GoodGym Barnet: Sprinting Through Spring for Lyttelton Park!

Despite an April forecast that couldn’t make up its mind — one minute torrential downpour, the next bursts of spring sunshine — luck was on our side this Tuesday evening. The skies held off just long enough for our GoodGym mission to go ahead rain-free, giving us the perfect excuse to lace up, head out, and do some good.

We gathered, as ever, at the Phoenix Cinema, where the evening kicked off with a celebration: George’s 50th good deed! (Well, technically his 51st — but who’s counting?) A big shoutout to George for reaching this milestone. Your commitment is legendary!

There was also a warm welcome to new runner Sonya joining us for her very first GoodGym mission — we hope it’s the first of many. And it was lovely to see Jackie and Sally back with us again after a bit of a break — it felt like the crew was reuniting in full spring spirit.

We squeezed into the cinema vestibule for a quick briefing — the usual safety chat, a bit of numbering up, and some fun exchanges about the weirdest jobs we’ve ever had (which definitely sparked some laughter and kept the chat flowing well into the run).

Our mission: to help the Friends of Lyttelton Playing Fields spread the word about their brilliant plans for an accessible, all-weather 1km path in the park — complete with rewilding spaces and better access for all. Our job? Delivering 600 leaflets to encourage locals to take part in the public consultation.

We warmed up with a gentle run to meet Dominic, our contact from the Friends group — although he was running a little late (in true GoodGym fashion, we turned that into an opportunity for some bonus warm-up exercises). Once leaflets were in hand, we hit the streets.

Brim Hill was our battleground — split into teams of three, we worked both sides of the road, ducking down side streets and hitting letterboxes with near-professional efficiency. Leaflets flew, steps racked up, and the evening unfolded in that golden way only spring evenings can — streets lined with blossoming cherry trees, birdsong in the air, and a sunset that made the whole run feel like something from a film set.

With the job done ahead of time, we turned the journey back into a mini training session — sprint drills along the way, followed by a gentle warm-down as we made our way back to Phoenix.

And, of course, no mission is complete without the post-run social. A well-earned drink at the local pub gave us time to chat, laugh, and reflect on the evening’s work.

There’s something magical about springtime volunteering: the sense of community, the rhythm of your feet on the pavement, and the knowledge that every leaflet dropped might help make Lyttelton Park just a little greener, more accessible, and more loved.

Why not join us next time? The sunsets are free, the laughs are plenty, and you might just find yourself doing your 50th good deed before you know it.

A bumper group of Goodgymers gathered at Dinton Pastures parkrun this morning for event number 288.

After the usual SPRINT to the start (one day we will be early.....) we gathered for the all important pre run selfie and listened to the run briefing.

The course is a 2 lapper with a bit of a congested start - next time we'll scooch to the front a bit more. We ran through wood land and skirted a couple of lakes for what was a lovely course and all looked terribly athletic at the finish!

After a photo with some with the sign and accompanying blossom we headed for the all important post run breakfast as an excellent cafe in the grounds of the nature reserve. Becky and Gary sparked an accidental debate about the combination of sweet and savory on one dish with their order of some pretty epic looking pancakes!

We also started planning the events that we needed to complete our parkrun alphabet!

Finally, and most importantly, happy birthday to Poppy Dog! 4 today!

Collected a bag of litter , anytime , any place, any where! I couldn’t say it better myself and we will do it again in April! I ran out of bags and I found a department in my local council that would send not only bags but litter pickers! You can probably do the same!

A quick bit of litter picking on today's travels!

Edit from other volunteers: Elsewhere various Goodgymmers from Merton, Kingston and Barnet joined in to support The Great British Spring Clean Up - what a great weekend and reason to get outside, we encourage everyone to get involved locally to help, this event is running until 6 April although why not continue with regular litter picking efforts whenever you can. more details here: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/support-our-campaigns/great-british-spring-clean

As today's gloomy light faded, one wonderful group - Emilie, Gosia, Jackie (on their first GoodGym good deed - welcome!!!), Jacqui, Nivia, and Steve - stood by 1 pallet of rocks ⛰️ + 1 (huge) pallet of compost 🏋️ + 1 (giant) sack of mulch 🐂

I couldn't shake the thought - it was the only thought I had - that we must simply (mistakenly) have turned up to Camden's Strongest Voluntary Group.

This collection of heavy things was positioned outside the Caversham NHS Practice in Kentish Town - an unlikely destination for Camden's Strongest Voluntary Group (it's usually held in an out-of-town industrial estate) - and we were there to ferry ⛴️ this collection of garden essentials to the Caversham's quite beautiful Listening Space garden.

While I scoped things out (searching for other voluntary groups lifting weights and pumping iron) this ace group made light, happy, and swift work of everything. The route between the pile and the garden became a flurry of wheelbarrowing + carrying + running + laughing. My dry day became bright, and all because of these lovely people.

Finishing early and with smiles, we said our goodbyes to Jo and the Caversham (now home to rocks, compost, and mulch), and we all agreed how good it will be to visit again soon ☺️