On Saturday the 23rd, we gathered to support Savera UK, a locally founded charity which now operates nationally and seeks to protect anyone who suffers from honour-based abuse. While Goodgym had initially been enlisted to help with litter-picking on a march through the city centre, the arrival of storm Bert meant the event was switched to take place in the Museum of Liverpool. Savera has a special connection to our Goodgym team, as their founder, Afrah Quassim, is a regular volunteer, and it was amazing to get the chance to support the incredible work she does. While our initial plans to pick litter didn’t pan out, we still helped out as best we could by joining in on a mini-march around the docks when the rain let up, where our local Katumba drumming group also gave a guest performance to make some noise for the cause. In a series of inspiring speeches and readings, supported by a local gospel choir, we all got to learn about Savera’s invaluable work, seeking to protect everyone from gendered and honour based violence, providing advocacy, interventions, and education all over the country.

While storms like Bert may throw a spanner in the works sometimes, supporting causes like Savera is always a fantastic experience, and making connections like this is a big part of what Goodgym is all about, come rain or come shine.