This week we were hoping to squeeze in one last task before the light begins to fade. We (just about) managed it too , despite finding several reminders of the impending change of season. Who knew it was already conker season?

4 runners met on Hope Street and made our way to Linnet lane to meet 4 more goodgymmers armed with litter pickers and hoops.

We were tasked with litter picking along Ullet Road and managed to get 6 bags full to the brim! We had a lovely evening chatting and picking and made a huge difference to the cleanliness of the community.

With our mission accomplished, we heading home into the quickly darkening night. Excellent work everyone!

Task Summary:

On Monday, 24 June, a dedicated group of GoodGym Liverpool runners gathered for a litter pick task around the streets surrounding Lark Lane. The litter pick was planned as part of our ongoing efforts to keep the local area clean and welcoming, especially following the recent Africa Oye festival that brought many visitors to the neighborhood.

Task Details:

Meeting Point: - The task kicked off with Sallyann leading the run from Hope Street, setting a brisk and energetic pace for the group. Other members met directly at the task location near Lark Lane.

Initial Observations: - Upon arrival, it was noted that Lark Lane itself had been freshly cleared, likely due to clean-up efforts following the Africa Oye festival. This allowed the team to focus their efforts on the surrounding streets, which still needed attention.

Activities: - The team split into smaller groups, each taking a different street or area to maximize coverage. - Armed with litter pickers, gloves, and bags, they meticulously collected rubbish ranging from plastic bottles and food wrappers to discarded cans and cigarette butts. - The new members, Hannah, Renata, and Lana, were enthusiastic and quickly got into the groove, learning from the seasoned GoodGym members. - Jo, visiting from Exeter, brought a fresh perspective and shared stories of similar initiatives back in her hometown, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. - Heetu walked very slowly due to blisters developed during yesterday’s 34-mile walk but showed great determination and contributed significantly to the task. - Sallyann, who had been off for many weeks due to injury, made a strong return, inspiring the group with her leadership. - Ema was missed due to attending the Woman of the Year event.

Achievements: - By the end of the session, the group had collected 17 bags of litter, significantly improving the appearance of the streets around Lark Lane. - The task not only made a visible impact on the local environment but also strengthened community bonds among the participants.

Challenges: - The only minor challenge was coordinating the large group across different streets, but with effective communication and teamwork, this was swiftly managed.

Reflections:

The litter pick was a success, demonstrating the power of community action in maintaining public spaces. The involvement of new members and a visitor from afar added to the sense of community and shared responsibility. Heetu's perseverance was particularly inspiring, showing that even physical discomfort couldn't deter the GoodGym spirit.

Thank You:

A big thank you to all participants for their hard work and positive energy. Special thanks to Sallyann for her excellent leadership and to Jo for joining us from Exeter. We also missed Ema and look forward to seeing her at future tasks.

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Gratitude: The community expressed their gratitude throughout the evening. Residents and local business owners were particularly appreciative, stopping by to thank the team for their efforts. Their kind words and encouragement were a testament to the positive impact GoodGym has on the local area.

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We look forward to seeing everyone at the next GoodGym task!

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Photographs: Pauline, as usual, captured the event with her excellent photography skills.

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Next Task: Stay tuned for details of our next task, and as always, keep up the great work!

Despite some rather miserable spring weather in Liverpool, 8 dedicated goodgymmers met for our usually Monday night task.

After a quick, 2 mile run, we met lark lane neighbourhood association and headed off down the lane to clear up any and all discarded litter!

We were all quite pleasantly surprised by how clean it appeared and felt like we had to really search for the litter. This meant it was all the more satisfying when we realised we had gathered 7 full bags!

Strangest find goes to Jowho found a fork in the road! (how poetic)

Well done everyone it was clear to see the impact we had!

It may have been wet and dark but that never stops the warmth of a Goodgym Monday night. With the prerogative of report writer I am writing this from my perspective as someone who has been unable to get to a Monday night for a month. This was my first week back and if I'm honest I had been a little sad as the day was going on and the rain was not stopping - little did I realise that I would be so heart warmed and happy by the end of the session.

December can be busy with everyone having lots of demands on their time, however five Goodgymmers arrived at Lark Lane to do a litter pick. What is the collective noun for litter pickers? The Lark Lane Neighbourhood Association (Wombles) are an active group that work hard to keep the Lark Lane area litter free despite the large amount of people at this popular street full of cafes and bars. We met with Helen who provided our litter pickers and who asked that we tackle the main street that runs at the bottom of Lark Lane - this is a busy road which proved to have a lot of litter on it.

As we litter picked we found various items depicting the time of the year - some packets of halloween sweets unopened possibly dropped out of someones trick and treat pot and parts of an artificial Christmas tree which mustn't have made the grade for this years decoration later weer treated to the smell of real Christmas trees as we passed the florist. Further along the street and unrelated Jo had found a rose which she dutifully posed with and Jake found a light saber and needed little encouragement to pose for some action shots.

The great thing about litter picking is the interactions you have with people , we had many thanks from people as we made our way down the road - its always heartwarming to hear and it makes you realise that people appreciate their environment being clean. The great thing about litter picking in our wonderful city is that you never are far from some great banter. We had a lovely greeting from one man booming out to us that we were doing this for the 'looove of litter' he encouraged us to repeat the term several times with such emphasis it was almost like he would burst into song. The great thing about litter picking with Goodgym is you get a chance to chat as you go..... so of course there was chatting too. Im sure it wasnt just me.... or was it?

Before we knew it we had collected five big bags of litter and although we were wet and it was dark the darkness was lit up by the warmth and joy of Five Goodgymers (and a light saber)

This week, after a 2 mile run from Hope Street, 14 of us met at the end of Lark lane to support Lark Lane Neighbourhood association with a litter pick.

We split into 3 teams, going in opposite directions along Aigburth Road and down Lark Lane. Despite the area appearing to be generally tidy, we managed to collect 14 bags of rubbish, plus a full bin of recyling! As well as our resident gardener, Jo managing to deadhead and weed the rather lovely flowerbeds along the lane.

Most weird and wonderful find this week goes to the full bottles or prosecco (yes, plural!)

Brilliant work everyone, it really does have a positive impact on the area - we were even approached by several locals to say thank you!

After that, it was on to the pub, and what better excuse than celebrating Ema's 100th task - an excellent achievement!

On a sunny Monday evening, 7 Goodgymmers met with Lark Lane Neighbourhood Association to help spruce up one of the cities’ liveliest streets. We were tasked with some weeding and a general litter pick.

With memories of Eurovision celebrations fresh in our minds we were expecting to be faced with quite the task! But it was rather a tale of two halves. On the way down the lane we found tonnes of litter; cigarette butts, ice cream spoons, vapes, you name it. Not to mention some rather strange things in the flower beds.

However, we were pleasantly surprised to find the other half of the street to be much cleaner! We still managed to retrieve five whole bags of litter and Pauline did a rather wonderful job of weeding the beds.

Well done everyone, we definitely left the lane in a much better state than we found it and it was lovely to get so many positive comments from the locals. All in all a great way to spend a sunny Monday.