Dike, Fred, Bekah and I walked together to the task where we met new member Erin - welcome Erin! Today also marked Fred's 5th task - well done Fred! We did introductions and then got more information about the task. The task was to weed and tidy the paving area around the gravestone of Kitty (Catharine) Wilkinson (née Seaward) (1786-1860). Kitty Wilkinson was a pioneer in public hygiene - responsible for developing the first combined public wash house and public baths in the UK (right here in Liverpool) helping to stem the outbreak of cholera during the 19th century. In Liverpool in 1832, she opened up her house so that neighbours could use her boiler (the only one in the neighbourhood) to wash and disinfect their clothes and bedding - this would become the blueprint for the the first official wash house and public baths opened in Liverpool on Frederick Street in 1842. This saved many lives and educated many on public health. Her gravestone reads: “Indefatigable and selfdenying. She was the Widows Friend: the support of the Orphan, the Fearless and Unwearied Nurse of the Sick: the Originator of the Baths and Wash houses for the Poor. It is apt that there are many tributes around the city to Kitty recognising her significant contributions. Some include: - The Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science at Liverpool John Moores University will soon be housed in the "Kitty Wilkinson Building" - Liverpool Hope University has a halls of residence - There is a marble statue of her in St George's Hall (the first women to be honoured in this way). - Kitty's Laundrette is a not-for-profit community Laundrette in Everton

We split up into two groups. Dike, Fred and Bekah worked on tidying the edges of grass around the pathway leading to Kitty's gravestone while Erin and I weeded the groves in between. Erin made super light work of the main section of the task so we moved outwards to cover wider ground. Dike, Fred and Bekah made the edges very neat and tidy and also supported the sweep up of grass and weeds removed. Well done everyone! We cleared far more than we expected and all before the rain set in!

I believe Kitty would often talk about the importance of supporting her neigbours and community and it was while we were doing this task that we had a lovely visitor from Liverpool City Council say hello and thank Goodgym for all its efforts in the community. Community and connection are always the words that come to mind when I think about goodgym.

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.

It was a beautiful late summer evening and it seemed everyone with a car to show off had headed to the Everton Park viewpoint. Amongst the sound of exhausts and tyres on tarmac came four panting Goodgymmers who had run from Hope Street. Run leader Liam with Sophie, Laura and Fred met myself at the lookout point and we waited for John for instructions.

It was a sapling attacking mission, the saplings were spawning of the trees and off tree trunks. We were each handed loppers and we got to work, cutting back the saplings to their base.

We got some curious onlookers. The boy racers gathered at the viewpoint pulled up beside us and asked what we were doing and what we’d be doing with the waste. They looked incredulous when we told them we were doing the task for fun and to stay fit.

We worked fast and furiously. In one hour, the five of us had made a good dent on the sapling invasion, they had been defeated, until another day…

John said the council would come to collect the sapling cuttings, ‘maybe not tomorrow, maybe not the next day, but someday’.

As we walked down the hill in the setting sun… roll credits…

It was such a beautiful morning with Goldilocks weather; not too warm, not too cold. The leaves were turning golden and the grass was getting its green back after some much needed rain. Bekah, Fred and I met at the ping pong table in Princess park. We made our way to the start line. Steph was waiting on the route to take pictures and cheer us on. Aatefa joined the throng as announcements were finished and the run was underway. I jogged one lap and bowed out. I sat on a bench to wait for the others. I saw Fred cross the finish line at 26 mins past! He looked cool as a cucumber and I was amazed at his composure after running such an impressive time… then he told me that he’d only done two laps; well, you’ve got to ease yourself into these things and as I had also shortened the run, I was in no place to judge! Aatefa ran just over 29 mins, about 30secs over. She was disappointed with the extra 30 seconds as 29 had been her PB to beat but we all agreed that anything under 30 is a win. Bekah came in at 33 mins which is also a sterling effort. Steph came and joined us from her spot where she had managed to get some action shots and we headed for breakfast at one of our favourite spots; the coffee lodge on lodge lane. Steph opened a birthday card and present from Sallyann at the cafe, some lovely socks and a beautiful card designed by a Liverpool artist. After a delicious breakfast Bekah went to pick up some Baklava on Lodge Lane, Steph and Aatefa headed home and Fred and I walked back to Old Swan where we realised we were virtually neighbours! A lovely morning, perfect weather, lovely food, great company. Sticker Saturdays are the best :)