GoodGym members Paul, Richard, George, Rachel and Subham showed up for the Film screening for the Tiny Forest part of London Climate Action Week (LCAW) 20-28 June on what I believe was the hottest day of the year. We welcomed a full crowd at The Phoenix Cinema, which is also our local meeting point on Tuesday evenings. There were many Earthwatch folk as well as locals and we also were able to spread the word abour GoodGym as well as the Barnet Tiny Forest, which we often have helped with. After the film, which documented Tiny Forests in Europe as well as told more of the story of Prof. Miyawaki, the founder of the Tiny Forest method, there was a Q&A with members of Earthwatch as well as Paul representing GoodGym, which was well received. A great time was had by all! And we were able to escape the heat!

On Tuesday 23 June, GoodGym Barnet braved the heat warnings (sensibly) to stay active and help our community at Highgate Wood... actually, a great place to be in this heat!

Most of us met at the Phoenix Cinema, where the conversation quickly turned to Britain’s highest recorded temperature: 40.3°C in Lincolnshire in July 2022. Richard won the debate! This week may not reach that peak, but prolonged heat, humidity and warm nights can be particularly challenging because our bodies and buildings have less opportunity to cool down.

After a gentle warm-up, we headed through the woods to meet Cindy. She enthusiastically shared news from a recent moth survey: 47 moths were caught and a range of different species.

We then visited the developing visitor centre, which will showcase the history and ecology of Highgate Wood—including a Roman pottery kiln dating from around AD 50–150. There will also be a Cindy corner.( that sounds like a legacy)

Our task was to repair a woodland fence that had been pulled apart to build dens. With plenty of willing hands, it was soon restored, leaving time for some Forest) bathing , stretching and movement with the breath.

Thanks to everyone who came along Please continue to take care in the heat—it is not only the highest temperature that matters, but also the duration, humidity and lack of cooler nights.

shout out to Abdikani on his first Community mission great effort!

Goodgym volunteers at the East Finchley Festival 2026, a well-attended community event celebrating local music, food, arts, and community spirit.

During the shift, we supported the festival team by helping ensure the event ran smoothly and that visitors had a positive experience. The responsibilities included assisting attendees with directions and general enquiries, supporting event operations, and helping with set-up and pack-down activities as required.

The festival attracted a diverse range of local residents and visitors, creating a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere. We enjoyed engaging with members of the community and working alongside fellow volunteers and organisers to contribute to the success of the event.

GoodGym Barnet helped a local primary school in East Finchley

A big well done to everyone who came along to our Tuesday group run from the Phoenix Cinema.

We stopped on the way for a few simple exercises, including squat kicks and some arm resistance work, before heading on to the school’s forest area.

Once there, we found a large pile of steaming wood chip and got stuck in, spreading it along the path as requested. It was warm work, but it made a real difference to the space and should help make the forest school area safer and easier for the children to use.

Lovely to get this message from the school the next morning:

“Wow what a great job yesterday thanks so much. Sorry we did not come out we were chasing rats lol”

Thanks again to everyone who helped. A great team effort.

Big, shout out for Wren and Somaieh on her first GoodGym mission thanks for coming hope to see you next week at Highgate Woods

With near perfect weather for a 5km charity walk and community gathering, three Goodgymmers came together to help make Our North Finchley's event a success. Coming all the way over from Hatfield, Alice finally found a community session that fitted her timetable. And, amazingly despite his epic marathon trek the day before for the Thames Path Hike, Richard also rocked up, looking not too worse for wear and keen to help steward the route.

Joining about ten other volunteers from the community and led by our excellent local health and safety duo Andrew and Del (they'll be leading the team at East Finchley Festival next weekend). Some helped with even more litter picking and putting up gazebos earlier in the day, while the very talented Filip, who's been to a few Goodgym sessions, volunteered as a trained first aider to keep everyone safe.

We were also incredibly lucky to have an absolute legend from the local area, Bill O'Connor, who is one of the Ever Presents - these five legends have participated in every London Marathon since it launched in 1981, and Bill completed his 46th Marathon this year, running in the 80+ category. Having already run 8km that morning, it was incredibly generous of him to offer to lead the opening lap of the walk, and he even did an extra lap for fun. A fantastic role model, and one we hope will join Goodgym Barnet for a training session some time in the near future.

Meanwhile, the event ticked along in family fun spirit, young and old spreading out around the open space, walking, some running, some kicking balls around the route and some in prams or carried. Team Goodgym took up a couple of posts around the route with water bottles for those that needed them. Richard was stationed next to the monkey bars by the Porters Way path, and decided to try and get one hundred pull ups in while waiting for the walkers.

Then, wrapping up at 15:45, people collected their belongings, packed down tents, cleared up the area and left everything looking pristine. Proceeds raised from the event will be shared between Our North Finchley's community campaigning and four charities - Barnet Mencap, Rephael House, North Finchley Community Grocery and Goodgym!

We started off as usual at the Phoenix, led by George and shadowed by our semi-back-marker, quantum-state Richard, before heading out for a leaflet drop. We tripped up garden paths (well, that of Rachel's secret soul mate) and out again, until we exhausted our leaflet supply, before turning our steps towards the allotments.

After briefly considering a game of cat and mice with the slightly late Subham, we entertained ourselves by skipping down the high street, and with Rachel’s question for the evening about coping well (or not) with a last-minute change. She told the story of a very last-minute change during a search and rescue exercise, where she managed to confuse the team slightly by forgetting who she was supposed to be as the missing person (having been upgraded from witness to witless lost person, at the last minute).

George then told us about watching for stag beetles with Daniella. Having waited a little longer than sensible they were just about to head home having not seen a single beetle when they saw a man, who had just arrived, catch a stag beetle out of the air. This stag beetle expert gave them a memorable evening helping him with his nightly survey. Result - more stag beetles than they could ever have wanted to see.

Then last-minute Subham was challenged over last-minute coffee choices. Apparently, the American isn’t a fan of an Americano. We let him espresso himself on the subject.

Then it was on to the allotments, where mattocks were wielded, plants were pulled up, bind weed was unbound, and great progress was made. There was a moment of peril when Beattie appeared to be held hostage by the horseradishes, which threatened to pull her down a very particular type of rabbit hole. Thankfully, she escaped before becoming fully radishilised. At the end of the session, we were rewarded with a last-minute offer of magic (non-coffee) beans (what could go wrong?).

Sheela helpfully released us into the wilds of East Finchley after the session was complete.

After leaflets, stag beetles, coffee confessions, mattocks, magic beans and one suspiciously powerful horseradish, we decided we had earned the right to head heroically home.