A post-parkrun mission at Portsmouth Lakeside today included an honorary litterpick lap of the lake to keep the trails pristine, and 2 scavenger hunts!

Whilst litterpicking, we were also on a mission to find a Hilsea Lido duck that Sammy had spotted on a bench during Parkrun. After some searching, it was determined that the bench duck must have been a placebo! Thankfully, Sammy did manage to find a duck tucked into the branches of a tree.

The second scavenger hunt was heartbreak for Andy who was on a quest to see the local amphibians! Expecting to see a thriving ecosystem of leaping frogs, he was instead met by stationary, plastic frogs that kids could sit on at the playground!

We then ventured off-piste and discovered a hidden world tucked away from the main path, where other wildlife was clearly in abundance. While the discovery was majestic, it came at the cost of some very soggy trainers!

We rounded off the morning with a well-earned coffee where Dave and Sammy planned a full day of food recommendations in the city for Andy!

After being treated to some pre-event music from another runner in the car park, the team attended a sunny Portsmouth Lakeside Parkrun, where Sammy, Wilson and Dave kick-started their morning with a pleasant 5k in the sun, whilst Jen was master of the stopwatch, and Andy kept the team motivated through his beats zone! Double points for Dave who also managed to take on traffic duties, and a shout out to Alice for her incredible drawing skills!

Massive kudo's to Sammy for setting her new course PB!

The mizzle, the breeze and the fading light didn't put us off our quest to clear the beach - we love a challenge!

We are pleased to report that the beach is quite clean at the moment and that Colas had put out a big extra bin on the promenade by the coffee trailer.

A lovely way to end the week!

​A quick and impactful mission today! Andy and Dave teamed up to assist an elderly resident who needed a large chair moved upstairs to make more space downstairs.

​Moving heavy furniture through tight spaces is always a challenge, but the heavy lifting was handled with care, and the task completed swiftly.

​Another great example of how a small amount of time can make a huge difference in the community.

Well done gents!