Ten Years of GoodGym Barnet – Back Where It All Began

Ten years ago GoodGym Barnet held its first group run to Long Lane Pasture. Yesterday we went back to where it all began with old friends, new faces and over 30 people joining us to celebrate a decade of doing good in our community.

A big group set off from the Phoenix Cinema after our traditional warm-up but this time we also went around the group remembering some of our favourite GoodGym moments from the last ten years. Gardening, clearing graffiti from the Phoenix, Halloween runs in fancy dress, Tiny Forests, litter picks and countless community missions. It was a lovely reminder of just how varied GoodGym has been.

We ran through the back streets of East Finchley, keeping everyone together with the occasional stop for squats, exercises and a few questionable drop kicks!

At Long Lane Pasture we met Donald, other volunteers, councillors and GoodGymers who had made their own way there. Donald told us a little about this wonderful nature reserve, saved from development and now looked after by volunteers.

After gathering around the Green Flag for a photo, we squeezed in some gentle yoga breathing and mobility before getting down to business , clearing litter from the footpath alongside the reserve.

Then came the important birthday business: cake and beer!

Huge thanks to Donald and everyone at Long Lane Pasture for hosting us and providing plenty of cake, Richard for the vegan cake, Athletic Brewing for the beers and Theo for some additional refreshments with a little more kick!

There was another milestone worth celebrating too: congratulations to Subham on reaching over a 100 good deeds. What better evening to do it.

Most importantly, it was wonderful seeing people who have been part of GoodGym Barnet at different times over the last decade. Some we see every week, others we haven’t seen for years. You’re always welcome back even if it’s only once a year!

One message we received afterwards perhaps summed the evening up best:

“The energy is infectious. You have created a wonderful community, and Barnet is richer for having you in it.”

But GoodGym isn’t really about what we have created. It’s about supporting people like Donald and the volunteers at Long Lane Pasture, and all those people across Barnet who quietly take responsibility for our green spaces, charities and community organisations.

Sometimes a couple of hours of our time gets a job done. Just as importantly, hopefully it reminds those people that they aren’t doing it alone and that what they do is noticed and valued.

And it does something for us too. Getting outside, being active and doing something useful alongside other people is pretty good medicine for life.

We might only make a small difference each time but a small difference is considerably better than no difference at all.

After ten years, we’re still running, walking and cycling into our community, getting our hands dirty and seeing where we can help.

Here’s to the next few years and hopefully plenty more familiar and new faces joining us along the way. ❤️

Happy 10th birthday GoodGym Barnet!

For our first indoor session of winter (I know right?!), Barnet Goodgym brought their energy and gusto to St Mary's Church in Finchley Central. Following a bit of a storm, a ceiling cave in and half a year of rain management, the church finally had the gutters fixed and roof patched. All that remains to mend are the pews.

Goodgym to rescue - nine of us in all! Five of us braved the bleak rain, gathering at the Phoenix - Beattie arriving first, as usual - for a run up the East End Road, including Amir who popped over from Brent. Lucinda and Subham took up back marking, though Subham kindly took the lead as we neared our destination, steering us to a lovely car-free route around the back of Stephens House - a run leader in the making!

Arriving at St Mary's Church in good time, we were met by our host, Helen, and Paul, Kirsten and our honorary mascot, Gus. Soon after Amanda and Theodore rocked up and we got to work.

The task involved waxing down damaged pews with steel wool padding, leaving them for a few minutes, then polishing them hard with tea towels. A fairly simple task, but one that turned into a good work out. The polishing was the real energetic work, requiring a lot of pressure to smooth out the hardening wax. But with so many of us we made light work of roughly 8 pews in the morning prayer section. The pews are used on a daily basis, so they were really glad for the work.

After, Helen gave us a quick tour of the church and a brief history of some of the older parts and decorations. Maybe we'll be back to do a bit more work, as the other pews might be in need of a bit of TLC anyway.

Then, with that lovely, satisfying feeling in our chests, we headed to the nearby pub to round the evening off by slaking our thirst and sating our bellies.

Spring is in the air, and what better way to mark the change of seasons than with a community mission in the heart of Highgate Woods? GoodGym Barnet gathered once again to lend a hand to the wonderful Ranger Cindy, a familiar face from our summer sessions. This time, we were stepping out of winter hibernation to help restore and protect a well-worn patch of woodland—laurel and behold, we had a plan!

A Fence of Foliage

Meeting at the café in the centre of the park, we soon made our way to Cindy’s latest project near the playground and toilets. The ground in this area had become heavily compacted by the constant footfall of visitors, leaving a barren patch where greenery struggled to thrive. Cindy’s clever idea? A “laurel” defence—using cut laurel branches to create a natural-looking barrier that would discourage people from trampling the space, allowing it time to recover.

With logs in hand (and a fair bit of heavy lifting), we carefully placed them around the perimeter. Then came the pièce de résistance: planting the laurel branches upright, crafting what looked like fresh new growth. The deception was all part of the plan—if it looks like a newly planted area, people are less likely to walk through it. A cunning, leafy illusion!

A Walk on the Wild Side

With our natural fencing complete, Cindy led us on a walk deeper into the woods to explore some of the conservation efforts taking place. We visited a protected pond teeming with life and admired a newly planted Blackthorn hedge. Then, to our delight, we spotted a tree creeper—a small, elusive bird that blends so well into tree bark that it’s a rare sight even for regular visitors. Laurel-ly speaking, it was quite the highlight!

A Moment to Restore

Before we wrapped up, we took a few moments for some restorative yoga—because after all that heavy lifting, our bodies deserved a stretch. We stood tall in mountain pose, flowing through some simple movements with the breath, before adding a few deep squats to shake off the effort. A little woodland-wellness to round off a morning of good deeds!

Join Us Next Time!

This was our first session at Highgate Woods coming out of winter, but certainly not our last. Cindy’s experiment with laurel fencing is an inspired approach to conservation, and we can’t wait to see if it takes root (pun intended!). If you’re looking for a fun, active, and rewarding way to give back to nature, come along to the next GoodGym Barnet mission—we’d laurel-ly love to have you!

Check out upcoming sessions and get involved—your local green spaces (and your legs) will thank you!