Last night 12 runners ran 2km to tidy up the gardens at Cossall Park Estate

Wednesday is our favourite! Why? GoodGym of course!

Gathering at Old Spike Roastery as usual we prepared ourselves for another hump-day evening of getting fit and doing good.

A big smiley hello and welcome to Victoria who came to join us for the first time last night!

After a warm up we set off to Cossall Park Estate where we loitered by the Tenants and Residents Association Hall where the weekly youth club looked like they were having a great time running around. Shortly after we met Jaki and Alan of Friends of Cossall Park and Kirkwood Nature Reserve who split us into two groups - one clearing up the courtyard by the TRA Hall and a larger group went out to the raised beds around the corner to do some weeding. Tools and biodegradable compost bags at the ready, we got to work. As it's 1km out to Cossall Estate we had a good amount of time to get as much work as possible done. After half an hour the courtyard was spotless and the raised beds in a much better state. The courtyard group spotted some huge worms (see photo) and Lianne pretended to be a giant glowworm. I think it's fair to say we had fun! We thanked Jaki and Alan, posed for a group photo and treated ourselves to the refreshments that had kindly been provided. Girija enjoyed a particularly fancy glass of mango rubicon. Don't mind if I do!

Having executed our volunteering flashmob and enjoyed some snacks we went around the corner for a quick fitness session. It was planks, squats, jumping jacks, mountain climber galore. Heart rates sufficiently raised we headed back to base.

Well done on a great task everyone, Jaki was delighted with everything we got done.

See you next week! Lucy J

14 runners ran 6km to do their bodies a good deed in Southwark

This week's news:

• The monthly GoodGym social is in Greenwich this week - from 18.30 at the Greenwich Tavern - sign up here. We're celebrating International Women's Day and there will of course be the highly anticipated International Pun of the Month.

• Next week we're laying fresh beds at Bee Urban - sign up now.

• Sign up for the Sunday mission to help out with lunch for the homeless at KCL - for more info look here.

• Next week we're going to the White Horse after the group run - sign up here

A huge cheer and woop for the Southwark runners who took part in the Big Half last weekend!

Unfortunately Camden Society could no longer have us last night (don't worry, we'll be back!) but taskless doesn't mean heartless so we set off into the night for our scheduled run (plus a bit) and a fitness session. Arriving at our urban gym the groups split into two - one half went indian file running around the court whilst the other half did some conditioning - squats, plank and lunges. The two groups joined forces at the end to form one huge indian file and whizz round the courts three times. It was quite a sight!

Then it was onto the Sally Squat Challenge (we love you Sally!). Google it, you'll see what I mean. The group did an amazing job of the challenge and had an audience of an entire train that stopped above us just to marvel at our squatting skills.

A big welcome to Theo and Vinayak who joined us for the first time!

A fantastic evening in spite of no task! Can't wait to see you next week.

Lucy J

Last night 21 GoodGymers ran 4k to weed at Grove Park Allotments

A whopping three times more people than last week gathered at Old Spike Roastery last night to spend their Wednesday night getting fit and doing some good.

Big shout out and a cheer for Annemie and Simran who made this their first ever GoodGym run!

We headed off 2km down an unfamiliar route to meet Liz at Grove Park Allotments. On the way we stopped twice - once to sit in a primal squat (try it when you're brushing your teeth) and once to set against the wall (see photo) - building stronger legs for all that running! GoodGym Southwark has visited Grove Park many times over the years and is particularly fond of their beekeeper Gian Franco who is as passionate about his bees as he is about sustainability. We look forward to seeing him in the coming months! Liz let us loose on her tools and showed us the path that needed weeding and an empty lot that needed clearing of rubbish. There was also an opportunity to strim but sadly the spool wasn't quite right and in spite of valiant efforts to fix it, there was no strimming to be had.

Whilst everyone was weeding and strimming, Liz took Helena round to search out pinhole cameras she'd set up in various places to keep an eye on the wildlife. Remembering where they had been placed in the dark was harder than expected! The weeds were swept up into biodegradable bags and after 30 mins of hard work we'd filled quite a few!

We waved goodbye to Liz and set off back down the hill to base.

A great task and a great way to spend your Wednesday evening. Well done team!

Keep running happy, Lucy J

13 Goodgymers braved the icey night to run 7.6km and help out in nature.

We started the evening off with an update on the latest news and events. The biggest news being the long-time Goodgym Lucy had been selected as Southwark’s new trainer. Hooray!

