A few new faces this week. Welcome back to Kirsty, who's getting back into running. Big cheers to Gabriella, visiting from Camden, and Toyin visiting from Hackney. And huge cheers to Nurjehan for her first GoodGym run.

Our planned task was rescheduled, but the new task was quite a bit closer, so we took the scenic route there. If you can call the A10 scenic. As a reward for their hard work, the faster runners (and the 2 cyclists) got to do extra wall sits, planks, and squats on the journey too.

Once we arrived at Grow Tottenham, we had a variety of tasks waiting for us.

• Rearranging old speaker boxes to define an outdoor courtyard
• Repurposing old shipping crates as planters by raising on pallets, and filling with compost.
• Recycling old wood, by separating the scrap out, and moving the good stuff across the yard.

With that accomplished, we learned a bit more about Grow Tottenham (formally Grow Elephants) mission, and headed off to the part. There we focused on our Glutes, and thanks to Terianne for remembering last week's homework, tried to stand up without using our hands or knees!

Then back to base for those all important stretches.

33 Goodgymers ran 6km and helped Scope Charity Shop with lots of GOOD

Awww wow is this just the coolest thing ever (read in American accent). The much beloved Imogen is leaving for LA so it was her last GG - party time!

Welcome along to newbies Abigail and Alex - lovely to have you along!

In the news this week:

1. Get signed up for the GG Olympics now! It's going to be an incredible day of events on 30th June - deadline for sign up on Sunday 3rd June.
   
2. Good luck to those doing the Lake District races this weekend!
3. On August bank holiday Frances and Lucy are leading us to Dorest for some trail racing - all the distances available at East Farm - information here.

After a dynamic warm up including a NEW SKIP we headed over to Scope Charity Shop on Camden High Street. This amazing shop managed by the very organised Helen, helps fund work so disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else.

Everyone lined up for their designated jobs and got going:

• Katherine polished all the shoe shelves and sorted all the shoes - she was having the best time
• Abi cleaned windows and surfaces in the middle room
• Alyson cleaned the skirting boards all over the shop - lots of hard work!
• Thomas measured trousers and labelled trousers
• Aidan cleaned the display boxes - everything looking shiny!
• Chris and Frances dressed the stores mannequins with the shops finest wear
• Three groups of three played the price is right with shoes, jewellery and ties - estimating the sell price and labelling them up
• 10 people sorted, hung, labelled and steamed clothes to be put on shop floor
• Steve - did up zips and buttons, cleaned the stairs & the toilet!
• Melanie and Liz cleaned the kitchen thoroughly

After 30 mins of hard work helping this fantastic charity shop we headed to Regents Park for a fitness session of x3 90 seconds with a progressive speed for the last 30 seconds. Everyone did really well - nice!

We'll miss you!

Once we got back to base we of course headed to the pub for Imogen's Leaving Party which included some amazing Mr & Mrs Camden t-shirts, vegan cake & more!

Sign up for next week here when we will be helping Antrim Allotments.

PB out.

Wow 42 of us helped Kentish Town City Farm last night with their May Day celebrations!!

Thanks for coming everyone, one of our biggest groups for a while! Welcome along to Tom and Katy whose first time it was last night.

In the news this week:

1. It's the GG Monthly Social TONIGHT down in south London (Bromley) - go along for puns, fun and Pritesh!
2. The GG Olympics is on the 30th June and Camden want a big team out there to keep our trophy! Gonna be awesome :)
3. A huge well done to Sophie Hedges who is hitting 300 Good Deeds - this is seriously awesome and whole lot of good over the last 5 years!

Woah last night was pretty cool, there was so many of us that we had to split into two groups on our way up there, with Chris leading the longer group along the canal. Everyone bloody loves the farm so much as Frances said if you are having a bad day, seeing a goat makes you happy!

Kentish Town City Farm is Camden's touch of countryside, they are having May Day Celebrations on the weekend so we came to help set up. After being greeted by a big pig we split into the following groups:

Poo people: Led by Captain Poo (Thomas Samuels) a group of 10 shovelled and moved lots, lots and lots of poo from one site to a more accessible pile for the farmers - with Rosie and Sophie leveling it out.

Shit just goat real

Good movers: A team of 15 people lifted and carried 20 straw bales, 10 tables, 10 chairs and plenty of other things to be used for the activity area on the weekend. Good carrying!

Marquee Crew: Another squad of 20 people put up the marquee, this is a centrepoint of the celebrations and used for face painting and more! Getting the right poles in place and working as a team was key.

Well done all, over 40 minutes we made a huge difference and then got to chill with the goats, cows, sheep and more. After saying out goodbyes we hoof'ed back to base...

Thank you all for coming - we are back next week to unpack everything we just put up - sign up here.

A massive thanks to Rosie and the team for the capes, brownies and cards! Here's to the next 300 Good Deeds :)

PB out.

Ok, you got me... when I said it was a nice 2.5k there and back it turns out I meant 2.5 miles, oh and I'm sure somewhere in that intro I mentioned Primrose Hill..., no?

