GoodGym Barnet – Use It or Lose It!

Barnet gathered once more at the Phoenix Cinema, and what a turnout it was – boosted by a bumper crop of first-timers. A big cheer to Keith, Natasha, Billy and Lucie for joining us for the first time. Great to have you with us!

We couldn’t have picked a better meeting point. The Phoenix has been in the local news recently – one of the oldest continuously operating cinemas in the country, but sadly struggling to turn a profit. The trust’s message is clear: use it or lose it. ( just like our fitness ) So, while we meet outside for our runs, why not pop back another night for a classic film, an indie gem, and of course, copious amounts of popcorn?

After a gentle warm-up and a quick bank-holiday-weekend debrief (sunshine featured heavily), we set off through Cherry Tree Woods and on to Highgate Woods, where we met Cindy the Ranger. While waiting, we even managed a bit of gentle yoga in the evening light ( who says GoodGym doesn’t stretch you in every sense!)

Cindy led us to a rather large wooden construction. Picturesque, yes. Useful for biodiversity? Not so much. She explained how deadwood plays a vital role in the woodland ecosystem, supporting fungi, insects, and all sorts of wriggly life. Our task: dismantle the wooden tower and repurpose the material into protective fencing to help new undergrowth regenerate.

Armed with determination (and a limited number of gloves…), we attacked the structure with gusto, soon reducing it to neat piles ready for its next life as woodland fencing. Satisfying work – though possibly more splinter-prone than popcorn-eating!

Shout-outs and Top Tips • Huge welcome again to our new recruits – you smashed your first GoodGym mission. • A little plea: future tasks often involve logs, nettles, or other prickly characters. Treat yourself to a pair of lightweight gardening gloves – they’ll make you look the part and save you some splinters. • With darker evenings on the horizon, a head torch is also a worthy sidekick. You’ll thank yourself when you can see both the path and the nettle patch.

As ever, GoodGym is about more than running – it’s about supporting our local community, green spaces, and charities, many of whom are short of volunteers. By showing up, you remind them that what they do matters. Plus, winter training with GoodGym is secretly brilliant – it’s invigorating, you’ll stay motivated, and honestly… it hardly ever rains (and if it does, you’ll hardly notice!).

So keep coming, keep running, and keep helping. Barnet needs you and so do the trees!

An epic evening once again helping out the lovely volunteers at Shepherds Hill Gardens! Deep summer brought all sorts of fresh and woolly faces together into our flock, from the lesser-spotted Peter to first-timer Marija. Great also to see Memory and Anthony out and about, as well as Phil, who walked to and from the site. And we had a visitor, Emily, joining us from Islington and who may come again given how close the gardens are to her.

Many hands made light work. Our host, Pat, had her arm in a sling, so she wasn't as able to get stuck in as she often does. Sprightly still, she made her way around showing us the various jobs and setting us to work. There was bramble-bashing - taken up by Lucy and Subham; some ivy clearing, which Paul and I had a crack at. And then lots of sweeping and tidying for the others, making the area safer and more inviting for visitors to enjoy. One of the Friends of Shepherds Hill, Joan, meanwhile, gave the area a quick litter pick. And, of course, we were joined by the boundless ball of furry energy that is Gus, who did a good job of sniffing out anything interesting in the bushes we might have missed.

Pat's message of thanks described us as, "A jolly and very hard working crew, who have given us peace of mind." Most welcome and we'll be back again soon!

A brave gaggle of Goodgymmers gathered for our latest group run to Northway Gardens, where we were helping Brian clear the banks of the brook. A somewhat failed attempt at a conversation starter in 'What would you use AI for?', mostly leading to the answer 'To solve the need to ever have to use AI'. So we appointed Rachel to come up with a better prompt for next week!

We set off in good time, Beattie marking the rear, jogging through the back alleys of East Finchley. At Lyttleton Playing Field, we stopped briefly for squat kicks and some core strengthening - the braver among us doing one-armed planks.

Meeting Brian on Northway, he produced two pairs of trusty loppers and set us off in groups either side of the stream, cutting back the overgrowth. Daniel emerged from the undergrowth, having run straight to site - great to see him back again on his second group run in the past month.

Then to work! We cut back self-seeding trees, mostly elder, some figs, and our extra hands ran back and forth, like mobile trees (hence the Macbeth reference!) across the road to the dumping pile. It was hot and careful work, making sure no one took a swan dive into the drink while trimming saplings. We made it as far as the bridge, and made a big difference to the garden's view along the way.

Jogging back, Lucinda took up backmarking duties, and guess what? She's completed her 25th good deed! Well done!

With all the heat, we agreed we needed some refreshments, so we returned to the White Lion for a quencher and chitchat and a promise to be back next week, when we'll be helping Roger and the Friends of Cherry Tree Wood.

It's a very short run, so you can expect https://www.goodgym.org/v3/profile/paul-salman to lead a work out circuit or maybe even some yoga. See you there!

Tiny Forest Citizen Science Run – Tuesday Night at Its Best!

We gathered at the Phoenix Cinema under perfect summer skies — ideal running weather that had us marvelling at how different it was from the storms and snowfalls we reminisced about. The infamous storm of ‘87 came up (the one the forecasters definitely didn’t see coming!), vividly remembered by Anthony as an eight-year-old, alongside other wild weather events we’ve seen over the years. But tonight? Glorious.

After a warm-up in the Phoenix foyer, we set off on a 2km run through the backstreets and then along the leafy paths by Mutton Brook. George was our trusty back-marker, making sure no one was left behind.

At the Tiny Forest near Henley’s Corner — the same one some of us helped plant three years ago — now joined by three more tiny forest recently. We split into small groups for some citizen science: Anthony and I tackled an insect survey, while another group explored the older forest looking for pollinators cue a spirited debate about whether a nest of ladybirds counted! For the record — ladybirds are great! They help control aphids and other garden pests, making them a natural friend to forests and gardeners alike.

After logging our findings for Earthwatch, we rounded off with a plank challenge — over a minute of solid core-strengthening effort from all involved. (Highly recommended if you fancy a full-body workout at home.)

Memory had to dash off to a meeting, but the rest of us jogged back to the Phoenix, soaking up the golden hour. Huge thanks to George for bringing along some delicious vegan biscuits — a well-earned treat!

Thanks to everyone for coming, for running, and for doing good. See you next week!

With the temperature dropping suddenly (even though it was the hottest start to May ever recorded) and a few Goodgymmers taken ill, just three of us managed the group run to Shepherds Hill Gardens. Anthony and I both rocked up a little early to the Phoenix, while Sonya gamely offered to meet us at the gardens, so we set off promptly at a gentle pace. We arrived early and did a decent stretch, before heading over to meet Pat, one of the amazing custodians of the green space.

We gathered tools, sacks and snacks - yes, one of the lovely perks of visiting, but not the reason we go! - and set to the laborious maintenance tasks that are a challenge for the older volunteers at the space. We swept the path and steps at the public-facing end of the woodland patch while Pat litter-picked and pruned hedges, then ferried the waste down to the compost pile in the wood. That alone was enough work for the four of us, so we decamped to a bench for some hot hibiscus berry tea and apple juice, to natter about the various volunteers and the jobs they have ahead of them.

Like many green spaces around Barnet, they're looking ahead to the extra work spring and summer brings and trying to build capacity for pruning and maintaining new growth. Keep an eye out for a dedicated Community Mission to help them at their regular sessions in May and June.