Makeshift session with Ben involved with organising Pint of Science this week. Just the single runner carrying nearly 6 kg of tins, cans, UHT milk, and some noodles, rice, and packets of pasta sauce. Heavy bag in the increasingly warm weather!

Afterwards, a short run from the Tesco in Stretford to Gorse Hill allotments where Peter was making a start to weed some of the beds, plant out lots of runner beans, and heavily water the polytunnel and beds with the warm temperatures expected over the bank holiday weekend. The corn, carrots, and lots of beans seemed to be enjoying the growing season, with a few potatoes showing promise too, which we covered to some extent.

Likely sessions coming up to help with watering and maintenance on the plot. The garden at the Studios had certainly seen a few changes too, with a new fence and pond!

Scott and Ben filled their backpacks to go rucking along the Bridgewater Canal to deliver lots of tins and food to Manchester South-Central foodbank, with the drop-off point being the Chester Road Tesco.

Some of the items donated include:

• Easter eggs 🐣
• Peanut butter 🥜
• Tinned meat and tuna
• Pasta sauce
• Spaghetti 🍝
• UHT milk 🥛
• Pesto

During the run along the canal, we passed Embassy Village, a few barges, plus Old Trafford and lots of runners.

Robert, Sam, and Ben met up for our winter monthly foodbank run to donate tins, cans, and other non-perishables to Manchester South-Central. With the Easter holidays around the corner, they are always in need for additional items.

With Rob having recently moved and Sam returning from a trip to South America, they picked the smart option to run to ASDA (the drop-off point) to buy items to donate. Ben on the other hand was laden with lots of tins, cans, rice, and UHT milk partially from home and some donated from a recent GoodGym mission. We managed to donate lots of tinned veg, pasta sauce, rice, tinned meat, microwave noodles, rice pudding, plus some toiletries too (the bread and eggs were already there when we arrived...).. The donation of old books and children's books is a nice touch too!

With a lighter load, the run back via Manchester Met University campus was a bit more straightforward. Lots of stories from Sam from his travels abroad, with Rob having done a similar trip last year. We're also counting down to the lighter evenings in a few weeks for some more gardening or other tasks!

Welcome to Scott for the first time this evening! Best of luck in the Media City Half Marathon this weekend 🏃‍♂️

This evening was our monthly foodbank run, to donate spare items to Manchester South-Central foodbank to go towards food parcels. With half term next week, there is often an increased demand, so we tried to squeeze a donation in. Some items donated included:

• Tinned tuna 🐟
• Tinned spaghetti 🍝
• Tinned veg 🥕🥒🥔
• UHT milk 🥛
• Rice 🍚
• Rice pudding
• Pasta sauce 🍝
• Tinned soup 🍲

We covered ~4.8 km in total, making our way through Hulme to the donation point at the big ASDA. On the way back, we had a quick tour via Man Met University and a loop near Manchester Central Convention Centre.

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 💪

Welcome to Sanjeev for your first GoodGym Manchester session!

This evening, we loaded up bags 🎒 with tins and other food items needed by Manchester South-Central foodbank for their winter parcels. It included:

• tinned fruit 🥭
• tinned veg 🥕🥔
• tinned tuna 🐟
• fruit juice 🍎
• UHT milk 🥛
• spaghetti 🍝
• beans 🫘
• pasta sauce
• cereal
• tea & coffee ☕️
• mince pies as a treat

Aided by the reverse advent calendar and their list, we did a pretty good job once we'd located the donation trolley.

With a much lighter load, the jog back via a Man Met campus was a bit smoother despite the heavy car traffic.

Great to see a new face and hope to see you again, Sanjeev!