9 Goodgym runners from all different boroughs joined Area Activator Simon on an absolutely glorious Monday evening at the Arsenal Community Hub. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone's Summer time adventures- Congratulations to Charlie for guide running at The Big Half yesterday, and Good Luck to Adam for his upcoming half marathon at Richmond Run Festival next weekend. After dropping off our bags and kit, we performed a warm up routine up the Emirates slopes, before running towards Whistler Street (over Danny Fiszman bridge). We weaved through Highbury Fields, and jogged along the (now open) New River Walk in Canonbury, on route to The Rose Bowl Youth Club.

The Rose Bowl (https://www.rosebowlislington.org.uk/) is an incredible after school club and food bank, that has been a hub in the community for almost 40 years! We met with Dawn and Clive, the absolute legends who run the day-to-day projects at the centre, and got straight to work!

Our first major task for the evening was to clear up the playground area of leaves and foliage, ready for the return of the after school club as the new term starts. Half of our team were able to completely blitz the space with the use of brooms, leaf grabbers, green waste bags and gardening hoes. We also picked away at plenty of moss from the surfaces, to ensure that the youngsters are less likely to slide over when playing football, bulldog and other outdoor games. Benedict, Mia and Louise also assisted with trimming back a mass of over hanging branches around the entrance to the playground slopes, and swept away a scattered pile of gravel back into the outdoor seating area. Sarah and Adam made a final effort in the last few minutes of our session to completely clear the paths leading to the access door to the Rose Bowl Food Hub. Within 45 minutes, we had completely transformed the space- well done everyone!

We packed away our tools, waved Goodbye to Dawn and Clive, and ran back to The Emirates Stadium during golden hour, under incredible purple and orange skies as the sun went down on a successful Monday evening task! As a celebration, many of our team enjoyed some well deserved post-group run pizza and refreshments at The Victoria Tavern as part of our September social. Awesome stuff!

---

Goodgym Islington News

—-----------------------------------

Party in the Park- Penn Road Gardens

Saturday 9th September, 2pm-5pm, Penn Road Gardens

A lovely get together, hosted by the residents of Penn Road Gardens, one of our most popular local task owners!

Expect the following:

• Live Swing Dancing Classes!

• Stalls and activities

• Live music

• Quiz and prizes

• Food and refreshments with the neighbourhood!

https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/party-in-the-park-penn-road-gardens

—-----------------------------------

Achilles International VI Guiding Sessions- Emirates Stadium

Thursday 14th 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.

https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-emirates-stadium-49cc4fe4-fa1f-4631-8ef6-00e57b0ac0f7

—-----------------------------------

City Race- Dartford Orienteers- Southwark Park

Friendly and welcoming orienteering event in Southwark Park! First timers encouraged!

Friday 15th September, 5pm - 8pm, Decathlon Surrey Quays

Orienteering is an exciting outdoor adventure sport which involves navigating around a course using a detailed map and sometimes a compass. The aim is to navigate between a set of control points and decide the best route to complete the course in the quickest time. It does not matter how young, old or fit you are, and you can run, walk or jog round the course and progress at your own pace.

Find out more here:

https://www.dfok.co.uk/info/new-to-orienteering

Come and give it a go at this super beginner friendly event!

https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/city-race-dartford-orienteers-southwark-park

---

THE BIG LONDON SOCIAL!

GoodGym London Monthly Social (GG Camden), Thursday 14th September, TBC

The first (of hopefully many) monthly drinks in London. Come and meet other GoodGymers and toast each others achievements. We'll be celebrating those on the Heroes Board from August and maybe even deciding which recent puns are worthy of accolade. The venue is TBC but will be somewhere fairly central with good transport links.

https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/goodgym-london-monthly-social

---

Compton Terrace Gardens Volunteer Open Morning - September

Saturday 16th September, 10am - 1pm, Union Chapel

From the Friends of Compton Terrace Gardens:

A friendly gardening group started to look after the park about 10 years ago. We are always looking for more help - with planting, mulching, pruning, and all the other things a garden needs.

Everyone welcome, no special skills needed! Lots of fresh air and a nice chance to meet local people. We meet once a month on a Saturday morning near the shed in the middle of the Gardens.

https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/compton-terrace-gardens-volunteer-open-morning-september

---

Crouch End Open Space (CREOS) Volunteering Day (September 2023)

Sunday 17th September, 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-september-2023

---

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!

https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/camino-ultra-epping-forest-50km-and-25km-eco-trail-aid-station-superstars

8 Goodgymmers met up on a warm night to help the Friends of Stroud Green Library clear their back passage (stop fnarring at the back).

Clearing the blockage

Plentiful innuendo aside, the hops, weeds and brambles need to be removed to open up the route from the emergency fire exit. We set about the over exuberant grenery with gloves, rakes and other tools to make evacuation easier. We also welcomed newbie Eren, who quickly got stuck in to the piles. There was also a cornerful of building waste in bags. Using our tried and tested human chain technique, we speedily removed the lot! We even had some time to marvel at the local wildlife - a very friendly cat.

Exit, persued by secateurs

After that, we transported the green waste and bags of rubble to more appropriate spots. This included transporting the hops by dumpster bin to the nearby compost heap, a multi-hand job.