Most people think that Bath is fairly affluent- not all of it is. It’s said that a third of children in Twerton live below the poverty line. It’s organisations like Twerton and Whiteway Community Network that work to combat this. It brings people together to strengthen the community by putting on events like a flower show, fun days and free community breakfasts. It also looks after shared spaces in the area like Twerton Village Hall as well as encouraging interest in the natural environment.

When Sally asked GoodGym Bath to come and tidy up the area outside the village hall we were delighted- especially when we found out we could tuck into a free breakfast too. The space was badly overgrown and the group wanted it cleared so that they could make it a welcoming place and use it for seating and perhaps even growing food or flowers.

They weren’t expecting us to finish the job in one go but, perhaps motivated by the prospect of bacon and eggs, we did just that.

Tanya, Emily, and Robin all did their bit while Daniel gets a particular shout out - he was a powerhouse. Oh and Ted the dog was there for moral support. A shout out too for the volunteers who put on the breakfast - they were incredibly welcoming and it was delicious.

if there's any truth at all in this well known saying then 5 Bath Goodgymmers will be feeling very good indeed after helping out at Grow for Life's annual Apple Day. Apples were washed, chopped, mashed and juiced ready for pasteurising, compost was turned, music was enjoyed and crafts admired. At the end of the event we helped to clean up and pack everything away, a great couple of hours with lovely people.

I’ve been helping out with GoodGym at Odd Down Junior Parkrun for more than five years now and you’d have thought I’d have got the hang of it by now. But it seems there is still more to learn. In a good way!

It’s great to encourage the young runners as they make their way round the cycle track with a high five. We celebrate their achievement so far and encourage them on their challenge but, until Sunday, I had no idea that there is so much more to a foam hand. By that I mean the magic of the “power-up”. Just like in a computer game, a touch of the marshal’s hand can give a welcome energy boost and see the athletes onto personal bests. How good is that?

Thanks to Tanya for joining me in the magic of marshalling. Together with the other Parkrun volunteers we saw 127 children meet their 2km target - with the odd power-up helping them on their way.

Goodgymmers were welcomed by blue sky and a spitfire flypast at Brickfields parkrun so it was already a great day before we'd even got going! Having been assigned our marshaling points the run director gave us brief instructions, all while an inflatable birthday cake was getting ready in the background - a bit surreal for a Saturday morning. Out on the course we cheered a record number of participants along their way, including the aforementioned cake which arrived at the finish line to much applause. A happy couple of hours well spent in great company helping a wonderful health initiative. Volunteering at parkrun is very easy and everyone is welcoming and supportive, so why not give it a try next time, it's a piece of cake!