Two of us showed up for a climbing session at the Castle in Manor House. It was Paul's first climb in about 25 years, but he was very game, putting all his yoga, running and cycling to the test.

After a quick tour of the building (inside only, given the rain!), we warmed up and then started climbing. A couple of regulars joined us and we toured around the building, trying different routes. We finished up with a quick game of 'take-away' - we'll probably try add-on next time if enough people come.

Hoping this will be the start of a good habit! Expect regular sessions on Friday evenings through 2026. Please say in the comments if you can't make that evening and when you're available, so I can mix up times and days.

George and I were proud to represent GoodGym Barnet on a big community mission supporting North London Hospice with their Christmas tree collection fundraiser.

It was a much longer day than our usual GoodGym efforts starting bright and early at 8:30am in Winchmore Hill but brilliantly organised from start to finish. We were paired up with drivers from Redpath Moving, who had generously donated their trucks (and driving skills!). These big vehicles were essential for handling around 70–80 used Christmas trees across Enfield.

The routes looked neat on paper, but in reality required plenty of problem-solving: parking up, running down tight roads, and making sure no tree was left behind. My driver, Chris, was superb calmly manoeuvring into tight spots while we packed up to 45 trees at a time before heading back to unload and start again.

We finished just before dark having seen both sunrise and sunset tired but elated to complete everything we’d been assigned. Along the way we met lots of grateful residents (including one future volunteer for next year!), and we were well looked after with drinks, snacks, and sandwiches.

A long day, great fun, and a real reminder of how satisfying it is to muck in and help out. Huge thanks to North London Hospice for such a slick operation and if this sounds like your kind of thing, get involved next time. You won’t regret it.