Wow, what a great first session launching GoodGym Edinburgh with a bang!

Big shout out to all the runners and walkers who turned up for the debut Tuesday Group Run. We were joined by GoodGym CEO Hannah Crane who made the trip up from London to celebrate Scotland's first GoodGym community getting started.

We set off from Edinburgh Street Food with our running and walking groups and made good time down to Leith Community Croft where the incredible Ali from Earth In Common was on hand to share out tools, tell us about the work they do and talk us through what needed done.

I was blown away by how much weeding, wheelbarrowing, clearing and tidying up we were able to get through in a short space of time. The raised beds were looking in good shape once we were done, we had managed to clear a good chunk of material off site into a skip and made a good start on the market garden (potential for a follow up task here I think).

Finishing off with a 'Bring Sally Up' squat challenge before tucking into some discounted grub and drinks at Edinburgh Street Food was a real highlight for me. Looking forward to seeing what other kinds of short workouts we can squeeze into future runs!

A huge thank you to Places for People for their support in helping bring GoodGym Edinburgh to life. Their partnership has been key to getting this new community off the ground.

For the next sessions I'll be looking for helpers in run leading and photography. There are also opportunities to get involved in setting up tasks as a member of Taskforce. if you'd like to help out with GoodGym Edinburgh just drop me an email.

big love,

Dave

Whether lured by the promise of our monthly social or simply powered by pure dedication, we had a fantastic turnout for our group session at Raynes Park Station tonight!

After the team gathered ready for action, a trio peeled off to support the Merton Garden Streets team with some nearby weeding. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew split into two squads to tackle the station grounds.

We got plenty done across three main tasks:

• Watering: Kept the embankment hydrated using a smooth relay system of metal trolleys, heavy buckets, and watering cans.

• Pruning: Wielded secateurs to chop back thick brambles poking through the fence and encroaching on the pathway.

• Weeding: Cleared growth along the pavement to help support the local opt-out-of-spraying (chemical-free) initiative.

The visual difference was huge, but the best part was the immediate community feedback. We received non-stop thanks from passers-by, including a mobility scooter user who pointed out where the brambles used to catch on people, and was thrilled to navigate a wide, clear path again.

With the area looking pristine and the tasks ticked off, we wrapped up and headed straight to the pub for our monthly social to celebrate another job complete and a couple of birthdays - well done team!