The Single Homeless Project
159 GoodGymers have supported The Single Homeless Project with 29 tasks.
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A Broom of One's Own
Monday 25th September 2023
Written by Islington runner
After an animal-themed warm-up, nine GoodGymmers ran to the SHP to help them weed and tidy up their front gardens.
With so many volunteers, we were a little short on tools, so Dharmesh fashioned his own broom from leaves and bamboo.
Rake a chance, Rake a chance on me...
Monday 18th September 2023
Written by Simon Fitzmaurice
Area Activator Simon and Sarah met at the Arsenal Community Hub for one of our most autumnal evenings of 2023 so far! The immense heat from the last few weeks has cleared after a satisfying thunderstorm over the weekend, allowing for perfect running weather. Together, we ran up Sussex Way, passing Caxton House Community Hub and Sunnyside Gardens on route (a few of our previous Goodgym Islington task locations), before diverting through Elthorne Park and onto Ashley Road, catching up with Alison and Emily upon our arrival.
We made our way through reception and through the the resident's garden of this assisted living and rehabilitation centre, and towards a little shed at the back. From here, we picked up rakes, snow shovels and a portable green waste storage bin, and cracked on with collecting as many of the fallen leaves off the main pathways and the communal spaces as possible. These leaves were then left on a designated composting spot for green waste disposal or future mulching of the garden.
Our second task was to cut away as many vines and strings of ivy from the garden fencing as possible. Despite being beautiful to look at, too much of these invasive weeds can destroy the structures, and choke out other plants. Secateurs and gloves were required to clear these away as efficiently as possible. A big job, but we made a solid start within our 45 minute session tonight- great job everyone!
Headtorch Group Runs
As we start to leave the Summer months, we are beginning to finish our group run sessions in the dark. We recommend bringing a head torch with you if possible, so help to illuminate our work spaces.
Area Activator Simon will be bringing portable clip lights and large construction lights, but additional light sources always appreciated!
Goodgym Islington News
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Achilles International VI Guiding Sessions- Paddington Rec Track
Thursday 21st September, 6pm, Arsenal Tube Station
Achilles International are an amazing organisation who link guide with blind and particially sighted runners, and they are looking for potential guides for future training sessions.
Goodgym (and parkrun) communities have been very supportive of this team over the years, so we are looking to see if we can introduce more runners to the world of guiding.
Over the Winter months, Achilles International will be hosting fortnightly running sessions around the floodlit forecourt of Emirates Stadium, Islington. Every other week, we will train at Paddington Rec Track.
Penn Road Gardens Open Morning (September)
Sunday 24th September, 10:00am - 12:00pm, Penn Road Gardens
Every last Sunday of the month, the residents of Penn Road invite keen volunteers to help with maintaining this lovely community spot just off Holloway Road.
Local volunteers will be on hand to direct anyone who arrives to offer their help between 10am- midday. Come on down to enjoy a lovely morning community task!
Follow this link for more info: https://www.pennroadn7.com/the-gardens
GG Race Team- Met League Hill Training Sessions!
Friday 29th September, 6.30pm, The Pembroke Castle, Camden
Goodgym Cross Country is back! We will be returning to the Met League in 2023 and 2024!
If you have never tried cross country, it is amazing muddy fun. A definite challenge, but accessible to all who want to give it a go, and are part of a UKA affiliated team (like the Goodgym Race Team).
To coincide with the events, Area Activator Simon Fitzmaurice (who is a UK Athletics Coach in Running Fitness or CiRF for short) will be hosting a series of hill interval training sessions at Primrose Hill over the Autumn and Winter months.
The Pembroke Castle, 150 Gloucester Ave., London NW1 8JA, and we will run to Primrose Hill together to start our session.
