Today's session for HANGOT had a surprisingly good start. There were 10 GoodGymers registered for the task, which was amazing in itself, including Will who made this is first GoodGym session. Welcome 👋🥳! Everyone also made it to HANGOT's secret undercover base on time and without getting lost. Amazing!

Once assembled, they walked to BlackBerry Corner, one of HANGOT's earliest orchards, with 20 apple trees and a long history of brambles, hence the name. As it was coming to the end of the growing season - for fruit and weeds - it was time to tidy up the orchard. Today's priorities were to:

1. Clear a ring around each apple tree to be free of weeds
2. Remove brambles and nettles from the paths
3. For completeness, cut down the open spaces too

The goal was to starve the ground of nutrients year after year to stunt and then eventually stop the weeds from growing back.

Work was divided up between the team with everyone grabbing a tool for their task. Shears, rakes, wheelbarrows, a pitchfork and a slasher were passed around. Working together, they made quick work of the most important jobs around the paths and trees.

At the same time, some of HANGOT's team were scything the open spaces, leaving lots to be raked up and moved to the distant compost heap. Will did a great job of raking throughout the task, which gave him a solid workout at his first session. A few others felt the fatigue in their muscles too by the end from chopping and slashing.

HANGOT were incredibly grateful that the huge GoodGym turnout had helped them complete all of the planned work. Their compost heap had also gone from zero to humongous, which will be really useful next year. There was even time for some to see their first quince tree fruiting and taking a chance on eating what they'd hand picked.

Goodgym and Achilles International held the first weekly group run session of 2025 at Paddington Rec Track on Thursday. An awesome opportunity to catch up following the festive break with some social running with visually impaired runners and sighted guides. We were really thrilled to have 4 first timers down to try guiding this week- welcome to Mohamed, Alex, Nik and Holly. All keen runners who helped with guiding Mark Durban, Mark Colby, Chris Blackabee and Tom Donnelly for some speedy laps!

Find out more about Achilles International here:

https://www.achillesinternational.org/

We will be back running next Thursday 9th January at Stratford Olympic Park- sign up here to get involved!

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-olympic-park-stratford-route-831bc57f-3d39-4d8e-bfa0-5a7f13b206eb

It was great to meet Beatriz and the regular TRAID staff for their end of sale clear out yesterday. It’s a great task for a Winter's evening when it’s not the most enticing outside.

A lot of progress had been made already and the clothes were largely finished, so our task was to pair up about 70 women’s shoes with their partners from the stock room. Straightforwards enough until we got to the black ones of which there were very many which looked all too similar. Nonetheless it was good brain-training and perhaps more satisfying to get into the fine details that differentiate them to find your pairs.

After 50mins and about 6 bin bags of heels and flats and thongs and even transparent boots, the TRAID manager very graciously sent us on our way with another good deed ‘in the bag.’

Felt very welcomed. The group was well organised, clear instruction provided at the start and chat at the end. Would recommend.