Well, we could not have asked for a better morning to take on our first ever volunteer headliner spot at Hove Promenade Parkrun.

12 Brighton GoodGymmers made their way down to the gloriously sunny Hove seafront to volunteer at the popular Saturday morning event, which requires a minimum of 40+ volunteers each week to run safely. Our headliner spot came at a great time too, as only last week the event organisers had to cancel last minute due to a lack of numbers.

Most of us took on the very important role of marshaling along the route, guiding runners and perhaps more importantly, cheering them on. First-time parkrun volunteer Liam even said that "shouting words of encouragement at random runners" may be his new favourite hobby, and we don't disagree!

Ruth and Ben get brownie points for arriving super early to help with the set up, while Stefania gets an honourable mention for making it in time despite sleeping in....

Perhaps the gold star of the mission though should go to our very own furry GoodGym mascot, and the best good boy there is...Cody :)

It was a bit of an uphill struggle for Brighton GoodGymers this week, quite literally, as we headed to the top of Elm Grove to tackle the overgrown pavements along May Road.

We were joined by local councillor Tim Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero and Environmental Services, and Laszlo Gera, who was appointed Brighton & Hove City Council’s first City Centre Manager earlier this year.

With the council team mucking in alongside us, we got stuck into clearing back the weeds along this steep stretch of pavement, working our way towards the bus stop at the top of the hill.

This wasn’t just a cosmetic makeover. With the weeds cleared back, the handrail is now accessible again for those who rely on it to navigate the slope. A small job with a practical impact, making the route a little easier for those who need a helping hand (or handrail).

A local resident popped out to say hello and thank us for our work. It’s always lovely to know that a little GoodGym action is making a difference to the people who live nearby.

Our task is part of the wider effort to make Brighton & Hove cleaner, safer and more welcoming. Laszlo is leading a new overnight deep-cleaning service tackling jobs such as jet-washing pavements, removing graffiti and restoring street furniture.

Tim also shared some of the progress Brighton & Hove has made on waste and recycling. New food waste collections and expanded recycling have helped push the city’s quarterly recycling rate to a record 31.6%, with more than 1,700 tonnes of food waste already collected.

With the hard work done, it was time for a little refreshment. We headed to the Village for a well-earned pint and some Thai food. After an uphill task, there’s nothing like a little downhill relaxation!

Another mild evening greeted nine GoodGym Brighton runners as they returned to action. This time, we visited the Change Grow Live (CGL) Brighton and Hove Recovery Service at Richmond House, which offers a safe, non-judgemental space for drug and alcohol recovery. Our host, Rita, has been instrumental in creating a green oasis here, and GoodGym was ready to lend a helping hand.

This Tuesday’s mission was to tackle the overgrown bushes in the front parking area. Armed with loppers and GoodGym-hand pruners 😊, we got to work cutting down top branches and pruning them back. To speed things up, we formed an efficient GoodGym "human chain," passing the green garden waste down the line. We were even illuminated by professional studio LED lights—usually used by CGL for video and photography—making it look like a live-streamed production of doing good and getting fit!

After sweeping up the final leaves, Rita invited us to the opening of the "Three Frames" (Object. Person. Place.) photography exhibition. Organized by CGL as part of Photo Fringe 2026, it runs every Saturday in October at Richmond House. The exhibition showcases powerful work produced entirely by service users exploring their personal recovery stories.

Want to get involved? Join GoodGym for another session!