What a delight to be out doing some good on a perfect autumnal morning. 🍂

GoodGymers supported parkruns across Cambridge with Alexandra park walking and Catherine supplying finish tokens at Coldham's Common, and Caroline park walking at Milton Country Park.

Caroline celebrated her 10th parkrun volunteering milestone with company as her favourite auntie and favourite mother (self-titled) came all the way from South Wales for their first ever parkrun. Well done team 🙌

Park walking allowed for a different experience, encapsulating the true spirit of parkrun: "We enjoyed the gorgeous weather and being out in nature, with the autumnal leaves and stopping to enjoy the beautiful views. We were surprised and appreciative of runners offering their support as they went by." 💛

GoodGym x This Girl Can

We called time on the curfew this week, running across Cambridge after dark to do some good 🙌

✨ Welcoming Beth to her first GoodGym session, we got lit up and set off to meet Caroline and Kei, who cycled to the task.

We were greeted by Alice from Turtle Dove who led us through the storage building maze to the locker of kit we were due to sort, where we found Ruth hidden behind stacks of boxes.

Turtle Dove support young women to gain work experience through hosting afternoon tea events, for groups ranging from 15 to over 100 people, so there is a lot of crockery needed! 🫖

We set to work sorting, counting and repacking hundreds of cups, saucers and side plates. It turned out to be a very calming and satisfying task, which will make running the events easier.

Alice excelled with the snack provision and we took a trip down memory lane, while enjoying a refuelling sweet treat. 🍪

We made a good start and look forward to returning in a few weeks to help finish the job 💪

There is always a vibrant atmosphere at Brook Leys Parkrun and this morning was no exception! Goodgym was represented across the event, with Caroline marshaling, Nick running and Catherine handing out finish tokens 🙌 🏃‍♂️ 🏁

Harriet was also representing at Fulbourn Parkrun, a fantastic Goodgym team effort across Cambridge!

After some warming cups of tea and pastries, a couple of us strapped on our helmets and headed out on a cycle into the Cambridgeshire countryside. With a hearty lunch and cake at our stopping point, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the way - particularly the autumnal colours coming in 🍁

Some unexpected excitement came in the form of a flat tyre, but we worked together and had it changed in record time! We were back on the road in no time and celebrated our 40 km efforts with refreshments and a cosy fireplace at the finish 🚴‍♀️

Armed with pickers, bags and high vis, three eager GoodGymers took to the streets of Cambridge to fight the war on waste. 💪

Our expert litter picker, Nick, led the way to some of the worst areas for litter, including a section of the Cam. We collected bottles, plastic, and a disproportionate number of tissues. Nick added to his vape and ring pull collection, ensuring all are disposed of responsibly or recycled ♻️

It was our first litter pick group run and it certainly added an interesting element. We definitely got better as the run went on, spotting the smallest bits of rubbish hidden in hedgerows (as well as very obvious takeaway boxes on fences). Although we didn't find anything too unusual, there's always next time!