11 goodgymers headed to Pagoda Arts Centre on Henry Street on a cool night. It felt like there was a hint of spring in the air. The front of the centre had a snake decoration around the doorway for 2025 and in a couple of weeks the Chinese luna calendar will usher in the year of the fire horse. There were many tasks to take on to get the centre ready for the celebrations. Ellie and Sallyanne cleaned inside the centre, Nasser moved boxes and put up pictures, Liam and Laura cleaned and cleared the entrance, Bekah, Leo and Jess did some up hill gardening and litter picking, me and Sophie cleared the car park of leaves and litter and Steph got to grips with a pile of papers that needed shredding in a temperamental shredder. All while a tai chi class was in progress which we tried hard not to interrupt. We were rewarded after our tasks with Chinese tea and chocolates.

A fabulous group of keen runners met promptly at 6.30 pm on Monday to run to our task! We were all looking forward to our second week at Pagoda Arts Centre, helping them prepare for their Chinese New Year celebrations. We completed a lovely 2km run through the Chinese Arch and recieved some enthusiastic cheers from passers by.

It was the night before the New Year, but unlike the night before Christmas, lots was already stiring at the centre on our arrival.

After being joined by the rest of the group we had some quick introductions and the all important safety briefing!!! The task owner, Zi Lan, gave us our directions along with some education about the three core symbols of the Chinese New Year celebrations; longevity, good fortune, and, prosperity. We were then given free reign in hanging and decorating lots of lovely artwork and decorations including setting up the display on their main feature wall!

We split off into groups, with various people measuring, planning, hammering and decorating and others assisting in moving and organising items that needed to be stored away for the festivities.

After a lot of planning, hanging and organising, we all came together at the end to finalise the main feature wall. It was lovely to see the wall finished by the end of the task and even better to complete it as a team.

I was delighted that most of the runners were happy to go back to the suitcases the long way, resulting in a total of 4 kilometers run together. A great success all round!

Despite torrential rain forecast, ten hardy GoodGymers headed to Pagoda Arts, a fantastic organisation who provide opportunities for people to engage with Chinese cultural activities.

There was some drizzle as three GoodGymers met at Hope Street to run to the task, and we welcomed back GoodGymer Jo from GoodGym Exeter, who doesn’t let work trips stop her from joining tasks. We enjoyed the shelter of the trees outside the centre whilst the group gathered, and fortunately the heavy rain predicted held off, not that that would have stopped us! The non-runners kept themselves active too, with Pauline cycling and Lucian and others arriving by foot.

The task was to clear the outside area and we soon set to work. Litter was picked, brambles and thistles were removed, and the team did a fantastic job of scaling the very steep slope outside the centre and getting it looking spick and span. We were all very impressed with the “large leaf grabber” which Jake used to make short work of clearing the fallen leaves.

During our clearing Sian came across a small knife which had been discarded. Safety first, Ema was quick to remind the team of the process for sharps and arranged for it to be safely disposed of with the centre’s sharps kit. We were pleased to make the area much cleaner and safer for the centre’s community.

There was a clear difference made and the Pagoda were so delighted with the work done, they treated us to a round of Chinese tea, which Sallyann correctly identified as jasmine. We enjoyed our cuppa to the relaxing sound of the tai chi class which was going on in the main hall (and which Miriam was tempted to join!).

Pagoda Arts have already booked us in for the next Chinese New Year and there was talk of further sessions to help out in Autumn. It’s a lovely organisation and we’ll be pleased to be back there soon.

The Pagoda Arts Centre works to be “a big family for those people who have an interest in Chinese culture”, and it was a big Goodgym family who turned up on a bright, chilly February Saturday morning to help prepare for Chinese New Year.

Five of the Goodgymmers met at local Princes Park for Parkrun, then headed straight to the task afterwards (and by headed straight, we of course mean via a local coffee shop to refuel!)

On arrival, a fantastic 14 Goodgymmers had turned up to help out, and introductions were in order as we had three new members who had each separately heard about Goodgym and decided to join us. Welcome Mel, Pri, & Aditi!

With so many willing pairs of hands the team sailed through a number of tasks, to prepare the centre for the Chinese New Year celebrations the following day. We cleared out an alley, moved furniture to make space for the performance, litter picked, swept and cleared leaves and weeds from the exterior, mopped floors, hung decorations, cleaned toilets – you name it, we sorted it! Hidden talents were unmasked when veteran member Sophie casually confirmed which way to hang a Chinese sign, revealing she’d studied Chinese and translating the sign for us. It just goes to show you never know how much people have to offer, and even after all these years Goodgymmers can still surprise us.

In no time the centre was looking clear and refreshed and there was even time for a rare treat of a cuppa together provided by the centres kind staff.

The Pagoda do a huge variety of great work including ESOL lessons, Tai Chi, Orchestra performances and a number of events for the Chinese community, so it was fitting our help was so varied and we were glad to contribute to the fabulous celebrations taking place over the weekend.

Gong hei fat choy!

The task tonight was at the Pagoda Arts centre, a mere stones throw from our usual meeting point. So after meeting on Hope Street the runners and walkers set off in opposite directions with the runners taking a meandering 2.5km route to meet the others there.

On arrival we were briefed about the task - clearing a grassy verge of grass, weeds and litter.

If we were being perfectly honest, we were initially sceptical of our ability to perform a task fit for a strimmer. 40 mins later however and the transformation was evident! All whilst trying not to disturb the tai chi class going on inside. Well done team!

5 GoodGymers freshened up this beloved cultural centre.

The Pagoda Centre is a hub for Chinese culture and community in Liverpool, a city with the oldest Chinese population in Europe. The centre is slowly trying to reopen as lockdown eases and to welcome back members who access their many services.

Our task for the morning was to freshen up the place for their returning members by painting the lower half of the walls in the centre's main hall. With John and Lorna on one side, Eimear, Pauline and I on the other, we managed to complete the task in just over an hour. Smartening the place up and making it feel clean and welcoming.

Centre Director Zi Lan offered us all a packet of face masks so say thank you. This was a first! We are often offered biscuits, but this new gift sure was a sign of the times! Luckily, dispite the pandemic, we're now able to get back into the community and offer some GoodGym people power.

Great work team!

Find out what's coming up over the next few weeks here.