A lovely evening on Worthing seafront saw seven GoodGymers, blue bags and pickers in hand, removing litter from a stretch that ran from the Beach Office to Anchor Gardens. Always a great “catch up and chat” occasion, the full bags tell their own story about the real difference simple tasks like this make.

Denials with thanks

Interaction with the locals is always a pleasure on GoodGym tasks. Today we were given appreciative thanks in two areas along the prom. We also had a profuse denial of littering responsibility directed at us as we cleared around the bench they occupied. The hope that, regardless of his responsibility or not for the litter we picked, is that our visible presence doing this task will be remembered and the bins placed along the seafront are used for their intended purpose.

When the wind blows

To be fair to Worthing, there wasn’t that much rubbish that had been dropped. Most of what we collected probably arrived on the persistent winds we have been experiencing. Activity on the beach has also been restricted due to the trundling back and forth of heavy machinery as they work to repair our long-neglected groynes.

Just like Arnie

We will be back! As we head towards summer, the beach will be busier. Our litter picking example becomes increasingly important, as does the removal of that pesky wind-blown stuff.

Pier Pressure & Petal Power 🌊🌼

A small but mighty group gathered for what turned out to be a wonderfully chilled and cheerful evening by the seaside. It was especially lovely to see Megan again who has been very busy working lately. Plus, with Paul, John and Ricky it turned out a perfectly sized group for the task tonight.

We started off by taking a relaxed social stroll around the pier. With the sea breeze doing its usual chilly thing and the sound of the waves , it was the a great opportunity for a good catch-up, a few laughs and a gentle warm-up for the task ahead. Sometimes the best runs are the ones where nobody’s actually running!

After our scenic wander, it was time to roll up sleeves, and get stuck into a quick winter tidy-up of our seafront flowerbed along the promenade. The bed definitely needed some attention and armed with a few small tools we got to work clearing out the old, taming the unruly and generally giving the space a well-earned refresh.

There was plenty of chat, teamwork and those deeply satisfying moments where you step back and realise, “Oh wow… that actually looks alot better.” The flowerbed is now looking neat, cared for and ready to brave whatever the rest of winter throws at it. Hopefully we may see some spring flowers coming up soon.

All in all, a blooming lovely evening — relaxed, productive and full of good company. Turns out a little seaside stroll and some flowerbed TLC is a great way to tide ourselves over 😄😍

P.S It turns out that my perfect one shot wonderful photo on the pier didn't come out !! 😅 Next time I won't be so confident 😄

March of the Toy Soldiers (and Two Very Good Dogs) 🎄🐾

We wrapped up the year in festive style with a Christmas Toy Soldier social walk, bringing together good company, seasonal cheer and just over 4km of walking and talking.

Our mission was to track down the sometimes elusive Toy Soldier statues scattered along the route. Spirits were high as we searched, spotted and celebrated each one — stopping frequently to strike poses and capture an impressive array of photos along the way. Some soldiers were easier to find than others, but the challenge only added to the fun and we did have 1 very strong contender for a stand in 😀

Adding extra joy to the walk, Roxy and I brought along our dogs, Mali and Hudson, who thoroughly enjoyed being part of the adventure. They even had their own special photo moment in front of Toy Soldier number 5, clearly embracing their roles as honorary GoodGym mascots.

To round off the evening, a group of us headed to the pub for a well-earned festive drink, sharing laughs and reflecting on a great year of moving, helping and socialising together.

A perfect way to close out the year — thanks to everyone who came along, and here’s to more good deeds and good times in the year ahead!

On a chilly but calm late October evening, a small but mighty GoodGym Worthing crew gathered at Splashpoint Leisure Centre, ready for sone beach debris haul.

Ricky headed off for a run and did 3 laps of the pier before I had even got there!

Before we’d even set off, our first discovery of the evening appeared — a shopping trolley sitting proudly right by our meeting point! Gillybean and Stéphane wasted no time in returning the trolley to M and S !

Once we’d had a laugh at our unexpected find, we headed off towards the pier to tackle the litter lurking beneath. Armed with gloves, grabbers, and good humour, we filled a couple of bags with rubbish, driftwood, and all sorts of seaside debris. Belinda and Paul headed on a secret mission to check out an unexpected stationary object on the beach but luckily it was just a large rock sitting on there beach!

"A trolley good effort" from a small but powerful team — proving once again that when it comes to looking after our lovely seafront, GoodGym Worthing always cleans up nicely! 🧹❤️

Huge thanks to everyone who came out on a cool October evening to lend a hand — you’re all pier-fect! 🌊👏

Squalls well that ends well

The first Monday of September brought us a blustery evening, with squally showers sweeping through during the day. By the time we gathered, the sun had broken through, but the wind was still whipping around and there was a definite autumnal chill in the air.

That didn’t stop my brilliant crew of Paul,Ryan , Gillybean, John, Roxy and Meganfrom teaming up for tonight’s task. Armed with litter pickers, bags, and plenty of determination, we all set off along the beach towards the pier.

The wind had clearly left its mark. The wind whipped across the promenade and litter had been blown into awkward corners. Underneath the pier was especially bad, but between us we got as much done in the time we had. By the end, it was satisfying to see the whole area cleared and looking so much better.

On the way back we took a moment to admire our GoodGym flowerbed which is looking extremely healthy and still not reached its best yet ! It may need a few more weeks before it will be a contender to win the community competition 😀

A huge thank you to everyone who came out in less-than-ideal weather to make a real difference for our community and our coastline.

💪 Great work team – windy or not, you smashed it!

Have a good week.

Julia 😀

💨 Wind, Weeds & a Whole New Look for the Seafront Flowerbed! 🌊

It was an extremely windy evening down on the seafront, but that didn’t stop a hardy team of three GoodGym volunteers from giving a much-loved community flowerbed a well-earned makeover. Check out the before and after photos!

Gillybeanand Paulatackled the task with determination, battling gusts as they cleared out old plant debris and spent bulb matter. Despite the blustery conditions, they worked efficiently to tidy the bed and prepare it for replanting.

The new plants—donated by Nick and delivered by me were a mix of beautiful varieties, all lovingly grown from seed. Once the space was cleared, Gill and Paula carefully planted them in, bringing structure and life back to the space.

Thanks to their efforts and some excellent team watering ,the flowerbed now looks bright, fresh, and ready to face the sea breeze in style. A fantastic team effort in less-than-ideal weather—well done all! 🌱💪