Three of us gathered for a session, this time mostly on top ropes. Beattie has climbed a lot in the past, but no for a while. It was Theodore's forst session in the UK and second climb ever. So we had a gentle session, followed by a bit of bouldering.

A helpful receptionist told me I can bring five free first timers every month because I'm a member, which is great!

Dark Arts, Woodchip & New Faces 🌙🌲

Last night’s group run reminded us why GoodGym is such a brilliantly odd and rewarding thing to be part of.

We gathered in the welcoming glow of the Phoenix Cinema foyer, chatting and catching up while meeting a couple of new faces a warm welcome to Jack and Jamie who both dived straight into the spirit of the evening. Numbers were handed out and, in keeping with January tradition, we briefly checked in on how everyone’s New Year’s resolutions were going. The verdict? Not much to report but crucially, everyone had turned up, which already counts as a win.

A quick warm-up followed outside the cinema, making full use of the uphill gradient for kick-ups, crossovers and skips ... proof that you don’t need fancy equipment when you’ve got gravity on your side.

Subham kindly volunteered to back-mark… and within about two minutes found himself at the front of the group. To his credit, he noticed before anyone else did, which gave us all a good laugh!

We headed off towards St Martin’s Primary School, only to arrive to a scene straight out of a mystery novel: locked gates, no lights, and a very quiet school. Just as we were wondering whether we’d taken a wrong turn into a spy film, John appeared to open up and set us to work.

Tasks included improving paths around the forest school area particularly near the fire pit and outdoor kitchen with the added bonus that we managed to tackle some extra path work too. A bit of digging, some wheelbarrowing, and a lot of purposeful activity in near darkness: exactly the kind of thing that makes GoodGym feel refreshingly different from an indoor gym session.

Before long it was tools down, a steady run back and gentle stretch.

Running, digging, and volunteering in the dark on a cool January evening turns out to be just about perfect: short, sharp, effective exercise with real purpose. For Jack and Jamie and anyone else wondering whether to come back this is what we do. Different every week, always friendly, and always worth turning up for.

Same time next week?

Rain, Resolutions & a Hidden Gem

Our group run to Stephens House and Gardens from the Phoenix Cinema had all the hallmarks of a tough one. It might have been a relatively mild 10°C, but the steady rain and gloomy skies made it feel intimidating. And yet incredibly everyone turned up. Not a single runner was put off by the forecast or the prospect of getting soaked.

We gathered in the foyer of the Phoenix Cinema, shaking off the drizzle and catching up. It was great to welcome Matta brand-new runner, clearly committed to his New Year resolution of trying something different. Fresh back from cold-water dipping in Sweden. we hope to see him at our next challenging event.

Our warm-up chat turned to resolutions kept, broken, or still evolving before we headed out into the rain, easing into the pace with George sensibly anchoring the back. Don’t forget: capture your run or walk on Strava every activity counts for the January Challenge.

About 20 minutes later we arrived at Stephens House and Gardens. By then the drizzle had eased, and we were warmly welcomed by the wonderful volunteer duo Alison and Warwick, who give so much of their retirement time to supporting this historic place.

Our task was a satisfying one: clearing leaves from the front car park and the stable yard — a job that’s particularly effective late in the evening once the cars have gone. Armed with wheelbarrows, brooms, shovels and rubble bags, we soon filled two very large bags of leaves. Jackie was so engrossed she barely seemed to want to stop proof that leaf-clearing can be strangely addictive.

Before heading off, we reflected on just how important this place is. Stephens House is a real hidden gem, run as a trust and heavily reliant on community support. Many people don’t realise how vulnerable places like this are right now. Whether it’s popping in for a coffee, enjoying the food, attending an event or even hosting a wedding every visit helps. Even the Antiques Roadshow recognised its charm, filming three episodes here.

The run back revealed a lovely irony: East End Road was closed to traffic, but on foot we slipped straight past the barriers — yet another reminder of how adaptable (and smug) runners can be.

Most of us finished back at the Phoenix Cinema for well-earned refreshments: popcorn, homemade chocolate, and cider generously supplied by Theo — our resident cameraman for the night.

A wet evening, a brilliant turnout, a great task and another reminder of why GoodGym works so well.

Our last Goodgym group session of the year was a breezy loop around the Phoenix Cinema's neighbourhood, promoting their Christmas film specials and programme for the week. Four Goodgymmers gathered in the cinema's foyer to brave the dark, cold, but generally friendly and fitness-amenable streets of East Finchley.

With a small stack of leaflets, barely two hundred between us, we thought we'd make the most of our warm up, taking it in turn to share jumps, squats, skips and spot-jogs until we felt suitable geared up. Subham set our chatter for the night: What are you doing for the holidays? Then George led us into the night and side streets, with Lucinda back marking and Theodore on camera point. Splitting into pairs down each road, we made short work of our stacks, then retired to the pub for a celebratory drink.

The social was a good time to reflect, and also to plan more socials! Suggestions to go climbing in the new year, and also possibly to try out an Escape Room! Let us know if you've other ideas for socials in the comments!

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.