A few GoodGym members decided to do some litter picking in their local area. I joined up with fellow Goodgym Member Daniel to do some paired litter picking in a particularly bad area of Barnet. Check out some of the other photos and messages.

With GoodGym we litter pick fast, Clearing rubbish that’s left or amassed, It’s good for the mind, And the planet combined, Leaving us fit and refreshed at last!

Hi Paul. Sally and I did this month's paired plogging yesterday. Didn't take long as lots of plastic bottles containing dubious liquids soon filled up our bags. Ugh! We jogged into Regent's park afterwards to see the Frieze sculptures.

Have tagged Goodgymbarnetactive in our Insta stories😎

Back to the bee roads of Blackheath this month and a mile loop round one of the larger fields that I often use for intervals, it it bordered by the A2 and a couple of other less busy roads. There was a lot more than last time I did it, around three bin bags full, mainly takeaway rubbish, presumably thrown out of car windows. On a positive note there were still far more wild flowers and mushrooms than rubbish.

Paul Browning

A few of us made s commitment to litter picking at any time and place in the month of September.

I left it to the last but one day. Picking up. Litter in local green spaces with my trusty litter picker. I also walked my dog and the same time! Simples!

Tonight was another big night of celebrations as we kicked off with a round of applause for Amy W's 30th Birthday. The applause didn't last long though as it got Fergie the dog over-excited, so we then did a big round of jazz hands for all the weekend runners, especially Rich who completed the Lake District Mountain Trail whilst the rest of us were busy eating sausage rolls and drinking Gin at the Marathon du Malton. But the biggest cheer of the night was reserved for Barbara who has been part of GG York since day one and earlier in the week had completed her 600th(!) good deed. What a legend! 🎉

We then numbered off by naming our favourite style of potato featuring hash browns, curly fries and roasties. Then it was off to the task with Ed leading the meaning group, backmarked by Claire. Nikki, Amy W and Tess were the walking group whilst Vicky and Abi run/walked. After a brief pause for some wall squats we arrived at the task to be greeted by Maeve from St Nicks who set us off promptly with scything, raking and digging to spruce up this area of New Walk. Amy H and Tess were having their first scything experience so received a bot of extra tuition from Maeve whilst the old pros were hacking away like there was no tomorrow.

I feel like I should be topless doing this - Rich

The cuttings soon piled up and the dumping area was a fair trek away so we set off some speedy folk to be in charge of shifting the cuttings using a tarp, a wheelbarrow and also a ton bag on top of a plank with some coasters on it. Unfortunately it did mean that there was a bit of hanging around at the end of the task, but that gave us some time to sing happy birthday to Amy W whilst doing some birthday squats. In fact, there was enough time to do it twice so Vicky could record us!

Then it was off to Tower Gardens for tonight's fitness. This time out we played a game of rock, paper, scissors that involved jumping forward when you win or going back to the start if you lost. In classic GoodGym style half the people absolutely nailed it whilst confusion reigned over the over half. After several games (more than enough time to get a handle on the rules) Abigail and the boys were declared the overall winners despite some dubious jumping going on.

Whilst all this was happening Michal had also arrived with a cake delivery to compliment the delicious brownies that Babs had brought along, so there was no shortage of sweet treats available when we got back to CVS. We then said it our goodbyes whilst some people headed off to the pub

It was time for celebrations at tonight's group run with so much awesomeness happening recently. Firstly there was a big round of applause for Jenna who got a new PB at the Great North Run. There were also cheers for Vicky, Neil and Ed who all took part in the Tholthorpe 10k at the weekend, especially for Vicky who achieved a season's best time. We then handed out the GGer of the month award to the wonderful Lucy who is pretty much the ideal GoodGymer, always getting involved, always smiling and leading tasks when she can. Oh and it also happened to be AA Vicky's birthday, but more on that later 🥳 🏅 🏆 👏

After a brief warm up, Ed led out the run to Acomb Primary School where we were met by Amanda who gave us the lowdown on tonight's task. Basically continuing the work we'd done previously in clearing the wooded area in the playing field so that it can be used as a forest school. We were soon getting stuck in, armed with saws, loppers and sheers.

There were brambles, sticks and branches everywhere as the busy GGers made excellent progress clearing a path through the woods. The green bins were soon getting filled up and we weren't short of volunteers for people to climb in and jump on top of them to make more space. Although Steve had a helping hand from Rich in getting back out of the bin!

