Last minute listing to a new place and a new community group!

ReflecTeen are a youth community group next door to FC United of Manchester that runs after school clubs and football for locals. They are in the midst of refurbishing their space to have a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) in their back yard.

To get this done, they need to clear the area and remove the fencing so we were asked if we could come along to help move a rather heavy shed. Turns out, the company contracted to do the work have delayed the task by a whole month so the shed was emptied but doesn't need moving yet (thankfully as it was solitary task in the end). We will be called upon in the next few weeks to get a group to move it, so keep an eye out for that!

After having a drink of water, I ran back via FC United, Etihad, and COOP Live for a decent loop. Lots of opportunities for litter picking were spotted on the way too... 🚮

RSPB big garden bird watch has become an annual wildlife count to check for local biodiversity.

Ben spent his hour in Birchfields Park near Rusholme and Longsight, counting lots of jackdaws and parakeets with a few robins and magpies too.

Jen spotted a sparrow, magpie, and a great tit in the garden in Slough.

Quiet, peaceful, and wholesome hour spent not looking at a screen or rushing around. Bliss.

Fletcher Moss parkrun event number 281

Great to see 497 runners and walkers this morning, and big thank you for listening to the instructions about the diversion around the fallen tree 🌳

Welcome to the 111 first timers to Fletcher Moss and well done to 22 of you who completed their FIRST EVER parkrun 👏

🦺 Our parkrun couldn't happen without our wonderful hi-vis heroes, with 23 volunteers answering the call, so a massive THANK YOU to every single one 💪 special thanks particularly to the additional marshals and help as VI guide runners this morning.

Peter and Ben shrugged off Blue Monday to set out and donate some much needed items for Manchester South-Central foodbank.

With lights and fresh GoodGym t-shirts, we set off, laden with bags of donations.

In all, there was several kilos of items mostly cans and non-perishables, including:

• peanut butter 🥜
• tinned veg 🥕🫛🥔🌽
• tinned fruit 🍑
• tinned fish 🐟 & meat 🍖
• rice pudding 🍮
• UHT milk 🥛

Much easier and lighter run on the way back 🏃‍♂️ hope the food donations go to good use 💪

Big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped out at their local parkrun today! Well done for getting out to facilitate the events in what has become a rare public health success (according to The Times)!

Maimoona was timekeeping at Woodbank parkrun along with Hazel who helped with the pre-event set up and marshalled one of the corners. 263 runners and walkers completed the 5 km route for event number 768.

Juno and Ben did the course check and marshalled at a muddy Fletcher Moss parkrun event number 280. 537 participants completed the course.

Plenty of steps and plenty of moving this evening with Rebecca and team at Restocked CIC!

After a quick jog to the task for Mandy, Hazel, and Ben, we were informed of our task: move lots of wood and equipment from one room to another before clearing out the "Monica" cupboard to tidy up and make use of the shelving inside.

Using the trolleys, dolly trolleys, and some GoodGym grit, we shifted a few...

• table saws
• drill stands
• cupboard units
• wood
• paint tins

The foam storage contained a whole array of foam pieces of different sizes and types plus some cushions and pillows. After clearing that, we moved the shelves to the new carpentry room to make use of the boxes and shelving. The foam storage certainly looks more tidy now, even when using a door as a makeshift shelf...

Fuelled by tea, we managed to complete the task and get some info on the upcycled furniture, chairs, headboards, and other activities. Mandy also made the link for a potential collaboration of unused furniture from her place of work to be passed on, so fingers crossed for that!

Good session all round 💪