19 GOODGYMERS ran 5km to help Single Homeless Project and Mildmay Community Centre!

Welcome along to Sarah and Carly whose first time it was last night!

In the news this week:

1. A massive well done to Steve Coman who recently hit 300 Good Deeds and has now completed 60 months straight of GG, that's 5 years! Amazing!
2. The GG Islington Xmas Party will be on Monday 17th December after our last group run, full details here.
3. There is a North London Long Run this Sunday led by Graham and Alix - all the details here.

Back to what happened last night... After warming up we split into two groups one going to Mildmay Community Centre and the other to the Single Homeless Projec.

Mildmay Report:

A team of 9 of us headed east, around Highbury Fields and through Canonbury to Mildmay Community Centre.

Once arrived at the centre Teena showed us what needed doing, we were continuing our work from two weeks ago. Now with the beds cleared of roots and hedges we could get to stage two.

Armed with gloves and forks we dug out any weeds and twigs, and turned over the soil. Once that was done across both beds we emptied fresh bags of compost into the beds, this will be ready for spring planting. After taking a group picture we headed home to meet the other group and eat bourbons.

Double Tasking, double fun

SHP Report by Steve Lee:

The team led by Kike and Steve with Alix kindly back-marking ran a similar distance to Paul’s team on an unusually warm and thankfully dry December night. On arriving at the Single Homeless Project we were presented with our challenge - a mini-mountain of mulch to be moved.

After a quick ‘before’ photo we distributed tools and set about filling wheelbarrows and sacks with increasingly warm and steamy mulch, which will make their lovely big back garden even lovelier. Alix and Steve got all zen with some raking, as delivery after delivery of mulch was ferried from the huge pile in the driveway to the back of the garden.

Big shout to those who got their workout on and opted to carry sacks when the wheelbarrows were in use, meaning that by the end of the session we’d made a substantial dent in Mulch Mountain.

Tools down, a quick ‘after' photo and a brisk jog around the Arsenal stadium before a stretch and being reunited with Paul Bown’s team, and, of course, the biscuits. Well done all!

Sign up here for next week when you'll be off to a different Single Homeless Project site, I'm on holiday but Steve Lee will be leading.

PB out

20 Goodgymers ran 5km to help the Rose Bowl sweep leaves - plus finished with a time trial!

Welcome along to newbie Tim whose first time it was last night, lovely to have you join us!

In the news this week:

1. GG London Xmas Party - it's this Saturday down in Southwark! Get your fancy dress costumes out and get ready to sing wham! If you haven't signed up please do and if you haven't paid the £4 please also do that - both ASAP.
2. GG Raceteam has two London Marathon places, you need to be part of the raceteam and have your name down if you'd like a chance - email graham@goodgym.org for more details
3. GG Islington Xmas Party will be after the last group run of the year on the 17th December, we'll be going for an Italian - bring your Christmas hat!

Back to what happened last night, after warming up we split into two groups. James led a team of 6 to leaflet for the This Girl Can Running Group in Islington, they dropped the leaflets on the way to the Rose Bowl.

The rest of us went straight to the Rose Bowl Community Centre via Higbury Fields and Balls Pond Road. This is a fantastic centre that looks provides education programmes, activities and counselling services to young people in the community. They've got a fantastic quad area and garden that is well used but at this point covered in leaves!

Party Ring Nostalgia

Our job was simple but big, to collect up as many leaves as possible across the space. Armed with brooms, rakes, shovels and bags we split into groups to get the job done. While everyone filled bags upon bags of leaves, a team of 5 was cutting back bamboo, trees and weeds - nice! Fuelled by hob nobs and party rings everyone smashed 30 mins of hard work. Well done!

After taking a group picture we headed back home slightly a different way and then did our monthly time trial!

Sign up for next week here when we will be returning to Mildmay Community Centre

PB out

24 Goodgymers ran 4km to help Single Homeless Project shift 5 tonnes of woodchip!!

Corrrrrrr........ what an evening!!!

