“So if you could just pose, like, smile, and freeze. That would be great.”

And that’s how it continued tonight, with our all-female crew on this Monday’s active leafleting task. Pic after pic, before, during and after.

And stairs were climbed, buzzers buzzed, workshops explained, cores worked...

Yes, we did lots.

How it happened

We met on the corner of Dellow Street before making our way around to the rather dark St George’s Gardens. This proved to be the perfect spot for this evening’s fitness session, with its winding paths, rubber surfaces and benches. Quite the fitness playground for the team as they motored through running drills (“high knees, high knees… Promise you won’t look like this”), bench Bulgarian split squats, numerous nasty v-sits and some more running drills.

After nearly 30 minutes of focused fitness and flexibility fun, we wandered to meet Bablu from Trapped in Zone One by the DLR.

The story behind the task

Bablu had asked us to help out distributing 500 leaflets for a couple of new creative workshops, taking place in Shadwell shortly, to help create a design for a big new community mural, acknowledging both the impact and effect of the pandemic on the Borough, as well as the efforts by the residents. The mural also celebrates 50 years of Bangladesh independence this year.

We divided into two teams to tackle dozens of flats and shops. We chatted to interested, helpful and enthusiastic business owners and residents, all keen to know more about the project and help distribute the leaflets.

The time flew by, and before we knew it we’d clocked 7000 steps and 13-plus floors, returning to the DLR meeting point leaflet-less. Re-sult.

Great evening, everyone. Well done for your determination, and your patience (for posing endlessly for Yours Truly).

Next week we're at Meath Gardens for the first time this Autumn, for a big gardening quadruple-bill, plus pre-task, basketball-court fitness!

Until then.

✅ Rain: check

✅ Wind: check

✅ Mud: check

But that didn't deter 13 GoodGymers from showing up at Bethnal Green Nature Reserve to undertake the sixth visit to what I think is probably the toughest task since I started.

So what's the story?

The Nature Reserve has been able to upgrade the pond of this important area, as part of the Mayor's Greening Fund project portfolio.

It's allowed the team to fund paid internships, and boost this area of biodiversity, which also serves as a dedicated local space whose objectives include improving both physical and mental health of all residents.

Where do we come in?

However, it's a big project, and emptying one large space, only to refill another large space with sand and mud takes, well, a lot of work. A lot of dark, damp evenings shovelling, wheeling and lifting heavy stuff.

But there they were, out in full force last night. Take two large sand mounds, umpteen wheelbarrows -ditto shovels and coffee sacks - and turns out you have the ultimate total body workout. (And, let's not forget to mention the members who showed up for the Middleton Green workout beforehand - way to go).

Don't Stop Me Now

The team didn't stop: from the moment they picked up the first shovel, to the last wheelbarrow being returned, it was one huge hive of activity. Mainly working in pairs, the GoodGymers shovelled sand into coffee sacks, wheeled them to the edge of the pond, before carefully tipping them out of the barrows and dragging them to join the lining line-up. Toughgoing, with treacherous terrain to boot, a huge amount was achieved.

"Look at that," said Michael as we approached the end of the evening. "Seriously, that is a really enormous help."

Quite.

Well done, everyone. That was a Monday night truly well spent. You rock.

Until next time

That just leaves me to thank Liz for this week's spectacular pun, and to shamelessly promote the second session at the pond this week: a 60-minute full body workout on Wednesday, once again, as a small team help Michael start lowering the sacks into the pond.

Until next time.

Hola, upper body extravaganza

The evening started with a speedy little workout on Middleton Green, just as the sun was setting. We whizzed through some laps of 'the little hill'; mobility and agility drills and the obligatory balance work.

We then made our way over to Bethnal Green's Nature Reserve where no fewer than 17 of us came together to help Michael and the team start filling hessian sacks with which to line the new pond.

It was an hour of heavy lifting. Anyone ever tried packing a large bag full of damp, tightly packed soil and moving it? Hola upper body extravaganza.

But the team did good: working in pairs and small groups, bags were neatly filled, expertly lifted and dragged and the job done, as per.

"How long have we got?"

"How long have we got? Shall we move some soil around to the billboard area?" asked Task Owner Michael at 7:40.

Yes, let's. It's not as if we need our lats for anything else for the rest of the week.

It was a brilliant evening of productivity. Fantastically managed, from start to finish, with bundles of equipment and lights; fab leadership from both the task team and our team (Simon, you are the best steward in town) and the usual huge commitment to Getting. The. Job. Done.

We came together for our cheerios, and planning our next sessions (this Weds at 6:30pm; next Monday's Group Run at 6:45pm).

Post-pond stretching

Then we dispersed into two groups: those who were headed straight home for dinner and feet-up and those who took a mini detour via Middleton Green again for some post-pond stretches.