Rumbled

So Camden had a flavour of the North West (of London) as I came down from GoodGym Brent and covered for the weary Paul Bown (2hr 59 London Marathon - what a hero!) who was deservedly still resting his legs! Twenty Five of you joined me, including Rebbeca and Maria who joined goodgym for the first time, as we spent the evening helping our friends at the Antrim Grove allotments.

Primrose Hill

As mentioned above there was a slight issue with the intro in that I got my miles and my kilometres mixed up but we all made great progress covering the 2.5 miles/4km to Antrim Grove and we had a fantastic view of the London skyline from the top of the hill. Great effort from everyone powering their way up that hill.

Once we got to the allotments we met Michael who split the group up with three main tasks:

• A large group breaking down logs, branches and general allotment detritus to clear a patch that will become a composting area
• A group digging and turning the soil in a plot for a gardener who would struggle with the heavy work
• Weeding and clearing an overgrown plot

After a good 20 minutes of hard work we gathered for a group photo that became a group jumping session (it seemed the best way to keep warm on a chilly evening) - check out the results in the gif above! What a bunch you are!

Rhubarb

With that we all got going and sped back to base avoiding Primrose Hill this time. Before we all went home there was one more moment of madness as Hanry decided that it would be a good idea to eat some raw rhubarb... I hope you are ok. With that done, the lovely rhubarb that we had been given from the allotment was split between some of the runners - hope you enjoy it (cooked)- and we all headed off home (or to the pub!).

Thank you to Frances for leading the warm-up, Rosie for leading the cool down and stretch and to all of you for having me. Hope to see you all again soon!

Paul returns next week and it's a trip to the farm! Sign up for the task here.

Cheers, Pritesh

20 GoodGymers ran 7km to help St Lukes Community Centre chicken pens & food!

Welcome along to newbies Duncan, Corinne and Frankie whose first time it was last night!

In the news this week:

1. We are having our monthly social next Monday at the pub after the group run - come along!
2. A massive well done to Chris Ellaway who reached 50 good deeds last night! Amazing - he has been coming to GoodGym for over a year and has made a massive impact in Islington and Camden - well done :)
3. This Saturday is the April Monthly Long Run - 9 miles, two speeds and pizza finish!
4. It's the GoodGym Olympics on 30th June and GG Islington will want a big team out there to win big! Get practicing with you egg and spoon.

Spring sprung last week but April showers were upon us last night. After a quick warm up we headed south via Liverpool Road and through the busyness of Angel. The staff we glad to see us at St Lukes Community Centre, when we arrived.

This is a fantastic modern Community Centre provides a space for local people to gather and socialise, and for them and other organisations to deliver services and activities for the local community at little or no cost.

Our tasks for the evening were threefold:

1. Frances led a team of 6 to put all the chicken food and chicken bedding inside black rat proof boxes. Splitting the piles into three - green food, yellow food and bedding - the team worked well and piled it all back into the shed.
2. A squad led by Alex filled three planters with compost until 2 inches below the border of the planter. They then mixed the compost thoroughly with forks and leveled the top. These planters will soon be full of SPRING PLANTS!
3. Kike led a group to fill the chicken cage with a layer of woodchip to a level of 10cm. This job involved having several people in the cage while the others emptied the bag into it. Nice!

Good chicken!

After sweeping up and packing away the cardboard into the recycling we took a group picture and headed home for a stretch and a bourbon biscuit!

Sign up for next week here, we are off to Caxton House to do various gardening tasks!

PB out.

26 GoodGymers ran 6.3km and helped Scope Charity Shop in Camden on our 5th birthday!

Welcome along to newbies Harriet and Rob. Lovely to have you along!

It was GG Camden's 5th birthday last night, pretty amazing how much good and running we've done over the last 5 years. Here is to the next 5!

In the news this week:

1. We are having a big old party for GG Camden's Birthday next Thursday at the Skip Garden - please sign up by Sunday if you'd like to come :)
2. It's GG Monthly Drinks this Thursday - we've got a pub booked in this pub - link.
3. The GG Olympics has been announced for Saturday 30th June at Parliament Hill Track - represent Camden and keep the trophy ours!

After an active warm up we headed 1km north via Royal College Street to help Scope Camden Charity Shop - a NEW TASK! This amazing charity describes itself as a charity that exists to make this country a place where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else. Until then, we’ll be here.

This was probably one of the most organised tasks we've ever had with complete instructions and numbers for everyone.

25 people + 30 minutes of good = 12.5 hours of work!

We covered the three floors of the shop covering the following jobs (and there was a lot to do):

• Chris hoovered all three floors!
• A team led by Rosie sorted donations into piles and bags
• Thomas cleaned wooden displays
• Beth sorted shoes and bags
• Freya and Linda cleaned the kitchen surfaces and cups
• Harriet mopped and cleaned the bathroom
• Sophie and Frances wiped and cleaned windows on various floors
• Chris smoothly sorted three racks of ladies' clothes
• Morag measured and sorted men's jeans/trousers
• Sarah and Sarah cleaned and wiped down the stairways
• Liz, Hayley and a full team sorted, labelled and gunned newly donated clothes

Everyone did amazingly and smashed through the tasks at hand. So much work done in such a short period of time!

We headed to Regents Park for a 1km time trial and a longer route home.

See you next week for gardening fun and our birthday celebrations!

PB out