As autumn colours start to turn to winter, four Good Gym volunteers wearing woolly hats and gloves, ran and walked in the luckily dry evening to Manor Paddock where we met Luc for some gardening tasks. We welcomed back Rebecca (or Rib as she likes to be called) who hadn’t been for a few months due to an injury and met Sherman at the task.

During the task, we learnt from Luc about that Manor Paddock retirement housing complex has six flats and eighteen bungalows. We also chatted about local news about The Bevy fundraiser and the campaign against over-development on the Greenway.

With our head torches in place, we completed all the tasks including pruning the bay tree, pruning the lavender and cutting back and bagging other plants for the winter. Luc was so pleased as with Good Gym’s help, together we collected a total of eight bags of leaves!

Sherman on foot and Stefania on wheels made their way to assist Ms A with a sorting mission on the first floor of her home. The task was to tackle a small room packed with large portfolios of art prints, draft sketches, magazine cutouts, and Ms A’s own original artwork—something she needed an extra hand with due to her visual impairment.

We brought the heavy portfolios down to the ground-floor table where Ms A took charge as the Master Decision Maker. With Ms A directing the operation, Stefania and I acted as her extra pair of hands: un-framing, categorising, and carefully bagging up items marked to go. Some of her original prints were far too lovely to throw away, so Ms A kindly gifted a few to Stefania to give them a second life.

The sorting went smoothly and quickly. Afterward, Ms A treated us to a lovely spread of tea and biscuits while we enjoyed a great chat. Before heading off, she guided us to the large street bin nearby to dispose of the discard bag. Another successful, rewarding GoodGym mission in the books!

This week, GoodGym Brighton proudly joined forces with This Girl Can for their powerful #LetsLiftTheCurfew campaign. As the clocks go back, nearly three-quarters of women alter their outdoor fitness routines due to safety concerns after dark. Our GoodGym community mission tonight wasn't just about the physical workout, but standing in solidarity to challenge this reality, ensuring everyone has the freedom and confidence to stay active outdoors year-round.

🧽 We returned to the Community Kitchen for our Social Scrub Up to support Brighton & Hove Food Partnership (BHFP)'s projects that tackles local food waste, combats food poverty, and runs vital community cooking clubs. True to GoodGym style, we combined fitness with a thorough deep clean. Armed with sponges, cloths, and plenty of enthusiasm, we scrubbed surfaces, sanitised equipment, and tidied cupboards—leaving the space gleaming for its next session!

🌱 During the task, we caught up on BHFP’s brilliant eco-friendly initiatives. The kitchen actively uses surplus ingredients in its classes to prevent food waste. To push their mission even further, they are now encouraging participants to bring reusable containers for leftovers. In just one week, this simple switch has already saved more than 50 single-use plastics!

👟 Our group walk to and from the venue was dedicated to the Let's Lift the Curfew movement. By moving together as a bright, visible, and supportive group, we can help overcoming the barriers women face when exercising after dark. GoodGym highly encourage all members to look through GoodGym's male allyship training guide to help keep Brighton safe and inclusive for every runner, walker, and cyclist.

🎁 Giving Back (and Giving Thanks!). As always, we got active, gave back, and supported great causes. We also received some wonderful perks! Our gracious host, Jo, rewarded us with a jar of Bold Beans, a recipe booklet, and a ‘Thank You Relay’ card, extending her appreciation to our community and inviting us to join her in this movement. A fantastic GoodGym welcome to our newest member, Ana.

Want to get involved? Join GoodGym for another session!