Duckling watch for Goodgymers - a quacking good mission. Goodgymers swapped their running shoes to ducking views. Duck, duck and done

I was one of the 11 Goodgym-ers who signed up for this task, and this was my experience. I completed the task on my way home after finishing a long day shift.

I’d also like to share a little story from earlier that day. On my way to work, I was walking (and occasionally jogging!) across the common carrying my litter grabber. I noticed a lady feeding the hawks with some bread, which I thought was lovely. However, when she finished, she simply threw the empty plastic wrapper onto the ground instead of putting it in a nearby bin.

She was walking just ahead of me, and I found myself wondering whether I should politely remind her that it wasn’t the right thing to do. After a moment, I felt it was the right time to say something. I walked past her, slowed down, and kindly said, “You can put that plastic in the bin, you know.”

She looked at me, noticed the litter grabber I was carrying, smiled, and seemed to acknowledge what I’d said. Perhaps seeing me with the grabber made her think, “That makes sense.” I’ll never know, but I hope it encouraged her to dispose of her rubbish properly in the future.

I walked away feeling surprisingly empowered. It reminded me that sometimes it’s all about choosing the right moment and using a respectful approach. A simple, kind reminder can make a difference.

I hope that small conversation made a positive impact. If we all help each other in little ways, we can keep our community clean and make it a better place for everyone to live.

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Cecilia D🍀

Note: By the end of my litter pick, my bag was mostly filled with recyclable items.

May Anytime Anywhere Litter Pick

A big well done to everyone who got involved in our May Anytime Anywhere litter pick.

This is one of those wonderfully simple GoodGym tasks that anyone can do, wherever they happen to be. A short walk, a pair of gloves, a bag, a litter picker if you have one — and suddenly your local patch is a little bit cleaner.

Across the month we had GoodGymers out and about doing their bit in different places, including Barnet and beyond.

Paul Browning was out in Kidbrooke, south east London, alongside the Quaggy, where he filled three battered “bags for life” from either side of the river. He also pulled out and destroyed around 200 Himalayan balsam plants, which are highly invasive and damaging to river banks — a brilliant bit of extra environmental care while he was there.

Peter Van Tongeren reported his usual combination of “little litter picks out and about” along with some obstacle removal, including heavy canisters.

Sally and Paul also managed to avoid the Champions League final by doing a litter pick — and even found a quiet wisteria-covered pub for a cocktail afterwards, which sounds like excellent reward-based volunteering!

It was great to see people joining in, whether individually, in pairs, or as part of a walk, run or cycle. These small acts really do add up. As the weather gets hotter, more people are outside, bins fill up more quickly, and rubbish can easily spill out or be pulled around by animals. That makes these local litter picks even more valuable.

Thank you to everyone who signed up and took part in May: Harvey, Paul B, Matthew, Paul, Sally, Peter, Jacqui, Richard and Mel.

The June Anytime Anywhere litter pick is already listed, so please sign up if you can. It’s a flexible, useful and very visible way to help look after the places we live, walk, run and enjoy.

Well done everyone — small actions, big difference.