What a day!

4 goodgymmers from Liverpool made their way under the tunnel, across the border and through the valleys to beautiful Barmouth, ready for the Barmouth 10k.

When Sally Ann first floated the idea of running this race together on her birthday, superwoman Heetu signed up without hesitation. Bekah - who had only recently got comfortable with a 5k - took some convincing, but Sallyann was so adamant Bekah could do it that she started to believe it. After a brief consideration, Liam reckoned he'd give it a go. And so a plan was formed.

We headed to Barmouth the night before, to carb up and ensure we were well rested for the 11am start time. The British weather was typically erratic, with blaring sunshine, coastal winds, and ferocious rain in the run up to the race. Sadly due to injury Sally Ann was unable to run the race, but being the selfless and inspiring supporter that she is, she took to the role of chief cheerleader with gusto and dedicated herself to motivating and celebrating the three runners. Nobody's training plan had quite panned out as expected, and there was some trepidation as we headed towards the start line, confident only that we should position ourselves near the back! The race started with sunshine breaking through the clouds and a good sea breeze. The route is up a short incline, down and over the Barmouth bridge, then along a track following the estuary, before a turning point at 5k to head back.

Around half way through the run, a light drizzle started. Then it rained. Then it poured. At one point the rain was hammering down, but the runners weren't to be deterred. By far one of the most challenging parts of the run is the steep "hill of doom" at 9.5k coming off the bridge. Sally Ann positioned herself just before the final corner, after the hill, and reported three massive smiles as she cheered us on the final straight.

We finished absolutely drenched but euphoric at the achievement. Heetu - an excellent runner, though she'll never admit it - had thoroughly enjoyed the scenery, managing to look up, take it all in and attempt to run alongside the train she was delighted to spot. Liam, a solid runner who jumps into these things with little prep and always manages to pull them off, made excellent time and managed to navigate the rain, mud and slippery bridge like a pro. Bekah was absolutely delighted to complete her first 10k without stopping; having gone from being unable to run a 5k without intermittent walking, completing 10k was a huge achievement. Sally Ann was overcome with pride for everyone achieving their goals, and spirits soared as we met with medals and lovely teal 10k t-shirts at the finish line.

The team had surprised Sally Ann with cards, cake and lovely gifts that morning, and we had a champagne toast before a lovely dinner showcasing the best of Welsh local cuisine. We each left feeling thoroughly rejuvenated from a wonderful weekend celebrating hard work, dedication, support and friendship. Well done guys, huge round of applause to each of you.

Despite a weather forecast suggesting we would have a wet task 16 Goodgymers met under dry skies with Friends of St James Gardens.

Our task was to clear the area around Huskissons monument. it's a large paved area that had become a growing space for a large amount of weeds in between the slabs.

We welcomed Abi who is from Climate Coalition who came to join in and find out more about Goodgym Liverpool for Great Green Week.

It was such a lovely atmosphere with so many people working together. Plenty of opportunities to chat as we worked which is always a plus (in this report writers opinion). Michael from Friends Of St James Park also kept us entertained with his vast collection of jokes.

One of the great things about our tasks is that you see such great results in just an hour. Many hands really do make light work. The difference between the start and finish surprised us all. We still have a bit to finish so will be back next week to finish the task.

With a busy weekend, Miriam and I were able to co-ordinate availability and agree a time to move some furniture together for Mr R, whose room had been displaced when it was recently plastered. We were advised the chest of drawers would need 2 people to move, which certainly proved correct as it was a large heavy piece of furniture. However we soon had it back in place and had the bedside table all set too.

Next job was clearing the bed so Mr R could return to sleeping in his own bedroom. Despite lots of belongings being piled up on the bed, we managed to clear it efficiently and ensure there was a safe, clear path for Mr R to access his bed. Mr R has mobility and health issues and was struggling in the back room, so he was very pleased to be able to access his own bed again.

We identified several empty boxes which we broke down (with Mr R's permission) which are now ready to be recycled giving him even more space.

We hope Mr R enjoys finally being back in his own bed in his freshly plastered room! Good luck with the boat-modelling Mr R, and take care on those steep stairs!

On a rainy Friday evening, the Everyman Theatre on Hope Street was filled with warmth and good vibes for The Spring Big Gig with the Choir with No Name and Friends! It was a fantastic night, and the GoodGym Liverpool crew were right there in the thick of it, helping to make it all happen.

Huge thanks to Liam, Bekah, Lucien & Siân for their awesome work setting up and running the T-shirt and bags stall, as well as collecting donations. They were busy bees before the gig and during the interval, helping to raise some much-needed funds for the Choir with No Name. It was brilliant to see such a great turnout for the event, and everyone's efforts certainly paid off!

The Choir with No Name were, as always, absolutely incredible and had everyone buzzing. They were joined in the first half by the wonderful Rek41 Choir from the Wirral, and then by the super talented artist Zoe West from Newcastle in the second half. What a line-up! Everyone had an amazing time, and there was a real buzz in the air. We also heard lots of people giving special thanks to Ema and saying how much they missed her – clearly, she's still very much in everyone's hearts!

It was a truly memorable evening filled with fantastic music and community spirit. Events like these really highlight the power of coming together, and GoodGym was proud to be a part of it. Well done to everyone involved!