Stars, sprints and shovels at Martin Primary’s Forest School

On a beautiful clear evening, with the stars out and the temperature just right for running, a magnificent seven GoodGymers set off from the Phoenix Cinema for the short 1km trip to Martin Primary School’s Forest School on Tristan Green.

Before we got moving, we squeezed in a quick warm-up with kick-ups and knee raises to get the heart rate up, then jogged through the backstreets. On the way, we even found a handy spot for a few sprints, because GoodGym never misses a chance to mix community work with a bit of fitness.

Once at the school, we got straight into the jobs that needed doing. The team helped clear and tidy the outdoor kitchen area, recovering pots and pans that had somehow spread themselves all over the forest school, and then turned to the heavier work of repairing the paths with fresh woodchip using wheelbarrows, rakes and shovels. We also tackled a rather sizeable hole, filling it in before it could cause any more trouble.

It was one of those classic GoodGym evenings that shows what the group is all about: collective energy, practical help, fresh air and exercise, all wrapped into one session. There’s something especially satisfying about getting outside on an evening like that, doing useful work alongside other people who’ve chosen to spend their time helping out locally rather than sitting indoors.

A special welcome back to Gavin joining us again for his second session, and great to have Subham there too, adding to the growing task force.

A lovely evening, a useful task, and another reminder that doing good together feels even better outdoors.