THREE TASKS!

We enjoyed a whopping three tasks tonight in Tower Hamlets!

Isabelle headed up our new task, to see Khanh & co at the Columbia Road Youth Hub. Writes Isabelle, "The team was split into two: 5 of us were given a leafleting task, to head out to local areas where the youngsters the centre is targeting, can be found. The remaining runners were tasked with painting the centre, to the sound of Sean Paul. And, IMO, this was one of the best tasks we've been on!"

Yes, having visited the Hub several times, I can confirm it's a lively place, with a huge drive to do what it says on the tin. And we must thank our great friend, Bablu Miah, of Trapped in Zone One who created this task for us, and got the ball rolling with Khanh. Thanks, Bablu!

Meanwhile, Leo took another big team to Cranbrook Community Food Garden where new task owner Freya had lovingly prepared a lot of leaflets and amazing maps for the team to distribute around the estate. The team were busy in and out of the garden, and dropping fliers and blitzing all the work laid out for them in record time.

And I led a smaller crew to Catherine at the Parkview Estate where she too had lovingly prepared hundreds of crocus bulbs to be planted, and had pruners ready for raspberry bush trimming too! Our small team of four blitzed the gardening tasks and had a little time for some post-race stretching in the squished office space too.

TWO TEACHERS...

And so we headed back to the base where the others had already congregated and Sarah had got the team off to a splendid fitness start with high knee jogs and jumping jacks! Lucky team - two teachers! We continued our fitness work in the rain, eeking out every last fitness component ("One last nice calf stretch") until Charlotte, speaking for the entire team, wailed, "Can we stop now, Laura? We're freezing.") Good call, Charlotte.

Ad so we headed inside to warm up and prep for the pub.

Big thankyou's & shout-out's tonight...

Tonight we must thank our wonderful task force yet again. Leo and Isabellewho enabled our three tasks to go ahead. Your Task Force team are always in the wings, advising, planning, and helping lead and carry the area. We get a growing number of task requests and it's because of our Task Force we're able to fulfill them all.

Thanks too to the entire group tonight, for getting so much done in horrid weather and with such big smiles. You're amazing, and it's no wonder our task owners speak so highly of you.

Thanks for our report contributors, Isabelle and Leo; to Bryon for pun-assistance and to Katherine, Leo and Isabelle for pics.

Thanks to Leo for leading and heading up tonight's social.

Let's not forget a huge shout-out and pat on the back to our very own Martin who tonight reached his 100th deed. Thank. You.

And a big warm welcome to Jessica, whose first run it was. You did splendidly and we hope very much you'll join us next time!

And what's coming up...

• Next week we're back to the Royal London to join Nancy & co for some more hospital high jinx.

• And don't forget the GG legend that is Danny Cane has lined up some fabulous race volunteering for you, in exchange for free race places! Yes, you can join Danny’s new Hackney Half Broadway market aid station or volunteer with him at one of the Adidas City Run bag checks.

Right, that’s me for another week. Stay dry, everyone; enjoy your week, take the greatest of care, and hopefully we’ll see you very, very soon.

A chilly, two-task start to March

23 runners gathered this evening for two tasks to local community gardens.

We were lucky enough to have brilliant task force member Bryon leading one of our tasks to a new task, the Poets Corner Community Garden where task owner Tahera had prepared the task very carefully, complete with a fine array of snacks. The runners wasted no time in getting stuck in to the gardening task which included clearing, weeding, leaf-collecting...a mixed bag of gardening tasks. Said task owner Tahera of the runners after they'd finished, "They covered so much ground, you can really see the difference."

Meanwhile I led a group to Rocky Park on the Hollybush Estate where Margaret, Michael and Basil the dog had a wonderful selection of tasks for us all, including wood shifting for the bug house (as it sounds); clearing leaves and branches and redistributing various bits of plant debris to another part of the garden.

As the evening got chillier, the runners didn't stop and they worked tirelessly for 45 minutes.

