plan to do a more formal introduction once they reached the venue. After Sophie led the group through a quick warm-up and stretching session, the lively crew set off toward Mulgrave Street. They ran at a comfortable "chatting pace," paired off in twos: Liam with Sophie, Dike with Heetu, and Sevan with Sophia. The smooth journey had a lovely surprise when the team ran into Leo, another GoodGymer on his way to the task. The group slowed down for a quick exchange of greetings before Leo joined the ranks, and they all headed for the garden together.

By the time they arrived, dusk had fallen. Headlights flickered on, and Leo provided extra lamps to keep the workspace bright and the spirits high. While awaiting the arrival of the final members, some chatted while others explored the garden. Heetu expressed a playful concern that the task might end too quickly — she joked that ten GoodGymers could easily devour the work of planting ten plants in under 30 minutes, so they might have to plant them extra slowly!

Once the team was complete, they were joined by the task owner, Khan Odita, along with Bekah, Naser, and Claire. It was a night of milestones: it was Sophia’s very first task, while Sevan — visiting all the way from Ealing — was incredibly marking his 1,281st GoodGym task. Khan shared a brief history of the community garden before dividing the team. Some helped Khan gather the plants, others retrieved tools from the shed, and Sophie got a head start on some litter picking.

Before the tools hit the dirt, the group received a brief demonstration. The instructions were clear: dig a hole slightly deeper and wider than the plant's root ball, place the plant, and backfill with the original soil. As the work began, the garden transformed into a busy construction site. Khan moved between the planters, placing the plants in their designated spots while goodgymers did the digging and planting. Heetu was assigned to weeding the planters, a perfect fit, as she had earlier claimed that her favorite garden activity was "to destroy!"

One of the night's biggest challenges involved moving a massive planter from the fence to the pavement. Khan called for a team of four to handle the weight. It was an arduous lift, but thanks to some clever ingenuity and the combined strength of Naser, Leo, Sevan, and Dike, the planter was successfully transferred to its new position.

Elsewhere, the work was just as intense. For anyone who had underestimated the job, the reality of digging foot-deep holes through rocky, hard soil proved it was no easy feat. Bekah, acting as an astute project manager, coordinated the site to ensure every plant found its home and no tool was left idle.

As the session drew to a close, the team moved into the "tidy-up" phase. Sevan began the watering, Liam swept the paved areas, and others gathered plastic containers for recycling. Just as Khan was giving his vote of thanks, Naser positioned his phone for a group picture, nudged Dike to write the report and surprised everyone by producing a collection of bulbs he had brought along. The team immediately found spots for them, adding one last touch of magic to the garden.

Bekah announced the upcoming GoodGym birthday party and Sunday task, the team dispersed with dirty hands and fulfilled hearts. They left hoping to return by the end of April to see their hard work basking in the full bloom of the spring season.