This Monday was open mic night at the ChoirWithNoName singing over a Karaoke track or around the piano! Members were invited to suggest their favorite hits and bring instruments to play and perform their songs of choice, including Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush.

In the kitchen there was another music to play 🙃.

For this community mission, GoodGym’s Amanda stepped up as lead chef for the first time at ChoirWithNoName. She headed the kitchen alongside Sonam and me, with Lindsey and Anne-Mari rounding out our volunteer cooking team.

On the menu tonight: Potato and Spinach Gateau. It was a total race against the clock to peel, slice, and bake crispy potatoes while sautéing a mountain of onions, mushrooms, and spinach. Meanwhile, Amanda was a powerhouse, whipping up both vegan and vegetarian versions of the béchamel sauce.

I’ll admit, procuring and cooking food for 50 people was a first for me — but what an incredible, rewarding Good challenge! Many volunteers and members commented on how tasty the cooked meal was - DELICIOUSly Good :-). We were also proud to have successfully sourced several essential ingredients from surplus food via Olio. While the effort left us completely exhausted, Sonam somehow still had the energy to run all the way home!

"And if I only could, I'd make a deal with God, And I'd get Him to swap our places

Be runnin' up that road, Be runnin' up that hill, Be runnin' up that building (yo)

Say, if I only could, oh".

From Kate Bush's song, Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God).

All the volunteers are lovely and I was able to help with setting things up, serve coffees and help create a joyful positive atmosphere for all the guests. We then all had a lovely meal together and then cleaned up. I enjoyed it very much.

Here's a photo of Stefania serving this wholesome daal prepared with much love and care.

We managed to save 30+ sandwiches, 3 baguettes, 30+ pastries, plus other treats to turn Good quality unsold food in a feast for the ChoirWithNoName Brighton, celebrating their 7th birthday with a flash mob gig in the Open Market, Brighton Station and Band Stand.

It was a great fun baking homemade muffins alltogether while rehearsing the songs that Amanda and Stefania also performed with the choir on the day, including:

*Times Like These - Foo Fighters:

It's times like these you learn to live again It's times like these you give and give again It's times like these you learn to love again It's times like these, time and time again*

Happy birthday ChoirWithNoName!

The choir is invititing us to their next open rehersal on Monday 8th October - Are you coming?

Four GoodGymers took over All Saint Church kitchen’s under the guidance of lead chef Amaryllis and new GoodGymer Amanda and Sarah, this Monday!

Oven pasta was on the menu for the meal of ChoirWithNoName. Every Monday the choir get together and share a communal hot meal after their rehearsal. This week also said goodbye to the choir director Ziggy, who covered during Freya’s maternity leave.

We did three amazing gigs all-together, including the Big Xmas Singalong that was a sold-out event, touching our hearts as usual and fully powered by your amazing energy and shining purple colours, as so you like, dear Ziggy.

The highlighted song of the evening: “Blinded By Your Grace, Song by Stormzy”

I'm blinded by your grace I'm blinded by your grace, by your grace I'm blinded by your grace I'm blinded by your

Lord, I've been broken Although I'm not worthy You fixed me, I'm blinded By your grace You came and saved me

I said a prayer this morning I prayed I would find the way To another day, I was so afraid 'Til you came and saved You came and saved me And the rain was pouring 'Cause the sun faded away Now I'm in a better place No longer afraid Blinded by your grace You came and saved me I said a prayer this morning I prayed I would find the way To another day, I was so afraid 'Til you came and saved You came and saved me And the rain was pouring 'Cause the sun faded away Now I'm in a better place No longer afraid Blinded by your grace You came and saved me

Thank you, Ziggy! This is only a goodbye. We will sing together again.

On Monday the 16th of December we took part in a very special session.

Nicola, Edward, Doug, Sarah and Annette (on her first session) helped the Choir with No Name.

We firstly helped Nostos unload the food and set up the tables for the choir’s meal. Then serving their meal in the renovated Corn Exchange before they performed their annual Big Christmas Singalong to a sold out Brighton Dome!

The Choir was set up for people who have experience of homelessness and or social exclusion. It is a community initiative creating a supportive, empowering community in Brighton and other major cities around the country. Stefania our Area Activator also volunteers with the choir alongside the many other things she does for the community. After the choir had eaten their fill, we also were offered a tasty meal. The amazing food was provided by Greek Restaurant Nostos in Holland Road, Hove.

A group of 10 GoodGym-ers then watched the uplifting performance. It was truly moving and guaranteed to get you in the Christmas Spirit.

It was moving in more ways than one as we had to jump up and do a different action for the 12 days of Christmas! Those with January birthdays had an especially good workout!

Choir members told the audience what the choir meant to them and how it gave them a sense of community and joy.

We were delighted to have a shout out at the end.

“On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me….GOODGYM!”

Nice community mission, with enthusiastic GoodGym-ers joining to serve food to the ChoirWithNoName prior their BlowOut Gig, including new member Juliet

Here is Stefania, Brighton GoodGym's Area Activator, and ChoirWithNoName singer, puclib talk at the event:

Most in Brighton know me as an active, sporty and enthusiastic person, with endless stamina. I am currently working with sustainable development for sports. Not many know that I like singing in choirs since my childhood. When I was motivated to walk to my community church even during cold and snowy winters after tiring skitoruing days, with blisters in my foot. Most would fall asleep in front of the telly, not me!
I moved to UK more than 20 years ago, for HE, a satisfying job and a deep interest in people and different cultures. More than 5 years ago I made a brave change of career to nurture different aspirations, with a consistent cut of salary and work environment, from international to be more Brightonian. Honestly? I still wonder if it was a good call! Brexit felt tough! Signed my face with bitter water drops and now, at times, I feel I am not fully integrated, valued or wanted even by charitable organisations or cooperatives. I have been collaborating pro-bono for a long time. Certainly, not being successful for years in job applications, without receiving constructive feedback doesn’t help to boost anybody’s confidence, does it? But, I like where I stand today! This is also thanks to GoodGym and the ChoirWithNoName, where I felt welcome since the first day I stepped in without even knowing what its name was standing for! A choir, where I could sing, again, for free! I find the ChoirWithNoName an incredibly safe and inclusive environment, full of shared empathy and boosting passion. Giving everybody a loud voice, even to those with hidden characters, emotions and frustrations we sometimes don’t dare to admit openly without feeling we are not good enough. Stimulating spontaneous friendship from a diversity of wonderful people, volunteers, a skillful choir director, Freya, and managers, Anna, Charlie, and an inspiring and value driven founder, Marie! Being valued openly for who we really are and for whatever we can bring, regardless – in my case, was enjoying cooking during the pandemic while we were singing on zoom! Soon enough this initiated several visits at my doorstep, at a distance, from members procuring me spontaneously food ingredients to cook again! I might not have experienced homeless like other members of the choir, but I needed to re-find my home in this country to re-boost my confidence.

I feel ChoirWithNoName is my home, and a great family, I am proud to be part of. Likewise GoodGym, really :-)