16 Goodgymmers made the short jog over to Brighton Community Kitchen on Queens Road for our regular clean-up mission. We welcomed new Goodgymmer Charli, who has recently made the big move from Worthing over to Brighton, for her first task.

The Brighton Community Kitchen does vital work in the community to teach valuable cooking skills to those who might otherwise might not have access. Recently they have been working with the Marcus Rashford-backed project to provide meals over the holidays to children who are eligible for free school dinners. They have hosted classes for both the children and their parents to impart practical day-to-day cooking skills.

We were excited to see that the Kitchen has recently been upgraded with new sinks and a Food Dehydrator. The dehydrator particularly allows them to preserve vegetables that wouldn't otherwise by used, store them and later use them as ingredients. There was a big batch of Tomatoes, Onions and Carrots in the dehyradator during our clean.

Jo greeted us with her usual enthusiasm and gratitude, along with her famous todo list on the wall. This time we cleaned all the windows both inside and out, transformed the drawers from chaos to order, gave all the stools and work surfaces a good cleandown, scrubbed the ovens and of course sorted the cheese graters! Our extra large turnout meant we were able to knock-off all the tasks in no time.

With our tasks finished and everything ticked off of Jo's list we sauntered off into the summer night back to our own (slightly less sparkly clean) kitchens.

This week's maxi challenge was a Brighton Pride weekend tradition: the Sunday morning beach clean 🌊🌈

Accessorised with blue bags and litter pickers, we sashayed along the shoreline picking up an assortment of plastic wrappers, cigarette butts, and tired old coffee cups 😬 Litter? we don't know her.

Goodgymers, although your outfit choices were more pedestrian than pavilion, your collective effort helped restore our beloved beach from trashy to classy, and for that you are all queens 👸

Happy Pride everyone! 🌈✨️

On Friday, a colourful crew of GoodGym members laced up (or turned up!) for the Rainbow Run — a joyful, inclusive 5K hosted by the Brighton & Hove Frontrunners as part of Pride celebrations.

Some of us came to run, proudly wearing rainbow socks, sequins, and smiles. Others showed up to marshal the route with enthusiasm and cheers, keeping runners safe and spirits high. And of course, a few GoodGym-ers made it their mission to cheer, snap photos, and support with the energy only our group can bring.

After the last runners crossed the line, most of us stuck around to help with the less glamorous but just as vital job of dismantling the race area — yes, that meant taking down bunting, taking out flags and poles, and de-glittering whatever we could.

The Rainbow Run wasn’t just a 5K — it was a celebration of inclusion and visibility, open to ALL runners: those who run fast or slow, those who run alone or with others, those who run on both sides of the road, those who cross the road when running, those who run in secret and those who don’t. The Rainbow Run was for everyone.

A huge thank you to Graham from B&H Frontrunners for all the brilliant organising and ideas that made the event run smoothly, to Rosie and Pippa for suggesting we get involved in the first place, and to El, who travelled all the way from Worthing to join the fun.

We wrapped up the day in true GoodGym style — with a picnic in the park. There was sunshine, laughter, great company, and yes — of course — I brought hummus. It also happened to be my birthday, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend it than surrounded by this wonderful GoodGym community. I’m so grateful for the joy, the support, and the shared silliness — truly the best birthday gift of all. 🌈💪🏃‍♀️🎉

While the world may be getting harder out there, events like Rainbow Run remind us why it matters to come together, to celebrate, and to keep running — for joy, for each other, and for a more colourful world.

Most GoodGym volunteers report high levels of satisfaction, with a strong sense of making a difference and increased social connection being key drivers to getting fit while making good.

At our group session yesterday, 11 handy GoodGymers fulfilled their expectations while volunteering to scrape weeds from the streets of Hanover 😊. After running uphill, we gathered in Islingword road to meet Chancellor Tim Rowkins and other residents who engaged with the session by handing over their tools and help, including Rose and Elaine.

Firstly, we manually pull-out weeds, ensuring to get the roots to prevent regrowth, and we then cleared all around to make the area looking well tidied up. Thanks City Clean Tidy Up Team for providing brooms and shovels! We managed to save the Red Valerian, known as Centranthus Ruber – a perennial herb with deep pink, almost crimson, flowers that are commonly found growing alongside roadside verges and on old stone walls, in bungaroosh. Did you know that Bungaroosh is a composite building material first introduced by the Romans and used almost exclusively in the English seaside resort of Brighton? I didn’t.

It was another of our Good sessions, helping Brighton & Hove council to keep our city streets clean! Cllr Tim Rowkins, deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services of Brighton & Hove City Council, also updated us on the major plans to expand recycling to include all plastics and food waste in Brighton & Hove. Very Good!