Well, we could not have asked for a better morning to take on our first ever volunteer headliner spot at Hove Promenade Parkrun.

12 Brighton GoodGymmers made their way down to the gloriously sunny Hove seafront to volunteer at the popular Saturday morning event, which requires a minimum of 40+ volunteers each week to run safely. Our headliner spot came at a great time too, as only last week the event organisers had to cancel last minute due to a lack of numbers.

Most of us took on the very important role of marshaling along the route, guiding runners and perhaps more importantly, cheering them on. First-time parkrun volunteer Liam even said that "shouting words of encouragement at random runners" may be his new favourite hobby, and we don't disagree!

Ruth and Ben get brownie points for arriving super early to help with the set up, while Stefania gets an honourable mention for making it in time despite sleeping in....

Perhaps the gold star of the mission though should go to our very own furry GoodGym mascot, and the best good boy there is...Cody :)

I had a great time volunteering at the GoodGym beach clean-up on the Sunday of Brighton Pride!

On a sunny Sunday morning, numerous volunteers gathered at the Kings Road Arches to collect the rubbish left behind after the previous day's Pride celebrations, along with what appeared to be the remains of several beach barbecues.

We filled plenty of bags with plastic items, bottle lids, broken glass and even a tent peg. However, the prize for the most unexpected find has to go to a pair of sunglasses!

Afterwards, many of us headed to Pride in the Park to enjoy performances from Paris Hilton, Mel C and the wonderful Diana Ross, safe in the knowledge that we'd done our bit to help keep Brighton's beautiful beach cleaner and ready for everyone to enjoy.

As is Brighton GoodGym tradition, a few of us headed down to Hove Park on the eve of Brighton Pride to participate in the annual Rainbow Run 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Organised by Brighton and Hove Frontrunners, the Rainbow Run raises funds for MindOut, a local LGBTQ+ mental health charity.

Sadly, none of us were victorious in the post-race raffle, but we did enjoy some very nice non-alcoholic beers to get rehydrated. Afterwards, Carla and Philippa stayed a little longer to take down bunting, pack up hi viz vests, and help dismantle a gigantic (and very bamboozling) gazebo.

After that it was home to get some sleep before a weekend of dancing, singing, litter picking, and more dancing (finishing with an iconic performance from Diana Ross on the Sunday) 🙌

Yesterday, we ran 5km to the Preston Park Velodrome to support the Brighton Bike Hub — a brilliant volunteer-run community workshop. 🚲 They make cycling affordable by offering free tool access, DIY repair spaces, refurbished bike sales, and adult cycle training in and around Preston Park.

Our GoodGym group session mission? To tidy and paint their 20ft shipping container, transforming it into a clean white canvas for an upcoming mural artist!

The Bike Hub mission? Reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality and making our streets more people and planet-friendly, while getting around more cheerfully. They are also committed to enabling those on a low income to enjoy the benefits of cycling.

Did you know that nearly half of people in Britain spend more than 18 hours a week on the sofa – yet 70% say they want to be more active? Timely, today, British Cycling launched Sofa to Saddle to get the nation active – a free eight-week programme to help more people discover the joy of cycling. The benefits of getting started are significant. Research shows that people who cycle at least once a week are 37% more likely to feel good about themselves, while 79% say cycling helps clear their head and 58% feel calmer and more relaxed.

By making cycling more accessible and supporting people to take those first pedal strokes, Brighton Bike Hub contributes to Cycling UK mission to enable and inspire everybody to experience cycling's joys and benefits, and to British Cycling ambition to help one million more people get on their bikes by 2028, creating healthier, happier communities across Britain.

This GoodGym session and organisation are close to my heart. It felt rewarding to help others get a Good addition to their active travel journeys.

Book a training with BikeHub here: https://brightonbikehub.org/training-sessions/

Download Sofa to Saddle here: britishcyc.cc/sofatosaddle

Join GoodGym for another Good session!