After the task briefing, we headed over to the grass opposite to warm-up. We certainly needed it as it was already pretty chilly. After lunges and clambering over gates in the imaginary countryside we headed off on the 3.8k run to the task. The run included a couple of fitness exercises dropped in along the way.

We had been asked to visit Galleywall Nature Reserve - a lovely slice of nature slotted in-between the high rise buildings. Alan and Ollie asked us to help spread wood chip on flower beds around the pond. Plus, create a seating area out of logs, then stack up the remaining logs to make a bug house and the replenish the fire wood pile.

After 25 minutes the logs were sorted and the flower beds cover, so we had a quick biscuit break and a group photo. It was then time to head back to base and off to the pub for some!

The key-shaped trainer baton has been passed to Lucy now. Watch this space to see where the first task with her will be.

Happy running!

This week, GG Southwark had a change of scene, a long run to bike heaven and a paper chase around the borough.

On this very cold mid January eve, GG southwark were tasked with running the 1.7mile route to Peckham BMX club, to help with some much needed promotion and leaflet dropping.

After a change up of scene, our base for welcomes was instead at the gorgeous little restaurant TUPI on Peckham Rye road. However, we soon outgrew our quaint little abode as who knew peckham goodgym would be such a success on such a cold night with 21 runners in toe!!!

After housekeeping we donned our winter warmers and set to foot on the first leg. With Ed and his pigeon back from honeymoon, it was of course a very fast pack pace at the front. But leading from the back I had just as fierce of a team and managed to get everyones best efforts all the way to task.

Meeting us at the track was CK our host, who wasted no time handing over the stacks and stacks of glossy papers promoting this excellent community club.

With a plan to achieve maximum distributions on route back, the groups ran hard and fast, posting all the way. Thankfully the park is surrounded by a ton of awesome block estates. Therefore we carried out some excellent tempo sprint/jog efforts, all the way round the hood.

As the cold drew in, we switched up directions and spent the next 35mins pavement pounding, heading for home & of course hitting up letter boxes wherever we could.

It was certainly a night to get pulses racing as well as legs. With distances dashed, in a flash, we were done. The end of another goodgym in glorious Peckham.

OMG could it be ? A bumper batch of 23 ? Running miles, all with smiles, to Camberwell from Peckham for baby bank heaven.

It was a wondrous sight indeed what befell my eyes this eve, as one by one the bright and beaming faces of the southwark GG crew rocked in through the doors of Old Spike.

Joining the ranks of rad regulars were a totally fantastic, completely boombastic double digits gang of newbies galore!!!! Hurrahhhhh

So after warm welcomes to old and new and a Goodgym share and spiel for good measure, we had a quick 5mins for announcements at base with Beth; Who kindly reminding the troops to track their runs on strava so we meet our January targets for the big GG Drive. Yes!!! Come on team get logging!!

After all housekeeping was done, we head out into the chill to tackle the 1.7mile route towards our hosts for the eve - The Salvation Army Camberwell and their bank of baby clothes for sorting.

Leading out the ranks I cruised with my crew the first mile with ease, but we knew what was lurking round the corner...... The infamous Grove Park hill!! But do you know what, we hit that first hill hard and with my fave power couple Rob and Sarah up front, there was no stopping the pace or sense of determination as the whole squad dashed off the first leg in no time at all!!! YAY

Arriving at our destination in well under 30mins, we were greeted by our ever so grateful and smiling hosts who were so very happy for our help!! The jobs at hand, our lovely task leader explained, were sorting and clearing the donations of children's clothing, moving the large objects up to the loft and labeling the canned food goods before stacking away.

Much to do and not a whole lot a nothing, in fact, there was a whole lotta something for everyone to get stuck into, so stick and stack we did and the task was underway.

Splitting the crew (as I said - there was in fact much to do), we ploughed through the mountains of baby grows and knitted cardies galore, not to mention all the peculiar slogan tees; Our favs being ‘Chick magnet’ and ‘lock away your daughters’ looks like the new batch of Youngers growing up in Southwark will be a big old bunch of Romeos!!!

So back to the tasks at hand and we were well and truly in the mix, sorting, folding and rolling to make room in the boxes that filled up fast!! Over on the other side (and dangerously close to the big box of leftover Xmas choccys I might add) Beth and Hanna led the second group troops in the labeling and shelf stacking of canned and boxed goods alike.

With all the action 35mins seemed to fly by, like a stalk on delivery day and BOOM before I knew it, the countdown was upon me!!! 3,2,1 and we're done!! Having made a huge impact on the big piles and completely finished the canned element of the task as well!! Amazing!!!