A wicked night, everyone. Fantastic to see so many come out on a dark night to lend a hand that makes such a difference (this is a huge project, a big undertaking for the Nature Reserve and a lot of work that might not get done, or at least might take a whole lot longer without you).

Aaand the shout-outs...

Shout-out to Jess for this evening's spectacular pun.

And not forgetting the biggest shout out to our Charlotte who tonight reached her 50th good deed. Here's to the next 50, and thanks for all you bring to the party, Charlotte.

Until next time.

Slowly but surely we arrived one by one to this evening's meeting point by Mile End Park's wonderfully-located Art Pavilion.

Each were greeted individually by our brilliant Task Owner John, who equipped everyone with a fork, and some truly sturdy gloves.

Why were we here?

Well, the countdown is on to clear some dense nettles and brambles in time for half term activity. And so Friends of Mile End Park called on us to help out on this tough, time-sensitive task.

Fork of the town

And so to work we went, our small group growing less small by the minute. We uprooted, we chopped, we stacked, we carried. It was quite the workout, not least for Rohan's fork, who gave up the ghost during the first half of the task. What can we say? John did say the nettles were tough. Impressive stuff.

With good ground lights saving the day, we proceeded to make large piles of our treacherous, discarded plants, which looked quite the stinger stash as we called it a night.

We gathered for tool deposits and our last pics of the day.

"So, you can do your keep fit up there," gestured John to the floodlit area of the pavilion as we finished up. "I'll come and see if it's any good."

And so up the hill we climbed, to the well-lit area above the pavilion for some spectacular views as we tackled mini (slippery) hills, Bulgarian split squats, hip mobility, and some fab static stretching with an official barre. Hur-RAH.

What can I say?

Another night to remember. "They blitzed a fair amount," John reflected as we walked back down the hill after.

I should say.

Until next time.

Well, we didn't plan on a double fitness bill tonight, that's for sure. Who knew.

So a small little group gathered in Museum Gardens this evening, for our pre-task run. It was fantastic to be joined by Nina, who we haven't seen for a while! And although the run started off as a short one on paper, Si thankfully took over and, after some brilliant navigation finding the quietest, longest route (including a lap of Middleton Green), we managed to squeeze in a little bit of extra mileage en route to one of our favourite tasks.

Many hands, etc etc...

Margaret greeted us with a well planned operation: brand new gloves; bundles of bin bags, and the obligatory crash course in "What's-a-weed-and-what's-not." The team busied themselves along Ellsworth Street, weeding the entire border and filling bin liner after bin liner in no time. It felt like we'd only just arrived when we were already posing for our cheerio end shot.

What's a single leg squat between friends?

The task was scheduled to take the GoodGymers ninety minutes but 45 minutes in, we were scrabbling around for the last little weed. "Well, we're here now," we shrugged at 7:15pm, and so we accompanied Margaret to the Nature Reserve to take a quick look at the pond that'll be the job for next week's two-part task (including our Group Run), and then over to the basketball court we headed, where we enjoyed 20 minutes of not-so-easy fitness: a few speedy laps, some balancing lower body work; the obligatory core moves, and some nice stretches, oh, and a last final lap to finish. Not a bad effort at all, team.

Another great evening, doing lots, interacting lots, and just a lot of doing what you do best: combining your fitness and your sense of purpose into a heavenly 90 minutes for all those who come into contact with you. Way. To. Go.

Until next time.

Not a bad-sized group for this evening's task, joining the wonderful Trees for Streets team for the second time.

But first, the workout...

Team GG showed up early in pretty St Stephen's Green a little earlier than our Task Owners, to enjoy a short workout (and few Cadburys Heroes). We sped through some slow-out-fast-back shuttle runs; endless squat variations and speed skating, and other lower body warm-ups, before handing over to the brilliant Lizzie and Simeon for tonight's intro and instructions.

Armed with A3 maps, highlighters galore and the best local knowledge going, we were soon divided into three teams, over two Bow wards.

Those brush letterboxes

It was a busy evening out on these bustling East London streets but we all managed to blitz our areas: no letterbox too tough; no dog bark too ferocious, no street too long. We did good.

And it was really great to get the opportunity to chat to residents, some of whom opened their front doors (mainly those who heard us wrestling with those pesky brush letterboxes), to come out and find out what all the fuss was about: "Trees, I tell you, it's all about the trees"

We arranged to meet back at the Lord Morpeth after 8, to compare our leftover leaflet stash; flyering anecdotes, pics and post-task plans.

Well. Done. All.

What a team.

A huge shout-out to Simon, who not only took the reins at dividing up all those many streets into teams, but who's also just became the most recent member of our Task Force. Amazing stuff.

And to Charlotte who took some great pics, and to all those who showed up to this step-heavy, productive task tonight.

Until next week, folks.