Despite the much improved lighting situation, we still met just inside the door, with Bianca wearing three layers and two pairs of socks!

We set off after a hyped up run briefing from leading light Laurie where no one seemed to have any energy. Beatboxing on the way we met leading light leaflet legend Fay who had prepared a great haul including a youth disco which got Joe reminiscing. We split off into two groups and got to work. Doug raised the union flag with Brexit pride and Sallyann even managed to find a brand new beatbox!

We delivered all the leaflets, and even the extra ones that Chris seemed to find, and headed back to base. Angela swung off early to prepare for bicycle shopping and Andy couldn't be bothered to do the last beatbox. For shame! If we miss out by 20 points we know who to blame.

It is also the quiz this weekend on Sunday, and if anyone wants a lift to Barrow farm on Sunday morning for the task there do let me know.

Make sure you read the email from Laurie (cough Martin cough) about the run next week. We will be setting off from Lidl to the foodbank. It is a longer run and there is a list of stuff they need to bring. We may also head to the pub after. Beat the street ends next week during the run so we can all celebrate! Especially if we can catch the girl guides!

We went from leafletting to do some leaf-getting at St John's Church and 14 very keen GoodGymers headed out on a dark and cold November night to help out!

We jogged over down the high street and admiring the Christmas lights in the high street to meet Fay, Rich (injured arse and all), and Angela beavering away.

We leapt to work despite the fact we weren't getting S-paid we were still raking it in. Joe hopped in the bin to push the leaves down and Jess was helping until she said 'you're better off alone', to which Joe whistfully replied 'that's what my ex said'. How we laughed. Doug almost on his knees in laughter. After filling four bins we posed for photos while Andy almost committed tree-son by suggesting we shake the trees to get more leaves down. Leaf it out mate. Laurie lead us on a long route on the way back, we admired the gymnastics Russell attempted and made it back to base.

See you for Parkrun volunteering this weekend! And then spoons, baby!

We were pleased to meet up on a dry evening, to see Charlie and Iris for the second time in one week, and to see Doug for the first time in a while.

Charlie and Fay set off on their walk to our leafletting destination, so Joel led us on a slightly longer route with the aim of us all arriving at a similar time. We reconvened and also met Angela, and proceeded to do a much more rushed and inferior job of folding the leaflets than we've become accustomed to.

Thankfully we didn't lose Jess down one of the long dark driveways, we got an accidental selfie fromDavid, and we completed just over 7km by the time we got back from our deviated route.

Whilst run/walking and leafletting, we discussed our disappointing effort at the quiz on Sunday, Jenny's inadvertent following of her neighbour, GoodGym's new night awareness training for all men who attend GoodGym sessions, and our upcoming events, which you can find here.

The Christmas social venue will be Taste of Italy. The breakfast venue after our volunteering at parkrun on the 25th of November is still undecided, and we'll be going to Andy's old favourite Wetherspoons if we don't choose something else.

See you all soon,

Laurie

On a glorious Wednesday summer evening we gathered at the HQ for another great group run and task.

Firstly, I'd like to welcome Angela to the group for her first run with us. Hope you enjoyed yourself and our chatty little group.

Tonights task was to deliver leaflets for 6 different charities that Fay had taken time during the week to fold (400 of them) together to make an easy bundle to post. As always, Thank you Fay.

Before we set off Martin produced a bag full of courgettes that he had spare and needed to find a good home for. And Leanne also had some rhubarb that she wanted to share with the group. Deciding that running with these wouldn't be wise we left them in Leanne's car and set off to meet Fay and Sallyann.

We met them just outside Springfield Baptist Church with bags full of leaflets and distributed them to all and set-off down Sandford road. Splitting into 2 groups we managed to not lose each other and even not to miss a letterbox.

Carrying on until almost all the leaflets were delivered we headed back to HQ and retrieved the rhubarb and courgettes and distributed them to those who wanted them.

As always thanks for coming guys, literally couldn't have done it without you.

Next week we will be going to the visitors center at Chelmsford prison to paint their outdoor area. ( there will also be a social after the run with some non alcoholic beer if you want to stay on)

Run Happy

Rich

After a very intense afternoon of rain, Doug and Andy arrived in sunny bright yellow tops, Erin arrived in a long awaited GoodGym t-shirt, and everyone was still keen to go ahead with the run.

Sallyann was raring to go, even collecting some official looking tape from the bushes outside the gym, so we let Sallyann and Fay head off with their walk ahead of us.

The rest of the group ran a slightly longer route along the bunny walks, catching up on our trip to see Barbie at the weekend (mixed reviews - I loved it). We started collecting further down the bunny walks, not finding too much litter until we got close to the local retail park with exciting finds such as polystyrene and cans.

Martin learned a new skill of small rodent spotting in the undergrowth, whilst a few of us were alarmed to see lots of rain-bloated slugs, and Andy invited himself round to Joe's for a dinner of toad in the hole.

David and Doug separated from the rest of us for a long heart to heart, and we never found Fay and Sallyann (learning afterwards that they had finished before us).

Joel led us back on a slightly longer route back to make the run up to 5k,and we all headed home!

We've got the monthly Ale House Pub Quiz at the weekend - sign up here if you want to join.

See you all soon,

Laurie