Yesterday, six magnificent Brighton GoodGymers ran up to Lavender House for a weeding blitz. The sun was out, and so was our appetite for destroying invasive vegetation to help the local retirement housing community thrive.

A massive GoodGym Brighton welcome goes out to Douglas, who joined us for his very first session! Douglas jumped straight into some intensive gardening, proving himself to be an absolute natural.

Meeting at our usual spot, we kicked off the evening with a brisk group run up the hill to Kemp Town. It was a perfect leg-burner to get everyone’s heart rates up and muscles primed before diving headfirst into the physical task. Upon arriving at Lavender House, the crew was greeted by Nial with the massive task of tackling fast-growing "idle weeds" creeping along the perimeter. Armed with garden tools and plenty of enthusiasm, we split up along the property boundaries and fanned out across all edges of the building.

Working at a blistering pace, the group cleared pathways and gravel borders in just 45 minutes. The result: 100% of the building’s edges were completely transformed, leaving the outdoor space beautifully tidy, safe, and accessible for the residents. It was an incredible display of team efficiency, proving once again how much a small, dedicated group can achieve in under an hour! We packed the tools back into the shed, thoroughly enjoyed drinking some refreshing water with squash to rehydrate, snapped a quick group photo, and headed off on our well-earned cooldown run back down the hill.

This Tuesday, a group of runners, walkers and cyclists arrived at Stanmer Organics to lend a hand to the Centre of Ecotherapy CIC, the home of a brilliant community sauna and a healthy dose of eco-therapy. We welcomed new GoodGymer Rib, Rebecca.

We split into two teams on arrival. One tackled levelling and compacting a patch of ground for a future yoga and meditation tent, plus some enthusiastic branch-lobbing. The other went full nettle-ninja, clearing paths ahead of a kids' visit so no one will come away stung.

Liz, who runs the site, was clear on the house rules: nothing gets chopped back more than it has to. Nature's in charge, the odd branch to the face will just keep us humble.

In between tasks, there were rake-dropping reaction tests, grasshoppers landing on hands, and marjoram identified (delicious smell!).

Task complete, we had a very generous feast of cold courgette and broccoli soup (Liz went to lots of effort to cool it down in this heatwave, thankfully), bread, hummus, hot cross buns, cake, and watermelon. We finished by launching the watermelon rinds into a compost bucket from a distance. In GoodGym fashion, only slightly competitive.

Stamner are throwing open the gates for a public open day of lots of their projects on 25th July. Worth a look! https://stanmerorganics.com/2026/06/23/stanmer-organics-open-day-2/

Mission Commencement: Tuesday, 1830 hours.

The Squad: Eight GoodGym operatives arriving via foot, bike, and bus.

The Objective: Clear a severe nettle insurgency to liberate the allotment’s blackberry and pear trees.

Tactical Execution The team deployed immediately upon arrival. Operatives Sarah, Stefania, and Ruth formed the frontline defense against the stingers, bravely cutting them back (smartly utilizing their advanced tactical gear: long trousers). The rest of the squad provided crucial support, handling general weeding duties to secure the area.

Meanwhile, Michael was sent on a solo side-quest to prep the allotment beds for incoming squashes. During the excavation, he uncovered some hidden assets: rogue potatoes and what local liaison Warren officially described as the "Biggest Garlic bulb we’ve ever seen."

Mission Accomplished With the enemy nettles decisively defeated and defensive cardboard successfully laid, all objectives were secured, and the squad stood down for a mandatory debrief inside the pub. The evening concluded successfully with some well-earned refreshing drinks and a bit of covert World Cup viewing.

Mission Status: 100% success

Yesterday, we saw record GoodGym participation to help a new organisation: the MEP Multiculture English Project Garden Project. Since 2010, the project has taught gardening, horticulture, and English language skills to asylum seekers, providing a dedicated space to put this knowledge into action.

We welcomed back returning GoodGymers—Rob, Rachel, Rebecca, and Rosie — alongside tree brand-new members: Liz, Abdallah, Mohammed. They all took on the fitness challenge of running or cycling uphill for nearly 5km to reach Roedale Valley Allotments, located in a lush green valley near the top of Ditchling Road. Once there, Will welcomed the team with several tasks, including landscaping, weeding, turning compost, and wheelbarrowing mulch up and down the allotment slopes.

Another Workout for the Future!

Allotments are invaluable community assets that boost health and wellbeing, provide sustainable growing spaces, and create biodiverse green corridors. Beyond being a vital part of our city's heritage, they play a crucial role in our future. These sites act as critical urban wildlife havens, supporting plant, insect, and animal life by providing diverse microhabitats. In fact, these sanctuaries can support up to 50 times more pollinators than standard council-managed parks. Furthermore, the project's allotment sessions help participants learn new vocabulary, engage in physical activity, and adopt healthy lifestyles—massively benefiting their mental health, confidence, and self-esteem.

It was a thoroughly pleasant evening supporting a fantastic new initiative—definitely one to remember and return to!

Want to get involved? Check out what else is coming up HERE at GoodGym Brighton.