5 Goodgymers joined forces to support the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice's annual mini-marathon event for kids. The mission was to help organize and facilitate the event, which celebrated 30 years of the hospice's invaluable end-of-life care. 💜

Despite a slight setback due to a flat tire on the event van, our team's spirits remained high. After a brief delay, we swiftly unloaded the essential equipment and set up the event area. From boxes of medals to barriers and inflatable archways, each item was meticulously arranged, offering both a physical and mental workout.💪

As the event space took shape, participants and spectators flooded in, signaling a bustling day ahead. The atmosphere was buzzing with the DJ and Rock Choir setting the stage warming up the crowd. Our Goodgymers seamlessly transitioned into stewardship roles, guiding the excited runners to the start line, managing the crowd and addressing inquiries. A highlight was the royal presence of the King and Queen Pearly for the race start countdown adding an extra touch of grandeur to the proceedings.🤴👸🇬🇧

Well done to all participants, parents, and volunteers whose collective efforts made the event success. Your support will undoubtedly make a meaningful difference in the lives of those served by the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice.

And there it is, the second group run after the clocks have gone forward and what a treat to be meeting in the light (or rather the gloomy semi-darkness of a disappointing English April day). Especially disappointing for Sarah, fresh faced from her travels in Spain and not quite bad enough for Bea to stay at home, instead braving the wind and bustle of a Wednesday evening to join our merry crew. One of the things I love about GoodGym is (cue uplifting playlist of choice) whatever day you've had and whatever the weather brings, it's always good to be out with old friends and making new ones. Awww cute, right? (turn the playlist off now, that's enough sentimentality, what do you think this is?!)

This week we had a group of walkers and another of runners to meet at the bottom of Sandy Hill Road. After a quick warm up we had the pleasant surprise of the smiling face of Franki appearing out of the gloom to join us. I always enjoy how Franki keeps us on our toes with the "will she, won't she" effect.

We were finishing off the leafleting for the Library of Things and distributing leaflets for the next Mini Marathon put on by the Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice (you can sign up to help out at the event here)

And not to toot our own horn but we were very efficient, posting all our leaflets within half an hour.

Hmmm what to do when you finish a task nice and early? Go to the pub of course, and we made our way to The Plum Tree and what a hidden gem it is. A lovely way to finish the evening, thank you all!

Next week we're meeting at Charlton House to run to the Maritime Collections Centre in Kidbrooke - all the details are here.

Until next time!

Having gorged ourselves on pizza and beer last weekend for our Christmas social, this week we thought we'd get out to do a little more good before gorging ourselves on more food over the Christmas period. We were raising money for the Bexley and Greenwich Community Hospice who gave us some santa suits for the occassion. We've all scurried these away in our cupboards ready for the next time they're needed - you never know when a Santa emergency might occur.

After a stressful moment getting the suits on and our beards blowing across the university campus, we did a warm up of duck duck goose, which efficiently tore a hole right through the crotch of most of our suits. Never mind, it just made us more relatable.

Our task for the evening was a photo scavenger hunt and so we split into two teams and spent a while running about Greenwich, spreading some joy and being asked for photos with the lovely public, and asking for pictures in return

These featured the following:

• Santas pose in pairs their best passionate tango moves frozen in time
• Santas blending in with their surroundings
• Take a scenic picture which santa is photo bombing
• Santa delivering presents
• Santas striking a yoga pose
• Santas doing a mandem handshake

Both teams did a cracking job and the worthy winners voted on in our group whatsapp. No hard feelings guys.

And as if it wasn't enough to be in the winning team, special congratulations to Geraldine on 50 good deeds!

Money raised for a great cause, thank you all. Merry Christmas and see you in January :)

On a lovely Sunday morning one Greenwich Good Gym Runner turned up very late to help some of the Bexley Good gym group at the Greenwich and Bexley Hospice colour run. They turned up just in time to add hazard warning tape to the start finish arch and to do a few runner tasks before a break and the main part of the task: helping Tim and the other Bexley runners run the warm up for the group whilst all looking resplendent in our colour run snoods and sunglasses. Then it was on to marshalling the start finish pens and setting up the finish area.

Thanks to Tim and Sarah for the photos

The Hospice Mini Marathon is organised by Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice so that families in the local community can receive free compassionate and special hospice care. The event is a 2.62 mile run for children aged 5-16. This year 400 children signed up to take part.

The Mini Marathon takes a lot of setting up and 4 bleary-eyed Good Gym runners made their way to Greenwich park for a 7AM start. First up the team helped to unload gazebos, tables and, most importantly, boxes of goodie bags and medals for the marathon runners. Then it was on to the most challenging part of the day: inflating the start/finish arch. This has not gone well before, but Good Gym are now old hands at this and we before long we had the arch looking perfect. Now the arch was set-up it was coffee time, both JC and Julian having remembered that there were no shops open at that hour produced some flasks and JC had fortunately also remembered some cups.

Next were the two runs, after a quick warm-up for the runners (and some of the Good Gym volunteers!) we set to our tasks, with Geraldine and Julian marshalling runners at the start/finish lines, Alex directing the runners where to go and JC bringing up the rear of the races as tail walker. Both runs went really well at what was a lovely event and it certainly looks liked all the kids enjoyed themselves.

On a cold but sunny Sunday morning, three GoodGymers met at Charlton House to fold and post, fold and post, fold and post leaflets for the Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice's mini marathon on Sunday 8th May.

As seasoned leafletters, Sarah and Johnny showed Rachel (and Arthur) the best way to fold leaflets for which we are grateful :)

Great to see you guys - have a lovely rest of your weekend!