A hardy group of Goodgymmers, new and regular, gathered at the Phoenix Cinema for their regular session, only to find... the cinema was closed! Thankfully, the lovely manager was in, and more than happy for us to gather our resolve in the foyer as we prepared to go out into the dark and damp.

Tonight's mission was leafleting for the North London Hospice. Each year they offer a great service collecting Christmas trees and donations to keep themselves going. We had 500 leaflets and many pairs of hands to make light work of delivering them to nearby houses, especially the ones with all their Chrimbo decorations sparkling.

Warming up outside, we welcomed Fanny and Kingsley for the first time, as well as Narina for her second consecutive week (thanks also for bringing Kingsley!). Amazing to see Jacqui also, who can't usually make Tuesday group runs. And, of course, stalwarts Rachel, Subham and Paul making up the numbers.

Then off we went, with Rachel and Paul leading a walking group of 5, and myself, Subham and Jacqui jogging to the far end of the nearby roads, then working our way back to meet them in the middle. Then, after a quick redistribution of the remaining flyers, we set a challenge to see whether the runners could finish and get back to the Phoenix before the walkers. The walkers won, mainly because the runners stopped to take a photo.

Lucky for us, the Phoenix manager was still working and more than happy to open the bar for us! After a round of bevvies (or maybe two for some), we patted ourselves on the back for another job well done.

Looking forward to the new year, on Wednesday 7 January we'll be helping North London Hospice reap the rewards of our leafleting, collecting Christmas trees - a great follow up to start 2026 with!

Today I had the pleasure of joining George for his 100th good deed a brilliant milestone and a testament to what GoodGym Barnet is all about.

We met on the walk over (he’d come by bus as usual!) and headed together to help a Barnet resident whose garden had become completely overtaken by brambles. (She risks compromising her tenancy agreement if it’s not kept tidy) Armed with her tools, we got stuck in: clipping, clearing, chatting, and enjoying that simple but powerful feeling of doing something useful for someone else.

What always strikes me about Community Missions is how little the “who” or “why” matters. It’s the giving that counts the small act, the short visit, the bit of sweat and fresh air that somehow leaves you walking away lighter than when you arrived. They’re usually local, quick, and strangely satisfying in a way that’s hard to explain until you try it.

If you’ve ever thought about joining a Community Mission, give it a go. You’ll need a DBS (details on the GoodGym website), but after that it’s easy and you might be surprised by how rewarding these moments are.

Ask George who really enjoyed his hundredth good deed!

We gathered at the Phoenix Cinema, full of festive spirit and only slightly intimidated by the kind of rain that looks like it’s been booked specially to test our resolve.

But, as every seasoned GoodGymer knows, the weather is never the boss of us. Sure enough, by the time we set off, the rain eased just enough for us to get moving in good spirits towards Grange Big Local estate in East Finchley.

We were meeting Emma and her brilliant volunteers from Hope North London, who are working hard to support families on the estate with Christmas lunches and festive essentials. Our job: deliver their Christmas packages to every home across the estate.

Once paired up, we were off. I teamed up with Rachael, and between us we somehow managed to do three blocks — popping back to reload like festive posties on a mission. Other teams powered through their routes too, and in no time the whole estate had received their Christmas deliveries.

With the job done and the warmth of good deeds carrying us home, we jogged back to the Phoenix for our stretch-down,

Then it was straight on to the White Lion for our Christmas get-together — good food, good chat, lots of laughter, and plenty of cheer to round off a brilliant year. let’s shout out for Narina on her first outing what a great one to be involved with!

⭐ Milestone Shout-Outs

A big festive cheer to: • Daniel M. – approaching 100 good deeds • George T. – also closing in fast on the 100 mark and for sorting out the Christmas meal! • Narina](/v3/profile/narina-bira) first ever GoodGym session (welcome!)

A fantastic outing and a reminder of what GoodGym Barnet does best: turning up, supporting our community, and having a brilliant time doing it.

A special yoga morning at Stephens House & Gardens

Instead of our usual online Tuesday session, Stephens House kindly offered us a beautiful room to host a live class — and what a treat it was. A huge thank-you to Malcolm the manager for making the space available.

We had a lovely mix of GoodGym members and local supporters of the House & Gardens, whether through volunteering or donations. It was great to see everyone gather in the Stephens Room — once Sir Samuel Stephens’s own laboratory — with those stunning views across the gardens.

For anyone who couldn’t make it in person, I broadcast the class online as usual, so I hope you still felt part of it.

Thank you to everyone for coming along and supporting the House. Let’s hope we can do it again in the new year.

Have a wonderful Christmas — keep moving, stay well, and here’s the yoga thought for the day:

Yoga Talk : Encouraging Healing Through Gentle Movement

Yoga uses controlled, low-impact movement to gently “wake up” muscles and tendons. This stimulates healthy blood flow, supports tissue repair, and helps reduce stiffness. By balancing effort with rest, yoga becomes one of the most effective ways to maintain mobility and recover from everyday aches or longer-term injuries.