September 29th https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/gg-race-team-met-league-hill-training-session-september
October 27th https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/gg-race-team-met-league-hill-training-session-october
November 24th https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/gg-race-team-met-league-hill-training-session-november
January 5th https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/gg-race-team-met-league-hill-training-session-january
January 26th (aka February fixture session) https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/gg-race-team-met-league-hill-training-session-february
Camino Ultra Epping Forest 50km and 25km Eco Trail- Aid Station Superstars!!!
Goodgym Crew are back for the exciting new installment of the Camino Ultra Epping Forest Race!
Saturday 7th October, 9am - 5pm (various shifts), Butler's Retreat, Epping Forest
DaznBone (aka Darren Strachan and David Bone) and the Camino Ultra team are putting together the logistics for their next 50km ultra race (running from Wanstead Flats, up the green corridor to Epping Forest and back), and have invited the Goodgym crew to get involved!
On the course, there will be 4 major aid stops, and we have been invited to take over the first refresh point and the penultimate aid station.
This will involve providing water and snacks to runners of all abilities during the key stages of their race, and to support them with smiling faces and enthusiasm!
Crouch End Open Space (CREOS) Volunteering Day (October 2023)
Sunday 15th October, 11am - 1pm, CREOS meadow or Hanley Tennis Club car park
Join us as we help the team at CREOS, a local conservation charity, maintain and improve a lovely green oasis in Crouch End.
CREOS looks after the meadows and wooded pathways of the Crouch End Open Space. GoodGym runners have been helping them maintain this beautiful patch of land for a while now, and the CREOS team always has lots for us to do.
This month, the CREOS team are planning on playing down a load of hoggin (a mix of hardy sand, clay and gravel aggregate) for new paths along the forest walking routes. It will be a big job, so we can use as many hands as possible!
https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/crouch-end-open-space-creos-volunteering-day-october-r-2023
London Underground Root Planners
Monday 12th June 2023
Written by Simon Fitzmaurice
7 Goodgym runners and cyclists joined Area Activator Simon for a roasting hot group run session over at Single Homeless Project, Ashley Road last night. This was a special request from the team, who were very keen to plant some newly donated plants into the front garden of the centre before they dry out in the heat!
Due to the very warm weather, Simon, Louise, Victoria and Katie made sure that we had regular walking breaks during our 1.5 mile run up Sussex Way, past Elthorne Park and over to Ashley Road. Keen eyed Goodgymmers might have recognised St Mary's Church and Caxton House being passed on our run (2 great Goodgym tasks from the past year!).
We arrived in good and ample time, and were lead to the back of SHP by volunteer Ritchie, locating hose pipes, forks, spades, trowels and gloves in the greenhouse. From here, we walked round the the front garden of the second property, two doors down.
Benedict and Caitlin soaked the soil to prepare the surfaces for planting, while Emily and Katie did a smashing job of turning the earth, pulling roots and weeding. Within 40 minutes, we successfully settled all of the donated plants for the SHP project, and now the space is ready for future gardening.
FUN FACTS
During our group run, we came across no less than 5 cats! out sunbathing, and gathered 14 pence of collected coins dug up from the SHP garden space.
NEWS
Come and Guide Run with Achilles International (Green Park Summer Session)
Thursday 15th June, 6pm, Green Park Underground Station
We will be assisting Achilles International for another group run and VI guiding session at our classic Green Park summer location. Welcome to guides and potential guides of all abilities.
Crouch End Open Space (CREOS) Volunteering Day (June 2023)
Saturday 18th June, 11am, CREOS meadow
Our monthly woodland regeneration session with the CREOS volunteering team. Building beautiful forest paths between Crouch End, Highgate and Muswell Hill!
https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/crouch-end-open-space-creos-volunteering-day-june-2023
GROUP RUN- Slow Ways Route Mapping Pioneers- Angel to Camden
Monday 19th June, 6.45pm, Arsenal Community Hub
This is a slightly different task than usual!
Our plan is to run together from The Arsenal Community Hub, over to Angel Underground Station (1.2 miles).
We will then run a new route to Camden (using Regent's Canal, past King's Cross and Granary Square, and onwards to Camden Lock- approximately 2 miles).
