Anne ran 7 kms to meet Richard in Brookwood . We set up an enormous train track to allow children with ADHD/Autism to play in a safe environment.

It is sad to know that this session will be the last one in Brookwood: Richard, who manages "All Aboard Club", has not been able to get funding for this setting. But we were even more enthusiastic to create one of the best track! Three more volunteers came and we worked together for the beautiful result!

We wish "All Aboard Club" the best for the future and hope to be able to run/walk/cycle to Brookwood in order to build more tracks together.

All Aboard Club

This morning Wayne headed off to Brookwood at the all aboard club where he met up with Richard who runs the club 😊

Together with two other volunteers 35 chairs were put around the hall for parents to sit ad watch the kids enjoy the train track. Then the building began, between the 5 of us a very creative track with plenty of loops was created which would keep the kids entertained for the morning 🚂

All Aboard Club 🚋

All Aboard Club were back after the summer break and this morning Wayne & Stephanie joined Richard and his fellow volunteers at Brookwood to help; set up the train track for the kids to enjoy ❤️

The first task was was put out 20 chairs around the hall for the parents to sit and watch the kids have fun, once this was done the fun began. This was Stephanie first time helping out at All Aboard and she got stuck in.

We all started at different corners of the hall and started to lay the track hoping that at some point we will all connect up. The great thing about this task is you can not do it wrong every time we do this the track looks different 🚂 and today it looked great with many twist and turns and plenty of bridges. 😄

After the success of our mission on Sunday with WEAct, Julie organised another GoodGym task along the Hoe Valley. Alys (and her little dog Quinn), Julie, Kirsty, Anne and Wayne, sorry, Adam ran to meet Richard in Mayford.

Richard is well known to GoodGym Woking as we often go and help him set up the railway tracks for the monthly “All Aboard Club” sessions which he runs for SEN children. This time it was Richard’s first GG mission without his “All Aboard” cap. We were all delighted when he let us use all the gardening tools he had brought with him!

Julie and Anne realised that the WEAct team had cleared all the Himalayan balsam in the areas we had planned to work on. But after a few metres of running, we found more to deal with.

Firstly, Julie asked for volunteers to cut back one of the bushes which encroached the path, allowing better access for walkers and runners. Richard and Wayne, oops, Adam did so diligently.

Armed with a long handle tool, Kirsty opened the path. Kirsty had warned everyone to cover their arms and legs to avoid being stung by nettles. Guess who forgot that covering your ankles was just as important? (no other comments). Poor Wayne, sorry again, Adam might not have read Kirsty’s messages. But this did not stop him tackling the nettles with enthusiasm. I wonder how his limbs are feeling this morning.

We pulled out a large patch of the invasive Himalayan balsam while discovering more as we worked up the path. We will return before the plants produce their seeds to try and limit their invasion. Julie will keep the WEAct team of our task.

The group ran back to our meeting point, fighting mosquitoes and calling Alys’s dog “This way”, which he is responding well to, every time he was taking another route.

Adam, we know your name really and apologise for calling you Wayne all evening!

Will you be joining us this coming Sunday to help Woking junior parkrun?

Happy running to you all.

All Aboard Club

This mornings All Aboard session in Brookwood was the last one until September 😒

Wayne & Anne met Richard and the rest of the volunteers at the community hall to set up the last session of the term 😊

Todays train track looked amazing as it was the last one the imagination and creativity came flooding out amongst all the volunteers 🚂

Anne ran to the task doing a total of 8k run 🏃‍♀️

Further volunteering opportunities for All Aboard Club will resume from September 😊😊

A lone GoodGymer put on his greasy overalls and headed to the London Transport Museum Depot this morning. Sevan met with the team from All Aboard Club and had the pleasure of placing the sign on the road to direct today's attendees up to the depot. On the way back, a child who was very early asked if he could go and play already - an hour before opening time - so Sevan had to tell him to be patient and keep watching the passing tube trains. There's a perfectly placed bench to do just that.

Up in the track building area, loops were the order of the day. Sevan created 2 that then evolved during the build, with more and more people coming along and adding bits. Unlike most All Aboard Club sessions, the track was ready 20 minutes before doors opened. So early that not even the children who sneak up the stairs ahead of time had turned up yet. All of the builders had a few minutes to sit back (next to the fan) and appreciate what they'd created.

So, what happened to the boy who was so eager that he was outside an hour early? He wasn't the first one in, nor the second. He was number 3 and went straight to the box of locomotives and carriages to make his perfect train. Maybe the big trains outside held his attention for a bit too long.

This morning was mine and Callum's first mission in Woking, supporting the wonderful work of the All Aboard team in Brookwood. We got stuck in, building the tracks with the team, letting our creative brains chug along. It was very inspiring to see the children enjoying the team's work, in a space where they can relax and express themselves. This is such important work, bravo!