This was my first Goodgym Brighton session, and I was chuffed to be joined by Samantha and Christine, who were at their first Goodgym session ever! Welcome both, it was lovely to meet you! Stefan was also there on arrival, as an old hand at the task.

We were there to help chef John prepare a Lancashire hotpot for about 60 guests tomorrow afternoon.

The three of us established that none of us are gifted in the kitchen, but with John as our leader we were soon up to speed peeling and chopping veg, browning off meat, stirring and even helping bake an almond cake. We were rewarded with pastries from the farmer's market to help fuel the hard work.

The time flew as we chatted away, and when we headed off everything was ship shape and ready for the feast tomorrow.

This evening, Doug, Amanda and I headed over to One Church to lend a hand with preparations for tomorrow’s lunch for people experiencing homelessness.

We were welcomed by Stephan, who was incredibly organised and had everything ready for us. Our task list was clear: chopping carrots, potatoes, apples and pumpkins – plenty to keep our hands busy while the conversation flowed.

And what conversations they were! The four of us covered so much ground – from travels to Japan, to memories of the Covid days, volunteering, the realities of homelessness and the weight it places on someone’s life, to workplace bullying and ways to tackle it, the rise of AI and how it’s shaping our daily lives – and plenty more in between.

Two hours slipped by quickly, filled with chopping, chatting, and laughter. As we wrapped up and said our goodbyes, we all left feeling just that little bit better than when we walked in.