We didn't have any newbies this week but several 2nd timers and plenty of regulars - thanks for coming as ever.

In the news this week:

1. Sign up to Islington's Community Mission helping Crouch End Open Spaces, this finishes with a picnic that they provide.
2. Well done to James, Frances and Claire who did a marathon, 15k and 6k respectively, in Porto last weekend!
3. Well done to Steve, Frances and the GG Raceteam for doing the Cross Country at the weekend - more details about up coming fixtures here.

The evening started with me explaining that I couldn't hear very well in my left ear and that my right hamstring was sore, I was imbalanced but just fine as always ha.

After warming up we headed to Higbury Fields and over the other side to Canonbury where Single Homeless Project have a house on Grosvenor Road. This wonderful charity help look after homeless people from the local community. The garden is essential for their work, where residents will learn how to plant and garden, plus they use the space for counselling sessions.

Putting the Gym in GoodGym!

Our task was simple but big, we had to get 5 tonnes of the lovely steaming woodchip from the parking space across the road to the back garden of the house. The only issue was the road, everyone had to be aware of the traffic and we had traffic wardens to watch out for people crossing.

Grouped into three; with 5 people at the back garden with headtorches, 12 strong people in the middle making a chain through the house/stairs and street and finally a team of 6 shovelling woodchip into bags. The task was relentless and physical for everyone, with all working hard to get the job done. I estimate that 150+ bags of woodchip must have passed through the chain, with the empties coming back to be refilled.

Over 40 minutes we completed the task and made Regina very pleased! Well done all. After taking a group picture we ran a slightly longer way home and stretched out.

Sign up for next here when we'll be helping Mildmay Community Centre.

PB out

30 GoodGymers helped Freightliners City Farm, ran 5km and did a fitness session!

Welcome along to newbies Jenny, Evelyn, Rose and Lily - whose first time it was last night, hope you enjoyed it! Also welcome to Pete, GG Stockport Runner, who was doing a bit of tourism last night!

In the news this week:

1. Come along to the last Thursday social of the year this week in Bethnal Green - see full details here.
2. November's Long Run is on Saturday 17th November along the wonderful Southwark Circle led by the fantastic Frances - see more info here.
3. Lastly of course is the GG Christmas Party - gonna be lots of fun! What woman will I dress as this year?

Corrrrr what a fun evening, we were off to the amazing Freightliners City Farm where Liz (Farm Manager) was on fireworks watch as the animals can understandably get a bit jumpy around with all that banging! On our run there we did a little run around Highbury Fields and arrived at the farm ready for work! While everyone chilled out with the animals Liz explained the tasks to me:

Team Poo: Remember Remember the Poo of November.... A strong team of 10 armed with gloves, wellies and forks worked hard to shovel and fork poo over three piles. Essentially new strawy poo was put on top of the older firmer poo on pile number one, the task was to fork the top layer of strawy poo from pile number one to pile two and three. It was steamy, it was smelly but the team did amazingly well.

Scrub-a-dub, pub

Team Scrub: Another team of 10 was tasked with scrubbing and cleaning the classroom floor next to the indoor animal enclosures. Firstly the team took and carried out tables, chairs and more so they could fully assess the floor. Then using a combo of hot water, paper-towl and scrubbing cloths to clean the floor - and wow that floor was dirty! Good work guys!

Team Everything Else: The remaining 10 people shifted bags of debris and wooden rubbish into a van, plus they swept and raked leaves and straw around the gardens, yard and animal pens.

Once we were finished we headed off to the Emirates for a round of circuits, a fartlek session and biscuit time! This was beautifully followed by sparklers fun and a trip to the pub - thanks for organising Graham :)

Sign up for the next week here, we are off to shift 5 tonnes of woodchip/mulch for The Single Homeless Project.

PB out.