Our objective is to record the ease of navigation and the accessibility of this route for other users.
This will then be uploaded to the Slow Ways website (https://beta.slowways.org/), a database for pedestrian friendly walking routes across the UK.
https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/group-run-slow-ways-route-mapping-pioneers-angel-to-camden
Post Group Run Social- June (The Swimmer)
Monday 19th June, 8.45pm, The Swimmer N4
Beautiful pub on the Islington/Haringey Border- Come for a chat, refreshments, food and good times!
https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/post-group-run-social-may-the-swimmer
Guide Runners Needed for Metro Blind Sport Athletics 2023 (50 year Anniversary!)
Saturday 24th June, 10am - 3pm, Mile End Stadium
Experienced and new guides needed for this annual visually impaired athletics event. An incredible sports day for athletes of all abilities!
Penn Road Gardens Open Volunteer Morning
Sunday 25th June, 10am - midday, Penn Road Gardens
Every last Sunday of the month, the residents of Penn Road invite keen volunteers to help with maintaining this lovely community spot just off Holloway Road.
Local volunteers will be on hand to direct anyone who arrives to offer their help between 10am- midday. Come on down to enjoy a lovely morning community task!
Hole Lotta Holes
Tuesday 10th May 2022
Written by Simon Fitzmaurice
On Tuesday afternoon, Area Activator Simon and new Goodgym runner Harish joined Single Homeless Project gardening expert Lorena for some lunch break planting and digging.
Two local gardeners were also on hand to help with strimming the long grass across the communal garden space at the back of the residents dorms. Our first task involved digging some holes in hard, dry ground to plant a collection of fruit trees (with fresh soil and compost). Fresh water and mulch was also added to help the little trees on their way! Following this, we then moved a few older trees, and replanted them on the brighter and sunnier side of the garden.
We were so happy to see that our previously printed lavender bushes were thriving since our last visit!
SHP VIPs
Tuesday 5th October 2021
Written by Simon Fitzmaurice
Area Activator Simon and John met up with Lorena from Single Homeless Project on Ashley Road Crouch Hill for a lunchtime gardening session in the resident's communal social space. Goodgym Islington have visited this lovely project many times last year during, and it was great to see our plants were growing strong after a warm summer.
Our two Goodgymmers were tasked with clearing a mass of overgrown branches and ivy out of a shared greenhouse space (revealing a lost lawn mower underneath!), and then weeding the beds next to the main pathway into the garden. The weather was a bit unpredictable, so we had to hunker down a few times to avoid some sudden downpours from Autumn showers. Perfect rainbow weather!
Within an hour, we both succeeded in clearing a great deal of the green overgrowth, and were able to fill a compost bin with new material.
We plan to return again in the near future, so watch this space!
If You Can’t Join ‘Em, Join ‘Em
Tuesday 8th June 2021
Written by Steve Lee
David and Steve arrived for another installment of green-fingered helping out at one of the Single Homeless Project’s Islington locations. The gardens are looking great, and a hive of activity as areas are being tidied up ahead of a communal barbecue next week. Hopefully now that much of the ground work has been done, some of the clients living here will be tempted to try their hand at some therapeutic gardening!
Which brings us to why there is a guest third GoodGym t-shirt present in our photos. Lorena is the opportunities coordinator and resident gardening expert with SHP. She showed us around, handed out tools and had positioned lots of new potted plants that needed homes in the ground all over the garden. But she also loves the idea of GoodGym, and had signed up, got the t-shirt but has not yet signed up for a task. I’m pretty sure this counts :)
Steve hopped around from patch to patch, planting as he went. David saw a planting task for the patio area through from start to finish. And we all encountered frogs, slugs, snails and the biggest worm the three of us had ever seen.
This was a lovely, sunny and productive hour and before we knew it we were back on our way again, jogging in the sunshine. Stay tuned for another task with SHP soon!
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