Alas a big beginners session that was neither big nor featured any beginners! This one truly hung in the balance again today as we continue the cold snap and battle through January but four of us layered up and kept the good vibes coming.

It feels like a while since we were last at the fabulous Stepney Bank Stables and amazingly after so many times helping out here, today we were given a task we have never done before. I am glad we were all sufficiently wrapped up as today's job was outside in the container- basically like being in a big fridge in the car park.

After saying hello to the horses including super cute Sid and Sam, we got cracking with the task: weighing out and bagging feed using the two large (and fragrant) hay bales. It took us a little while to get into stride, checking the amount needed for each horse, bagging up, weighing, adjusting, weighing again. It was a really physical one today, easily the equivalent of about 100 sit ups and squats.

With about five minutes to spare, I remembered we also needed to log a litter pick to continue the relay, so I dashed off and cleared the entrance to the Stables car park too. Phew!

One last time for 2024, tonight we gathered at Stepney Bank Stables ready for our group run. We were really excited to have newbie Alice along for her first ever GoodGym session, and very impressed that she chose the last one of the year - she assured us it was the promise of the after-task social!

With Jack and Louise meeting us at the task, the rest of us made our way up the hill and along to Recyke where lots of tidying up jobs were waiting for us. We have been to Recyke countless times in the past but not for a few months, and returning to this brilliant huge space always feels like coming home! We had three main jobs to do: sweep out the workshop, tidy the wall of wheels and sort out the donations.

The wheel wall was one of the most challenging as it’s a tight squeeze and takes a lot of patience and manoeuvring but within no time it was expertly organised by Paula, Louise and Scott. I just wish I’d taken a “before” shot!

While Richard, Lucy and Alice swept, Max, Jack and Aimee got stuck into organising the turbo trainers and handlebars and before long the whole workshop looked clear, clean and sparkling. Another one of those jobs that takes us no time but makes a huge difference.

A much swifter walk back closed off the session- was it the fact it’s downhill or because the pub was waiting at the end?

If you want to squeeze one more good deed in, Louise is hosting another foodbank session tomorrow. Join in to ensure your place on the Nice List.

What a lovely, wholesome start to the week at GoodGym Newcastle! Meeting up at Strawberry Lane for the last time in 2024, a group of five of us headed off to support a project at Newcastle University, where we hadn’t done a task in a good few years!

Aimee was leading the welcome and the walk this evening for her fitness leader training and it was lovely to sit back and let her take the reins. We celebrated Jack’s tenth good deed and marvelled at his accident prone past few days. It felt busy in town for our walk to the task- a combination of Northern Lights traffic and Christmas shoppers making it a bustle through the crowds.

We were met by lovely Fran who had prepared two tasks for us in a warm haven in the students union - complete with a sweetie tray as a thank you! The tasks tonight both supported poorly children in hospital over Christmas- writing cards for the Post Pals initiative (Jack’s choice) and making Wiggly Bags for children in the RVI, these cute little bags holding medication lines for the children to keep the lines safe and look more child-friendly- this option taken by Aimee, Lucy, Scott and me.

I couldn’t believe how fast the time went tonight as we were so deep into the task- concentration definitely needed for these activities! Jack created three beautiful cards while we made four Wiggly Bags in the time we had. Very satisfying stuff.

A fast-paced fitness session (and if you believe that you believe anything) wrapped up the evening with a great little stretch routine led again expertly by Aimee. Truly a fab start to the week.

We have a bonus daytime community mission at the foodbank tomorrow, and some Urban Green goodness this Saturday before being back for our final group run of the year next week.

A very different sort of task for us today as we learned the skills needed to operate some powerful pieces of equipment for future tasks. Excellent Urban Green Newcastle ranger Isaac put us through our paces today to help us to understand using hedge cutters, large leaf blowers and strimmers, so that in future UGN park tasks we can help to do more. This was a really informative session with lots to learn that will really help us to make the most of our time in Newcastle green spaces in the coming months. Thank you UGN!

A big welcome to Patrick who joined us for the first time today, we really hope to see you back to help us make a difference again soon.