Commuters, tourists, and (even) dog-walkers were all trying to get away from the rain at 6.15pm last night.

The same time as this lovely GoodGym group were trying to jump into the first splashes of Autumn!

Caitlin, Daisy, John, Steve, and I took temporary shelter under a Regent's Park tree before embarking on a steady run through the park, past the Abbey Rd zebra crossing that the tourists love, and the world's most bountiful rainbow!

Our destination was the West Hampstead Sherriff Centre — a home for community housed within a revamped church :)

Which was where we met Dan (on their first good deed — welcome!!), Imogen, Jackie, Siobhan, and Will, and we quickly grabbed pickers and bags to tackle the litter that accumulates...

...which was less than usual! Albeit 2-3 small bags of things that are better on their way to being recycled :)

Thank you, everyone! See you soon!

GoodGym Barnet: A Run, a Ramble, and a Reel

As usual, our GoodGym Barnet group run began at the Phoenix Cinema – our much-loved meeting point and one of Finchley’s cultural treasures. The day had been a washout with heavy rain, but in true GoodGym fashion the skies cleared just in time. Not that it would have put us off – we’re a hardy bunch who don’t let a little water dampen our spirits, especially once we’re moving!

This week we had a special twist: a social night to support the Phoenix Cinema, which has recently announced it’s facing financial challenges. With the warning of “use it or lose it”, it felt more important than ever to show our support. That meant a slightly shorter session than usual, planned to bring us back in time for an evening film together.

For our warm-up we stretched both body and mind, chatting about our favourite films as we loosened up. Mine was the Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple – though I confess I can’t remember most of the others! (Drop yours in the comments – I’d love to know).

We then jogged over to Cherry Tree Woods, just 500m away, to meet Roger and Andras who set us up with our evening’s task: building leaf cages to help create compost for the park. Armed with chicken wire, stakes, and plenty of teamwork, we built two sturdy cages in no time. We also fashioned a rustic forest fence by the playground and even squeezed in a quick burst of bramble bashing before heading back.

After a warm-down at the Phoenix, the real treat awaited: hot chocolates, ice creams, and a trip into the auditorium for Materialists, a thoughtful rom-com exploring how people match (or don’t!) in relationships. Whatever the film’s message, our night’s was clear: we worked hard, did good, and supported a community landmark that absolutely deserves to stay open.

The Phoenix isn’t just our meeting point – it’s one of the oldest continuously running cinemas in the UK, run as a charity, and a vital part of Finchley’s cultural life. If you haven’t been recently, why not treat yourself to a ticket? They’re showing some brilliant films in the coming weeks. Let’s help keep this gem shining.

The rain had gone by the time we all arrived at Camden Square, but we were hoping the earlier downpour had softened the ground a little, because our task today was to prepare the ground for bulb planting, by removing leaf cover, clearing the weeds and churning up the ground a bit

Emilie turned up looking fit from recent Big Half training, while newbie Susannah (sponsored by Google DeepMind) arrived from Texas, USA, via a nearby road where she now resides. Rhonda also attended her first ever task, and similarly had minimal distance to travel to this task. Hope to see you again at distant tasks a whole mile or two away...

By diligent clearance of unwanted foliage and plantage, we were in a position to hose the ground so it was nice and soft, helping us to disrupt the earth and various small creatures living therein with a variety of implements

We were kept busy for an hour, until the ground was in perfect condition for bulbs to be planted. Bags of debris were taken away at such a speed, my picture was all blurry!

There's no truth in the rumour, however, that the snail sitting on Alison's running shoe was a comment on her pace...

Before we arrived, three local members of the Kennistoun House and Willingham Close TRA were already busy working on their community garden - a green oasis tucked behind the back streets of Kentish Town

GoodGymers joined in dribs and drabs, until we'd tripled the number of people on-site! Welcome especially to Sophie, from the other side of the Borough, on her first ever good deed!

Caitlin joined us all the way from China, via a star turn on the BBC, while Alison's Dad's just been on telly in Canada! We were also joined by Imogen, sometimes known as Isobel, but only by stand-in task force members with a loose grasp of name recognition

Our task involved ripping out grass where it wasn't wanted - in the flower beds - removing weeds, and tidying the edge of the grass so it formed a nice border with the beds

After an hour's work,described as "transformative" by task owner Hilda, it only remained for us to tidy our tools and tickle a golden tummy!