With the task drawing to a close and the woods getting darker we broke on through to the other side and cleared enough space to see some daylight at the end of path, which meant it was time to down tools and get ready for a bespoke fitness session courtesy of the birthday girl herself.

Now, GGers aren't always the greatest listeners and on this occasion there was certainly a little bit of confusion about what type of animal walk we were supposed to be doing and who was supposed to be doing it. So a bit of a reset was needed, but we were soon back underway demonstrating some perfect bear walks in the correct order. I'm not entirely sure if there was a winner but we certainly enjoyed ourselves.

We then gathered in the cones and sung 'Happy Birthday' for Vicky before making our way back to the Priory Centre where some delicious cookies and cake courtesy of Vicky and Jenna were waiting for us 😋

from Jacqui.

Sally and I did our litterpick around the Moco museum. Modern, contemporary and digital art inside, but outside plenty of discarded Whisky bottles and cigarette packets to fill our bags with! 🚮

did mine at lunchtime today. Thanks again for listing this Paul Brown

Last weekend’s heavy rain will have led to high flows along the River Ravensbourne which in turn washes down litter from higher up stream; it was certainly evident in the tight flood plain in Brookmill Park. A full black bag’s worth was collected, much of it done under the watchful eye of one of the herons (just visible in the photo).

from Paul Salman

One sultry afternoon, when the sun blazed with the intensity of a toddler mid-tantrum, I decided that a stroll along Dollis Brook would be the perfect antidote. Of course, this wasn’t just any walk; it was a GoodGym litter-pick walk with my faithful companion, Gus, who I suspect secretly believed that he was not so much a dog as an honorary park ranger.

The Brook, in its charmingly modest way, was behaving itself quite well that day, displaying only the merest suggestion of rubbish in the usual suspects—benches and bushes, which seem to attract discarded snack wrappers like magnets attract, well, anything metallic. I was armed with my litter picker, a device that is best described as a T. rex arm on a stick, and I had the slightly smug satisfaction that comes with being prepared to do good. Gus, for his part, maintained his vigilant sniffing duties, which mostly involved scrutinizing the places where less civic-minded dogs had left their mark.

As I navigated the meandering path, I noticed a bright orange council van sidling up to one of the bins, the way a cat might stalk an unsuspecting mouse. Inside, a council worker—decked out in what appeared to be the official uniform of high-visibility gear and an air of mild resignation—was dutifully emptying the bins. I nodded approvingly at this sign of municipal upkeep, my litter-picker swooping down to snag an errant crisp packet that had made a bid for freedom in the breeze.

Then, to my mild surprise, the council worker headed directly towards me. For a brief, irrational moment, I wondered if there was some obscure bylaw against unsanctioned litter picking. But no—he beamed at me like I was some sort of civic hero. “Thank you for your litter picking,” he said, with all the warmth of someone who truly means it, as though I had single-handedly solved the borough’s rubbish problem. “Would you like some council bags?”

Naturally, I graciously accepted, trying to convey through my expression that yes, I was exactly the sort of person who not only wanted council bags but also knew exactly what to do with them. It was the sort of small victory that adds a surprising amount of satisfaction to a day.

As I continued on my walk, council bag in tow, something remarkable happened. People—a surprising number of them—began to acknowledge my efforts. “Thank you for what you’re doing!” they’d call out, as though I were a one-person anti-litter brigade. It was immensely gratifying, though slightly puzzling. I mean, all I was doing was picking up rubbish. It wasn’t as though I was rescuing kittens from trees or single-handedly solving the climate crisis.

With my bag increasingly heavier and my spirits proportionately lighter, I made my way towards a nearby bin where I left my satisfyingly full sack of collected litter, neatly tied like a Christmas gift for the sanitation department. I felt an odd sense of accomplishment as though I had performed some small but significant service for the community.

Not one to let an opportunity pass, I even took advantage of the local exercise machines along the way, which is essentially gym equipment re-imagined by someone who has never actually been to a gym. I gave them a go, feeling thoroughly virtuous and a bit like a child on a playground, which, to be honest, was no bad thing.

By the end of the walk, Gus and I were both suitably entertained and I, at least, felt quietly heroic in that way one does after making even a modest contribution to the public good. I imagined that the council worker would drive by later, spot the neatly tied bag, and think to himself, “Ah, the work of a true professional.”

As for Gus, he was far more interested in finding the next promising scent, but I like to think that, in his own way, he was as pleased with our good deed as I was. It was a good walk, a good litter pick, and, as a result, a thoroughly satisfying day.