Some GoodGym sessions have you running. Some have you gardening. And every so often, if you’re lucky, you get both in one evening. That’s exactly how six GoodGymers ended up trading trainers for trowels, joining Hope and Adrian to give the planters along Smithdown Road some care and attention. The brief was simple: weed, tidy, top up the soil and pick up any litter along the way. Liam, Fred and I started the evening with a run from the Liverpool Women’s Hospital area towards the traffic island where Ullet Road meets Smithdown Road, where the rest of the group was waiting. Once everyone had gathered, Liam took us through the safety guidance, making sure we all knew how to work safely around the traffic. Hope then talked to us through the task and explained what needed to be done. With the safety briefing complete, the instructions clear and the gloves on, we were ready to get stuck in. We started at the traffic island itself, coaxing the planters back from “a bit wild” to something genuinely lovely. We pulled out the weeds, added fresh soil, and gave everything a proper tidy. From there, we worked our way along Smithdown Road, planter by planter, weeding, trimming and maintaining the plants, while also clearing litter from the surrounding areas. Ten planters later, the road was looking noticeably brighter for it. There was a small milestone worth mentioning too: Amina turned up with her own new pair of gardening gloves for the very first time! A proper GoodGym rite of passage. The gloves were on, the weeds were warned, and there was no turning back. A Blooming Good Session It really was a good bloom session. There’s something quietly uplifting about working your way along a row of flowerbeds. The more we cleared, the more colour seemed to spring back to life around us, as though the plants were paying us back in kind for the attention. We’d started at a traffic island, but happily there wasn’t a hint of a jam. Instead, there was steady progress from planter to planter, with soil under our nails and the road looking better with every stop. The plants were putting down roots, while the GoodGymers were putting in the graft. And as for the weeds? They never stood a chance. Wrong place, wrong time, and definitely not part of the plan. Between pulling weeds, hauling soil, trimming plants and picking up litter, everyone found their part in the effort. There was plenty of enthusiasm throughout, and by the time we moved further along the road, Smithdown was beginning to look as though it was smiling back at us. The flowers may have been the ones doing the blooming, but there were plenty of smiles blooming among the GoodGymers too. Putting Down Roots, Then Running Home We wrapped up a few minutes ahead of schedule, with 10 planters looking brighter, the surrounding pavements tidier, and Hope and Adrian’s Smithdown in Bloom project given another helping hand. With the gardening done and the weeds well and truly defeated, it was time to swap the trowels back for trainers. Liam and I ran back to the area where we had started, bringing the evening neatly full circle. We had begun by running towards Smithdown, spent the middle of the session among the flowerbeds, and finished by running back with that satisfying kind of tiredness that comes from knowing you’ve left somewhere a little better than you found it. A big thank you to Hope and Adrian for organising and guiding us through the task, and to Liam for taking us through the safety guidance and keeping everything running smoothly. And, of course, a big well done to everyone who turned up, got their hands dirty and helped make the evening such a good one. It’s a nice reminder that small deeds can add up to something real: a few pairs of gloves, some fresh soil, a group willing to get stuck in, and a stretch of road that feels a little brighter for everyone who walks past it. We arrived on foot, stayed to dig in, put down some roots, pulled out a few weeds, and left Smithdown blooming. From sole to soil and back again, not a bad way to spend an evening.

Smithdown in Bloom is a community group which looks after the popular Smithdown Road and surrounding streets, by adding planters, bringing some colour and greenery to the area, and other maintenance aspects like litter picking.

We received a last minute invite to join them for their planting event on Bank holiday Monday. We ummed and aahhhd over setting up the community mission, as it was a) only 3 days notice, b) bank holiday weekend, and c) set to be a scorcher. There was a little interest so we listed the task, and I prepped the task owner that we wouldn't be expecting a large turnout, but I'd be there and it would be nice to meet them with a view to arranging a session for our weekly group run some time.

Much to our surprise, a fabulous 9 Goodgymmers braved the heat and turned out to support the group. Smithdown in Bloom are developing as a group with founder Ian sadly due to move away, so they're reviewing processes, structure and looking at putting things in place to maintain consistency. The group were well prepared with lots of plants to plant, tools, water bottles and watering cans. They kindly advised the water wasn't just for the plants, we were encouraged to drink some too! It was super hot and collectively we got round all the planters: weeding them, adding new colourful plants, and giving them a good water to take root. We were approached by a group of 6 young teenage boys who asked about what we were doing, and who then kindly got involved and helped plant some plants, even refilling the watering can for us from the local shop. It was lovely to see such young people in the area getting involved.

After just over an hour we wrapped up the session and headed for a well needed iced drink (iced matcha latte with coconut milk for me 👌), cooling off before our regular Monday evening task later that same day. It was great to meet the Smithdown in Bloom team and we look forward to helping them again - we've already been invited back.

Well done everyone who attended for a great turn out on this gloriously sunny bank holiday weekend, we really demonstrated what Goodgym is all about ☀️