On Sunday 31st August, Brighton Sanctuary Runners came together for a very special initiative in support of Palestine. The idea was simple but powerful: to run the length of Gaza – 40km – as a team relay along the Brighton seafront.

We gathered at the Brighton Table Tennis Club from 10am, with runners setting off at 10:30am. To cover the distance, we split into two groups. Each runner took on a 2km stretch along the seafront, passing the baton before the next group sets off. Some participants even went back and forth for more than 2km without showing any signs of tiredness – running joyfully and determinedly, all for Palestine. Together, we completed the full symbolic 40km by midday. With flags flying and voices raised, the atmosphere was full of solidarity, energy and hope.

We were also delighted that Diego from GoodGym joined us on the run, adding even more spirit to the team effort.

The activity ended with a shared meal back at the Table Tennis Club. Liz prepared a beautiful rummaniya – a traditional Gazan dish – and Mailinda made a delicious rice dish that everyone enjoyed together. While I felt deeply grateful for the kindness and generosity of this feast, I could not help but think of the people in Gaza who are being starved at this very moment.

I cannot describe how emotional it was for me to see everyone carrying Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine.” I wish I could thank each and every one of you personally. I always tell my friends, family, and the people I know in Gaza and the West Bank about how much of the British public are really trying their best to end the genocide and see a free Palestine. Shukran from the bottom of my heart for the food, solidarity and bravery.

It was a moving morning of running, community, and unity – a reminder of how powerful small acts of solidarity can be when carried out together.

16 Goodgymmers made the short jog over to Brighton Community Kitchen on Queens Road for our regular clean-up mission. We welcomed new Goodgymmer Charli, who has recently made the big move from Worthing over to Brighton, for her first task.

The Brighton Community Kitchen does vital work in the community to teach valuable cooking skills to those who might otherwise might not have access. Recently they have been working with the Marcus Rashford-backed project to provide meals over the holidays to children who are eligible for free school dinners. They have hosted classes for both the children and their parents to impart practical day-to-day cooking skills.

We were excited to see that the Kitchen has recently been upgraded with new sinks and a Food Dehydrator. The dehydrator particularly allows them to preserve vegetables that wouldn't otherwise by used, store them and later use them as ingredients. There was a big batch of Tomatoes, Onions and Carrots in the dehyradator during our clean.

Jo greeted us with her usual enthusiasm and gratitude, along with her famous todo list on the wall. This time we cleaned all the windows both inside and out, transformed the drawers from chaos to order, gave all the stools and work surfaces a good cleandown, scrubbed the ovens and of course sorted the cheese graters! Our extra large turnout meant we were able to knock-off all the tasks in no time.

With our tasks finished and everything ticked off of Jo's list we sauntered off into the summer night back to our own (slightly less sparkly clean) kitchens.