Three GoodGymers in 30 degree heat took on what can only be described as a jungle… slash small unexplored continent for Clarion Housing this week, helping Ms T reclaim her very steep and seriously overgrown garden. In a Brighton heatwave like this, it felt less like a community mission and more like an audition for I’m A GoodGymmer, Get Me Out Of Here. Armed with an astonishing collection of gardening tools (seriously, we’ve never seen so many), we ventured bravely into the wilderness, carefully navigating towering weeds, brambles, and enough nettles to keep a pharmacist busy for weeks. Sherman quickly became the undisputed “Lord of the Strim”, transforming from GoodGym runner to full-time jungle warrior. Roy tackled the dense undergrowth like a man on a mission, and Annette proved to the gang that yes, girls, really can sweat!! Despite the blazing heat and the almost vertical slope, in just 90 minutes we managed to clear an incredible amount of space. Paths reappeared, fences saw daylight again, and whole sections of the garden emerged from leafy depths. Most importantly, we were able to make a huge difference for Ms T who was so incredibly grateful of the support.
From jungle to joy, what amazing work from the Mission Team today🌿☀️

15 GoodGymers ran out to Valley View Gardens ready to get stuck into some gardening at the YMCA… but sometimes plans have other ideas. We’re pretty good at going with the flow (and the run).

First stop: a quick drop-off of rescued food from Olio—because sharing is caring and no good food should go to waste.

With our original task off the table, we didn’t leaf it there. Instead, we branched out to the nearby Round Hill Conservation Area. We were only there last week, but turns out the weeds didn’t take the hint. We tackled overgrown trees, gave the pavements a good de-weed, and helped make the area safer by clearing trip hazards.

Good to see familiar faces, Philippa and Michael, and returning, fair weather 🌞 GoodGymers, who keep powering our amazing Brighton Area with their Good will. Welcome back Amy and Cagdas.

Our donation of food, sandwiches and pastries, was a huge hit at the YMCA today. It was a tough day for many, expecially the residents and staff, and we’re happy we could help lift their spirits.

All in all, a tree-mendous effort from everyone—proof that even when plans change, GoodGymers always find a way to make a difference 🌱

We will be back here next week!

15 robust, wind-resistant Goodgymmers jogged over to St. Andrews church in Hove for our first visit of 2026. We welcomed new Goodgymmers Emily and Nancy!

Upon arriving we were welcomed inside by Vicar Dan and given a whole host of implements to get the church spick and span. We split into teams of dusters, sweepers, vacuumers and polishers and got to work!

Dan asked that we focus on giving the pews a good polish and sweeping the cobblestone floors. The church gets a lot of traffic from regular services and kids clubs. As made progress with the dusting an extra-long duster was constructed to get some pesky cobwebs* right in the rafters.

Cobwebs cleared, our big congregation of goodgymmers made quick work of the cleaning, posed for a team photo and then headed back once more into the breach (/wind).

*DId you know the difference between a cobweb and a spider web? A spider web can be new or old. A cobweb is typically an older web that has been left behind and has started collecting dust and debris. Some “cobweb spiders” make messy tangle webs even when they're fresh, so the best clue is usually fresh and sticky vs dusty and dull, not neat vs messy.

This Tuesday, seven of us headed to Brighton Youth Centre again for a task that promised ‘moving fun action’. In GoodGym style, that turned into a full-body workout featuring sofas, cushions, cabinets, giant boards, and several floors’ worth of stairs.

We started by hauling furniture and sofa pillows up those multiple floors, honing our pivoting and manoeuvring skills from the last time we paid a visit. Then came a deep dive into the mysterious workings of power drills as we freed shelves from their wooden casings. We then hoiked the remains into the lift for their journey up to the (busy!) skate park to be repurposed and, by the sounds of it, reassembled(?!).

Outside, in classic UK November fashion, the weather treated us to rain and hail as we battled big wooden boards over to the bins. Sometimes with brute force, sometimes with the saving grace of a rolling trolley.

In between all the heavy lifting, we managed to get lost between floors (more than once), locked out of several rooms (trapping Annette’s beanie hat in one) and learned the increasingly odd system of codes needed to activate different lifts - some of us needing to link them to different historical events to be able to memorise them.

And, during one of the ‘we’re locked out’ journeys down the stairwell to find some help, I spotted a text announcing that my niece had just been born! Definitely a GoodGym mission I won’t forget anytime soon, a ‘where were you when...’ moment for the books :-)

Great work GG-ers - Brighton Youth Centre is clearer and looking better than ever!