GoodGym Barnet helped a local primary school in East Finchley

A big well done to everyone who came along to our Tuesday group run from the Phoenix Cinema.

We stopped on the way for a few simple exercises, including squat kicks and some arm resistance work, before heading on to the school’s forest area.

Once there, we found a large pile of steaming wood chip and got stuck in, spreading it along the path as requested. It was warm work, but it made a real difference to the space and should help make the forest school area safer and easier for the children to use.

Lovely to get this message from the school the next morning:

“Wow what a great job yesterday thanks so much. Sorry we did not come out we were chasing rats lol”

Thanks again to everyone who helped. A great team effort.

Big, shout out for Wren and Somaieh on her first GoodGym mission thanks for coming hope to see you next week at Highgate Woods

Despite the wild weather - on-off rain, sun, storms, gales - six sturdy Goodgymmers made it to tonight's mission. It was damp, but we were undeterred, and gathered at the Phoenix for our warm up - Beattie and Rachel first to arrive as usual, before hot-footing it to Stephens House. Sheela took our opening photographs, while Richard promised to do a better job of backmarking than recent reports suggest an unnamed individual delivered.

On site we were met by Theodore and our inimitable host, Helen, who laid out the task. 100m of fencing, with overgrowth poking through. How much could we clear in the next 45min? Well, we got stuck in secateurs and loppers, tearing and cutting, until, boom! We did about a quarter of the lengthy job, well above expectations and well worked out!

After a quick tidy up, we dragged the sacks of green waste to the north gate and set off back to the Phoenix for a celebratory pot of popcorn and chat, where Theo kindly gave us a demo of his (too small for him, but too-large for most of us!) barefoot running shoes.

Great work, though we'll undoubtedly need to go back and finish the job, hopefully before the summer growth hides our great work.

Eleven wonderful GoodGym Barnet members joined us on Tuesday evening for our first group run to Long Lane Pasture this year — and what a lovely return it was.

With longer evenings and kinder weather finally on our side, most of us gathered at the Phoenix Cinema for a warm-up involving kickbacks, knee-ups and a few brisk movements to get the heart rate up before the 1.5-mile run to the nature reserve.

After numbering up, we had a quick chat about famous relatives, unusual jobs and curious family histories. Among the ancestral highlights were general’s, repossession agents, wedding dress designers and several other unexpected occupations. Clearly, GoodGym Barnet has a rich and slightly suspicious gene pool.

Then we headed off, with George kindly back-marking, keeping everyone together as we made our way towards Long Lane Pasture. En route, we paused under the bridge for a group photo — naturally taken with everyone in a squat position, because why simply stand around when you can turn it into a thigh workout?

At the pasture we were welcomed by Donald, and the place looked absolutely magnificent: lush, green, peaceful and full of evening birdsong. We quickly got to work collecting woodchip and loading it into rubble bags, while others helped with litter picking and pruning to keep the paths clear and welcoming.

It really is a beautiful green space. As the sun began to set, we noticed several species of birds singing away, clearly approving of our efforts or possibly telling us to hurry up and leave them in peace.

Before heading back, we finished with a short moment of forest bathing, slowing everything down with some gentle breathing and arm movements. After the running, woodchip hauling, pruning and squatting, it was a lovely way to pause and properly take in the place we had come to help.

Then it was back to the Phoenix Cinema, with a few exercises on the return route to keep everyone together and gently remind our legs that the evening wasn’t quite over yet.

A big thank you to everyone who came along to run, laugh, help out and support this lovely local green space. Long Lane Pasture is looking wonderful — and we were very happy to chip in.

Clearing the past for the future

Today three GoodGym members came together at St Mary’s Church, Finchley, to help Helen with the careful task of clearing vegetation from around the churchyard memorials.

The aim is to uncover the stones so they can be properly photographed, recorded and categorised. Many of these memorials are Grade II listed, and each one offers a small but powerful glimpse into the lives of people and families who were part of Finchley’s past.

On a beautiful day, we spent a couple of hours working through the churchyard, gently cutting back growth and clearing away ivy that had started to cover some of the stones. It was simple, physical work, but with a real sense of purpose. Every cleared memorial became a little more visible, helping preserve both the history and the dignity of the space.

Helen shared some fascinating details with us as we worked. We learned that some of the smaller burial plots could contain up to six members of one family, and that many of the names recorded were children who had died very young. It was humbling to be working so close to these stories, and it gave the session a quiet sense of history and grounding.

As always with GoodGym, it was a mix of useful outdoor activity, community help and connection to place. We made good progress, but there is still plenty more to do, so we hope to return soon for another session.

A big thank you to everyone who came along, and to Helen for guiding us through the work and sharing some of the history of St Mary’s with us.