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!

Mission Commencement: Tuesday, 1830 hours.

The Squad: Eight GoodGym operatives arriving via foot, bike, and bus.

The Objective: Clear a severe nettle insurgency to liberate the allotment’s blackberry and pear trees.

Tactical Execution The team deployed immediately upon arrival. Operatives Sarah, Stefania, and Ruth formed the frontline defense against the stingers, bravely cutting them back (smartly utilizing their advanced tactical gear: long trousers). The rest of the squad provided crucial support, handling general weeding duties to secure the area.

Meanwhile, Michael was sent on a solo side-quest to prep the allotment beds for incoming squashes. During the excavation, he uncovered some hidden assets: rogue potatoes and what local liaison Warren officially described as the "Biggest Garlic bulb we’ve ever seen."

Mission Accomplished With the enemy nettles decisively defeated and defensive cardboard successfully laid, all objectives were secured, and the squad stood down for a mandatory debrief inside the pub. The evening concluded successfully with some well-earned refreshing drinks and a bit of covert World Cup viewing.

Mission Status: 100% success