On a Sunday when the clocks had sprung forward (stealing an hour of our lives) and the clouds were gathering, there was only one thing for five hardy GoodGymmers to do — get out and litter pick.

Today we joined a session organised by the Friends of Sefton Park, who regularly care for this large and much-loved park. We received a warm welcome and set off just as the rain began to fall.

Bekah, never one to be unprepared, had brought a brolly and somehow managed to walk along — umbrella aloft — while litter picking at the same time. The rest of us simply embraced the rain and let ourselves get soaked.

Litter, of course, knows no boundaries. Before long, there was plenty of stretching and reaching to retrieve crisp packets, biscuit wrappers, and drinks bottles lying tantalisingly out of reach in the bushes. Liam, being the tallest of the group, had a definite advantage — effortlessly grabbing a napkin I’d been trying (and failing) to angle towards for what felt like ages.

As we moved along the stream, we all fished out bits of litter bobbing in the water, clearing the way for the ducks to swim freely again. Some pieces had drifted further out, but undeterred, Bekah reached in while I anchored her so she could stretch that little bit further — a very trusting moment! Clara ever the documentarian, whipped out her phone to capture both the action and the replay… though the ducks she tried to photograph quickly swam off in their newly cleaned stream.

As our time came to an end, we had to retrieve Aatefa, who was completely in the zone — hood up, focused, and not at all ready to stop without some serious persuasion.

We returned to add our haul to the impressive pile collected by other volunteers. In total, 34 people turned out today, and the park is noticeably cleaner as a result.

To top it all off, the park café kindly provided a free hot drink for all volunteers. Sitting there in the warmth, I couldn’t help but regret mocking Bekah and her brolly earlier — she was perfectly dry. In fact, perhaps I should have let go when she was reaching into the stream… now that really would have been a splash for trash.

It’s Not All About the Stickers!

It’s month three of 2026, and our enthusiasm for stickers has not waned—but our monthly parkrun meet-up has always been about so much more.

On this bright spring day, eight GoodGymmers arrived at Princes Park. It was Princes parkrun 15th birthday and the week of Goodgym Liverpool's 8th birthday so plenty to celebrate.

As we gathered at the start line, it was immediately obvious the massive difference Monday’s task had made. It’s a well-attended parkrun, and as overhanging bushes and mud had encroached, there had been less and less space for everyone to gather. Today, the pavements were visible again, the space freed up, and the vegetation looking decidedly healthier after a good prune.

GoodGym got a shout-out at the briefing for the work that had been done, and marshals were calling out their thanks as we made our way around the course. It’s so lovely to reap the benefits ourselves and see just how much it has helped everyone. Kudos to Steph for making the connection with the Friends of Princes Park last month.

The route is two and a half laps. Aatefa flew round as always and despite not being able to come to breakfast ensured that we got the group photos

Huge congratulations Steph on a PB! Steph has been training consistently, and it’s really paying off. With a half marathon on the horizon, she’s more than ready.

Talking of training, Liam is going to do the Run Leader training, which we’re all really pleased about. In true Liam fashion, he arrived after the runners had already started—but still ran strong, overtaking people along the way. Apparently when he passed me, I was chatting (as if!).

Clara continues to inspire —speed-walking the course before launching into a lightning-fast 100m sprint finish. Bekah joined her today and reported she had to skip at times just to keep up… and that final sprint? Phenomenal. And that’s coming from Bekah, who is known for her fast walking—so ............!

Well done to Suren who completed his parkrun beforehand by running across the city from home to the park to cheer everyone on and come for breakfast.

As we gathered for photos, I spotted a GoodGym t-shirt—it was Alex from Hackney/Walthamstow! After a chat (and me delaying her, naturally - have you met our Dan who moved to London? Will you be in our photos? will you come for breakfast?), we had the obligatory photo before she rushed off later than she expected to meet her friends. Lovely to meet you, Alex.

Jo—our parkrun legend with 408 runs and 345 volunteer credits—saved the day when Bekah realised she’d left her bag behind. Jo contacted the team, located it, and arranged for it to be kept safe. Absolute star.

Then it was on to Minna Café, where Eleanor and Steph were waiting with Heetu —who we’ve all missed while she’s been working away. She only got home last night, and yayyy we are so happy to see her back!

Minna was busy as ever, but Ellie had somehow secured a table for ten… and as if by magic, our surprise tenth Goodgymmer arrived—Dike! After a night shift and a short rest, he still made it to join us. Incredible effort.

And huge congratulations to Dike for a phenomenal result at the Liverpool Half Marathon—1 hour 47 minutes! With the Brighton Marathon coming up in April, which he is running to raise funds for Sense we know he’s going to smash it.

So… back to the stickers.

Steph, as always on the ball, handed them out. Liam is already aiming for a full card and was asking if that earns him a holiday in Barbados! As Ellie reminded us, the prizes and categories are top secret—but just in case, don’t go applying for that passport yet…

We meet. We fill our sticker cards. We look for ways to earn more and try to guess the secret categories.

But the truth is—we’ve already won the biggest prize.

A community where each of us is seen, supported, and respected. A space where we come together in unity and friendship. A shared desire to do good, and to give our time to help and support.

We are Liverpool GoodGym.

This Monday we were back again supporting Mulgrave Street Action Group with the Urban Space Community Garden for a weeding task. Not sure how a month has gone by already. Four Goodgymers ran from the suitcases with Jess cheering them all the way! The rest of us met at the task. We were all warmly welcomed by Khan, who as all dearest readers will already know, has far too much faith in our weed identification skills. Each time he gives us a new nugget of information to support with our weeding endeavours and on this occasion, the advice was "do you like it" and "does it bring you joy"?

Now this of course prompted much debate especially as anyone who knows Sallyann will know that anything green and alive brings joy. The humble dandelion got a particular shout out for the joy it can bring. However, Bekah and Jess were on hand with a clear and methodical approach - "it's spikey, it doesn't bring me joy. Get it gone!"

Tonight also marked the inauguration of one of our new Litterpicker Leaders - Clara . Without haste in this new role, a litter pick around the community garden and surrounding area was carried out by Clara and Ellie, both of whom received lovely words of thanks as they went which motivated them further with the task. The task ended against the backdrop of evening prayers from the local mosque. The 4 bags of weeds and 3 bags of rubbish and knowing that we are returning in a month certainly brought us all joy. Speaking of joy - congratulations to Aatefa who has now completed 5 tasks, to Jess who has completed 20 and Ellie who has completed a whopping 70!