We gathered for some final pics before being joined by Bryon's team at Middleton Green's basketball court for tonight's fitness session, where the runners performed even more amazingly, whizzing through a long session of marching tricep dips, v-sits (on a cold wall), skipping shuttle runs, prisoner lunges...and that's just to name a few.

And then we ran back to base, after a few finishing stretches, to say cheerio for another week.

What a start to March.

What's coming up

So, here's what's coming up...

• On Thursday, the phenomenal Redbridge are hosting the GG social in the centre of town. Details can be found here

• And next week, we head to Columbia Road Youth Hub for a brand new, indoor, decorating task. Followed by our monthyl social! It's all go. Details and sign-up are here.

And not forgetting...

And a big shout out to Bryon tonight for leading our second task, and taking some good pics, and to Polly for backmarking.

Have a brilliant week, everyone, and hope to see you soon.

A well planned task

A large group gathered this evening for this spectacular task. Yes, our first visit of 2020 to the magnificent Royal London Hospital, to join forces with the mighty Barts Volunteers saw us tackling a variety of tasks, beautifully and brilliantly organised by Nancy, Marufa and Richard.

It all started in style at the Town Hall Hotel as we celebrated Liz's 400th (well, 402nd, to be precise) deed, with her home made peanut butter and white chocolate blondies. I mean, that's quite a start to a night, isn't it?

And I guess it all went uphill from there. We enjoyed a chatty, fun run to the hospital, where we met the Barts Volunteers team who quickly dispatched us to no fewer than six tasks around the hospital.

SIX tasks!

Teams gathered in various different areas to:

• Litter-pick in Ashfield St
• Prune the flower beds at the front of A&E
• Chat to patients on the wards
• Distribute newspapers to patients
• Clean & sterilise children's toys
• Clean reception desks

It was the most varied, fun and brilliantly planned evening for us all.

And the runners completed the lot: "They've finished, they've blitzed Ashfield St of all that debris," an amazed Nancy said to me at 7.55pm.

"Yep, it was fun," said first time runner Jay, en route back to our meeting point, "Like a treasure hunt, but with rubbish."

And so we gathered for our cheerio pics, and a little word from Nancy before heading back to base in two groups playing the greyhound-and-hare game. Another amazing night.

BIG GG shout-outs tonight

• First up, amazing to have first time runners Jay, Laura, and Ellen with us. You were amazing! It was a busy first task for you all, and you did brilliantly. Please come back again very soon.

AND,

• Thank you to Bryon, for leading the greyhounds back to base; for heading up the speedy running group.
• Thank you to Jo and Stefan for backmarking en route to task.
• Thank you to our photographers tonight, Suraj, Sally, Si and Polly.
• Thank you to Jessica for tonight's fabulous pun.
• And thanks to Liz, for walk-leading tonight, and for beautiful brownies, and a huge congratulations on your 402nd deed.

What's coming up...

Right, are you ready? We have some good stuff coming up. Future FOMO kicking in? Quite right too. Here goes:

• First up, this coming Sunday, our very own Chi is leading an impromptu training session in Victoria Park for those who have, ahem, left their Big Half training a little late. Yep, it's The Big Half Sharpener, a training session guaranteed to boost confidence for the big day if nothing else. And this session is for all - you don't need to be running The Big Half to attend. All I'll say is, 'you snooze, you lose' with this one folks. Details are here.

• Now, moving onto next week, the 24th, we return to Limehouse Town Hall to start our work prepping the entrance hall. So, another one to get in your diary. Details and sign up are here.

• And then on February 27th, our mighty Task Force regular Leo is running the coolest Thursday Community Mission. Listen, this is one to take an annual leave day for. Join Leo and Katrina as they cheer on the school runners in the Mini Mermaids, Weavers Fields run. AMAZING, life enhancing stuff for you to get involved with. Details and sign up are here.

Right, that's it for another week. Have a wonderful week: stay warm, stay active, stay happy, stay connected and we hope to see you very soon.