So with tasks well and truly wrapped and the countdown timer chiming its last chime, we bid our fond farewells and.......ok one last chocolate for the road before we were turning on our heels and off once more.

Route home was swift, even though there was yet again.... Another hill to tackle!!! Yes, She is a tough one, but the encouragement and smiles all the way, made us mad for the madam and the goodgym cheer flowed happily all the way home!!!

Stretches finished the eve and after those hills we were pleased, but sad to say goodbye, until next week.

A Fabulous evening filled with big love, big efforts and big vibes - Its GG Southwark of course, I expect nothing less!!!!

See you next time x x x x

DO GOOD. FEEL GOOD. INSPIRE

Knock, knock. Who's there? Hydrate. Hydrate who? Hydrate you 10 out of 10, Hounslow!

Ahem. Last night's sterling effort from Hounslow saw 12 runners tackle a local resident association's rubbish problem, run just over 5k, and smash out some conditioning exercises along the way.

First we cheered our lovely new member Hardip who joined her for her first run last night. Great to have you with us Hardip!

We also said a big well done to Remy who nears her epic goal of 24 half marathons in one year by smashing a cobbly Lancaster course at the weekend (way to go!) and reminded everyone to sign up for the GoodGym Christmas party on the 8th December.

During our dynamic warm up we found out what everybody eats on Christmas day, or the celebration day of their choice. Yes, there were a few turkeys, but there was also duck, goose, a veggie alternative, pigs in blankets, pasta and a chinese takeaway. Delicious.

Then it was time for the run. Our first stop was 2.5k away where there was a pile of litter pickers, bags and gloves waiting for us. The local residents were fed up with their roads being covered in rubbish, and we had been given three areas to tackle. We split the group into two, and got stuck in.

Working hard in our red and black tshirts it seems like we were a pretty good advert for GoodGym, as several people stopped to find out what we were doing and say thanks, including one women with three amazing dogs that we all decided was a very good reward for our work. Five full bin bags and a whole load of cleaner streets later, we returned our litter pickers and set off back for home. There was some nice sprinting along the way, and only that pesky train could stop us in our tracks.

5k later we were back at our starting point and stretching out all our hard work. Next week we're beating the cold at an indoor task with a nice 6k run in total. Sign up here to spend your Wednesday the GoodGym way!

Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us, happy birthday dear Hounslow, happy birthday to us!

That's right, the Hounslow group is officially ONE. We have taken our first wobbly steps into the world of doing good, and have the quads to prove it. Last night was truly a night of celebrations. We cheered Andy who shares his GoodGymiversary with Hounslow, and Will who was also at the first ever group run. We welcomed the lovely Jeremy to the group for his first ever run - throw a cheer his way, Hounslow! A huge well done to Remy who tackled the horrendous-sounding Luton half and showed that race what for.

After a discussion on the best thing about birthdays - cake, friends, joy, cake, gin, gin and wine,having a whole week off work, cake and more cake - we did our warm up and set off for William Hogarth School. It was a short run there so we did it fairly nippily, looking forward to our indoor task. Unfortunately, when we got there ready to do some flatpack assembly, we found that Ikea had literally not delivered, so we were tasked with raking the outside area which was providing a nice home for many, many leaves.

Undeterred we got stuck in, filling up no less than seven black bin bags to the brim with those leafy pests. Great upper body work out, team. We stopped for a quick photo underneath the apt 'celebration of work' banner and then hit the road again. It was so nice of Hounslow to put on a fireworks display for our first birthday just as we finished the run, and it was only right that we stopped for a quick rest to enjoy them.

But not for long - we had a birthday fitness session to do! We divided up into three teams and played a game of Ana(erobic)grams. The idea was that everybody collects letters by doing exercises - one tuck jump for every good deed, high knees while naming Hounslow tasks, guessing the number of good deeds, planking if you were at the first ever run, high fiving someone whose name began with 'R' and many more - until all 15 were collected. Then came the great unscramble. It really came down to the wire, but it is my pleasure to announce that in first place, winning a round of drinks, was.....the Chizzee Rascals! Way to go Andy, Will, Natasha and Claudia.

All that was left that a trip to the pub for the quiz - kudos Team BetterGym for coming SECOND! - and to eat some cake. Except it didn't quite happen like that, did it? Least said, soonest mended - but check out the photos for the full story.

It's been a cracker of a year, Hounslow. Here's the the next, and the one after, and the one after that. And a huge cheer for all your brilliant personal achievements over the past week.