GoodGym love stories
"Someone asked if we were on a date and we awkwardly said yes!"
February 11, 2022
When you are a part of GoodGym it's easy to list a number of things you love about it, so ahead of this Valentine's Day we asked GoodGym members what GoodGym means to them. We found some great stories along the way.
Love at first task?
Sometimes you just know you're in the right place. GoodGym Luton member Dani told us:
"I'm a fairly new member who joined at the start of January, but already I have been made to feel so welcome and I'm absolutely thrilled to have met such positive and likeminded people. The team efforts we have made so far in the Luton community feels like we have made a real difference to our town and I am proud to be part of it."
Reminding us that goodness is all around
Love is all around? It can be if you look for it! GoodGymers report to us that being part of GoodGym whether taking part in group runs, community missions or working with older people at missions or coach visits, can remind you of the positive things that are out there. This feels especially important in a world filled with a lot of bad or worrying news in the last few years especially.
Windsor and Maidenhead GoodGymer Sophie said:
"I love GoodGym because it makes me remember how much good there is in the world. The media is so littered with negativity and hate, it only takes one task or a chat on the GoodGym WhatsApp group to restore my faith in humanity. GoodGym is such a kind hearted community of truly amazing local heroes!"
A real community spirit
The key to great connections is through shared experiences and belonging. We pride ourselves on a sense of community at GoodGym and that's felt through our connection to others, as well as to the community projects and people we may not have otherwise crossed paths with.
GoodGymer Roz comments:
"I love the sense of community at GoodGym. No matter whether you've done 100 tasks or it's your first people will welcome you with open arms. There are people of all different ages and walks of life all working together to make their communities a little better."
While GoodGym Newcastle member Paul adds:
"I have lived and worked in Tyneside for over eight years now, but the four years I have been with GoodGym have shown me more about Newcastle than I could have known otherwise. It allows me to have a greater sense of belonging in this city."
Discovering a perfect match
GoodGym has been host to some perfect matches, too. Shared experiences and communities of likeminded people can create a perfect place to find someone on your level, and that's what happened to GoodGymers Dom and Abi.
Dom and Abi met at a GoodGym social initially before meeting again when they attended a task at Surrey Docks Farm, and again when attending the inaugural GoodGym Solihull Group Run. They have recently relocated to York, where a new GoodGym community was waiting to welcome them.
Dom explained why GoodGym is a great place to make friends and meet people:
"In a nutshell, GoodGym attracts people who care - it attracts people who care about their community, and have the drive and the moxie to do something about that. With these shared ideals there's a great community, and within that community there are enough fun and kind people doing interesting things with their lives that all sorts of bonds might spring up."
Dom added:
"Abi and I tend to each just do what we feel like - sometimes that means we go to events together, sometimes we're each focused on different things, which provides a nice balance. Most tasks we go on together, we'll end up focused on different bits, but we have also enjoyed some really nice missions together to support older and/or vulnerable people like this one."
This shared experience was certainly also the case for for GoodGym Lambeth area activator Katie and her now husband Alex.
"We both did the second ever Lambeth session in January 2014. We kind of asked each other out I guess! We didn’t get together until November 2015 and we arranged a date without really calling it that until we were on it and someone asked if we were on a date and we awkwardly said yes!
We got married exactly two years later in 2017 with a bunch of our GoodGym pals in attendance. We now have two young kids too.
"I would encourage anyone to join GoodGym because it really helps ground you in your local community, I have found out about all sorts of brilliant local projects because of it (in fact we had our wedding reception at the portico gallery in West Norwood, because it was a Goodgym task!) and made lifelong friends."
Have we missed anything? What made you fall in love with GoodGym?
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