27 Goodgymers ran 3-5k to help Thornhill Square Gardens and Frelighters City Farm!

Welcome along to Cosmo and Becky whose first time it was. Great to have you along!

In the news this week:

1. A big well done to Steve Lee who just hit 200 Good Deeds - amazing!
2. Fantastic stuff from Steve Coman who ran 3.49 at Edinburgh Marathon recently - winning his age category, getting a big PB and a good for age time - woop woop!
   
3. On Thursday it's GG Monthly Social in Old Street (I think) - go along and have fun - more details here.

Thornhill Report by James:

Around a dozen of us split off to head to Thornhill Square Gardens in Barnsbury. This is a task we visit at least a couple of times a year and it was lovely to see it in the light, since last time we visited we were wearing head torches.

WATER HERE!

We were met by Anna who was delighted to have us on short notice and soon had us working efficiently around one lucky garden plot. We were variously: pulling weeds, cutting back grass, re-anchoring wicker fence, and planting - sunflowers, dahlias, geraniums and primrose - the watering of which was elevated to an artform by our skilled irrigationists. To the melodious incantations of "Water here!", "Need water here!" and "Does anyone have some water?" there wasn't a dry bulb in the house.

Farm Report:

15 of us headed to help Frelighters City Farm, we went via Highbury Fields to extend the route slightly. Upon our arrival Liz told us our tasks, which was as follows:

• A team of five weeding the front of the farm, swept up and made inroads in weeding the back garden
• Meanwhile a group of eight shifted some soil. First of sieving old soil from broken down planters, and then this was wheelbarrowed over to Chris and Aidan who developed a progressively advanced system to get the soil into the planter.
• Lastly Frances and Nina broke up bags of compost, checking for rocks and roots, and then wheelbarrowed it over to near the planter and made a pile.

After we finished up we said hey to the animals - pigs, shaven sheep, an 18 and 19 year old cow's, big goats, little chicks and a loud bird! We then ran to meet James Thornhill crew to do a time trial around the Emirates - nice!

Sign up for next week here when we'll be helping Caxton House Community Centre.

PB out

19 Goodgymers ran 4-6km to help Caxton House with leafleting and destruction of lots of bushes!

We didn't have any newbies this week but plenty of 2nd and 3rd timers and of course regulars - lovely to see you all.

In the news this week:

1. Well done to Steve and James who both got PB's at Dulwich Parkrun at the weekend!
2. There is a GG social in Walthamstow this Thursday - join Pritesh for drinks, puns and heroes - sign up here.
3. Also there is a Community Mission at 10am this Saturday helping Barnsbury Square Gardens - lovely local Islington mission!

After warming up we headed to Caxton House, the slight incline all the way there always makes it tiring but great to know it's a down hill run on the way home.

Upon our arrival we met Rose who explained our two tasks: leafleting and destruction! A group of ten people, going off in pairs leafleted for the Community Centres Zumba Classes - nice!

Meanwhile the other eight people, who were joined by Sofia continued the work of destroying bushes and small tree's in the front garden. This space is going to be transformed once everything is removed. Armed with an array of tools we got to work chopping things down. Steve and George quickly chopped down some small tree's, while everyone else was contacting ever increasing spikey thorns!

Nice legs Graham!

Over time we were joined by pairs of flyers who'd finished distributing in their desonated areas. They helped massively to chop into small pieces the removed tree's and bushes. And beautifully Graham 'Always Shorts' Atkins got into the big bin and jumped on the incoming branches - he said "I haven't had this much in ages!" Always good to hear, especially when it's a bit colder than recently.

Once we collected all the debris up in either piles, the bin or bags we said our goodbyes to Rose. We headed to a local hill for some sprints before a downhill run home and biscuits - yum!

Sign up for next week here when we'll be helping Waterside Adventure Playground and Mildmay Community Centre.

PB out

19 Goodgymers ran 4km to help Single Homeless Project shift some woodchip!

Welcome along to the newbies - Holly, Rachel and Zhichu thanks for coming along guys.

In the news this week:

1. Well done to Graham and Patrick for organising GoodGym takeover at Finsbury Park Parkrun on Saturday - see Graham's report here.
2. There is a wonderful GG Long Run this Sunday led by Simon Fitzmaurice - more details here.
3. There should be a GG Monthly Social next Thursday, more details to come from Pritesh.

After warming up we headed North by North-West, through the back streets and over Holloway Road to the Single Homeless Project on Mercer Road. This fantastic charity help provide accommodation and support homeless people in our community.

We met Regina and she told us that the woodchip to be moved comes from woodcutters who donate it to the charity - awesome! Our task was to shovel, carry and empty around a ton of woodchip from the front garden to the back.

Helping the homeless

We got going getting four people shovelling, another three people holding bags and Meg, Faye and Patrick with their headtorches emptying out the woodchip in the back garden. Everyone else was positioned in a human train through the house - nice!

After 15 minutes we were done, very quick! There was a lot less woodchip than normal and everyone was efficient in this warm February weather.

Once we were finished we took a group picture and headed back to the Emirates where everyone smashed a time trial - well done all :)

Sign up for next week here.

PB out

17 Goodgymers ran 4.5km to help Caxton House Community Centre cut back bushes!

Welcome along to Gareth and George - it was there first time last night. Also welcome back to Claire who joined us again after having a baby.

In the news this week:

1. We are still looking for Finsbury Parkrun pacers this Saturday! Details here.
2. Goodgym February long run and Tooting Bec Track Session both on this Sunday.
3. It was Christina's last GoodGym Islington last night as she moving to Manchester - thanks for coming along and we're sad to see you go.

After we warmed up we all headed up to Caxton House Community Centre together, that lovely steady up hill that is always a bit of challenge but worth it for the downhill return home.

Caxton House is a fantastic hub in the Archway/Crouch Hill community - provide educational programmes, older persons groups and supports. Once we arrived at the task Rose explained our main task for this week was to cut back as many bushes, ivy and brambles as possible in the car park area. They want this area to be cleared as it is high maintenance and they'd like to secure funding to rebuild parts of it.

Sticks n' saws!

While the major of the team got started cutting back things, Ellie and Gareth did a litter pick sweep around the building and in the front garden. Armed with various tools, including saws, everyone really got into the destroying part of the task. So many small tree's and bushes were coming down eveywhere!

I may have underestimated how long it would take for us to bag things up, it took time to break down the branches and sticks to then bag them up. Amazing work all!

After 45 minutes of work we took a group picture and headed back other base for as stretch and biscuit round 2!

Sign up for next week here - we'll be shifting tonnes of woodchip for SHP.

PB out