11 Brighton GoodGym participants made their way to Palmeira Square to help Friends of Palmeira and Adelaide look after their community green space.

We were very happy to welcome Edwin and Rachel on their very first good deed and they couldn’t pick a better time to join with this task. We all quickly started with racking and collecting leaves and in no time managed to collect 53 very full bags of dried leaves and weed. Leaving Palmeira Square FREE of the occupying dirt.

Our friend Stuart from Friends of Palmeira and Adelaide was very happy with Goodgym contribution. We ran a couple of loops around the square and then we headed to our monthly social organised by our social secretary Michelle that included a challenging quiz with questionable overly long questions and we managed to smash the music round.

This week’s task falls on National Volunteers Week, a week long event in the UK that celebrates and acknowledges the valuable contributions of volunteers across the country.

In my "Life in the UK" exam I was required to memorise what are the British Values and one of them was 'Volunteering' and 'Helping your Community'. Makes me feel proud to be British and I was glad to be part of the team that Freed Palmeira Square from the occupying leaves and looking forward to free every other square as well from any occupation.

A closing note from Stefania, our Area Activator:

“It’s Volunteers Week, fellow GoodGymers.

Please give yourselves a large pat on the back for your extraordinary acts of kindness and generosity. Every Good deed does really make a difference, and every beneficiary in Brighton and Hove is always most grateful to have us all. GoodGym Brighton!

We are a community that cares of other communities - Saying thank you is never enough!"

Proud and satisfied, let’s make OUR NEXT SESSION another great success!

Impressive was the stamina of yesterday’s Brighton GoodGym-ers who did not even hesitate to get out in a cold Autumnal evening for a short run to Palmeira Square to help the Palmeira and Adelaide Garden Group. New heroic GoodGym-er Sonam joined us for the first time, in shorts 😊

As usual, our lovely Stuart, who is the patron of all the good conservation happening in Palmeira Square’s green spaces, welcomed us ready for action with rakes, brooms and leaves grabbers to remove all the Autumnal leaves from the footpaths around the Floral Clock.

On continuing move and with grand co-ordination of group effort, we managed to clear all the pavements without (almost) freezing our hands and feet. Soon after the GoodGym-ers were joined by Brighton & Hove council's forces contributing to the clearance of the streets and to our greatest satisfaction!

The Floral Clock is now ready for the Christmas lights switch-ons happening this coming weekend!

See WHAT's ON NEXT at GoodGym Brighton!

Finally, we made it! We had to cancel and reschedule this session several times due to heavy raining but yesterday evening the weather was on our side and we managed to enjoy our short run to Palmeira Square to help the Palmeira and Adelaide Garden Group to strengthen their community through the gardens, with each volunteer and every event. One blue bag (of green waste) at a time.

We did a green ‘clean and clear’ mission, by “combing” the freshly cut grass from the whole area of the gardens for an hour or so together with Stuart, Adrian, local volunteers and some curious visitors who step up to join the mission spontaneously, or just to play with us for a bit … why not? We bagged 5 big bags of green waste, at least.
Time flew quickly and leaving no room for a follow up fitness session, but the hard work made it up for it!

Before leaving, Stuart invited us to join his birthday garden party on the 8th of June!

While honoured to be running together with our GoodGym Hero Jane - in 10th place for the distance covered nationwide, we wondered about the story of the allegedly famous Floral Clock in Palmeira Square, Hove. Palmeira and Adelaide Garden Fund want to restore this 70-year-old floral clock that was installed to mark Queen’s Victoria coronation, adding value to the square for being one of the few monuments about the Queen in Brighton &Hove. Here, this Sunday May 7, Coronation weekend, there will be a picnic in the park, music and a fundraising fair from noon to around 5pm - expecting 200+ residents, celebrating neighbours and community by sitting together, sharing friendships and food.
All Brighton GoodGyme-rs are invited to join for a right royal knees up! We always like helping our friends Stuart and Judith, who are very proactive directors of the Palmeira and Adelaide Garden Fund Group and joint this Tuesday’s GoodGym mission for clearing and scrubbing the garden up to royal standard! Another nice evening with an enthusiastic return to action from Nicola and welcoming our new member Ben. Hope the squats and lunges of our fitness session will not deter you from coming back next week 😊 Happy Good-royal Gyming!