GoodGym Bolton officially hit the ground running last night - quite literally - as our team of four pioneers came together for our very first group run and community task.

Huge credit to James, Mumtaz, Karen and Hafsa (who made the journey by bus and train) for being part of this special launch event.

Our destination was Bolton Lads and Girls Club, where we set out to lend a hand with a site tidy-up. The conversation on the way was as lively as you’d expect from a brand-new GoodGym crew - covering local history, favourite ever inventions, and the many virtues of the humble potato!

On arrival, we wasted no time and dived straight into the task like true Wombles of (Wim)Bolton, filling five big bags of litter in just 30 minutes. We tackled the bushes and entrance areas, uncovering all sorts of interesting finds - from a discarded wallet and a Covid testing kit to some truly vintage crisp and chocolate bar wrappers (we’re fairly sure there was an old Marathon wrapper in there - for the younger readers, that’s what Snickers used to be called!).

GoodGymer Hafsa said:

> I had such a great time! I litterpick a lot on my own but there’s something so much more enjoyable and special about doing it with a group. It’s such a great way to meet new people and build community.

GoodGymer James said:

> I loved being involved with the first goodgym session in Bolton. It was great to meet new people and to help out in the local community. Lovely way to spend the evening in the outdoors, being active and with some awesome people all doing some good!

A huge thank you to Bolton Lads and Girls Club for welcoming us and to our fantastic GoodGymers for making history as the first to don the red shirts in Bolton.

Next week, we’ll be meeting at 7pm at Bolton One before heading over to Sutton Estate Community Centre, where we’ll be supporting Bolton Wanderers in the Community with a site spruce-up.

Last night was more than just a tidy-up - it was the beginning of something special. Here’s to many more GoodGym adventures in Bolton!