Welcome to Robert for your first GoodGym Manchester session 👏 Great to meet you.

This evening was a bit different. After being approached by Natalie Kate Moss Trust, a charity raising funds and awareness for the treatment and prevention of brain haemorrhages, we combined GoodGym with their Brain Gym resources to get us thinking about our brain health and lifestyle. As part of that, we covered ~4.5 km from St Peter's Square around via Hulme, University of Manchester, Ardwick, and circling back to Sandbar. The combination of a brisk jog and social interaction both forming a significant aspect of the Brain Gym suggestions 🧠

We had bumper numbers this evening, with Scott fresh from a speedy Media City Half Marathon, Hazel joining from Stockport, Peter back from Sri Lanka, Tanoshi and Fanette joining for their 1st Monday night group run, Robert, a journeyman of Bath and Merton GoodGym groups, and regulars Sam and Ben.

We self-quizzed ourselves on the Brain Gym recommendations, including taking small steps, keeping a record or journal, having a support network, "colouring our plate" for food, and keeping a good sleeping routine. All this while enjoying refreshments and tasty pizza at Sandbar (some were more colourful than others) and discussing a potential Mam Tor litter pick in the spring... watch this space 💪

Welcome to Scott for the first time this evening! Best of luck in the Media City Half Marathon this weekend 🏃‍♂️

This evening was our monthly foodbank run, to donate spare items to Manchester South-Central foodbank to go towards food parcels. With half term next week, there is often an increased demand, so we tried to squeeze a donation in. Some items donated included:

• Tinned tuna 🐟
• Tinned spaghetti 🍝
• Tinned veg 🥕🥒🥔
• UHT milk 🥛
• Rice 🍚
• Rice pudding
• Pasta sauce 🍝
• Tinned soup 🍲

We covered ~4.8 km in total, making our way through Hulme to the donation point at the big ASDA. On the way back, we had a quick tour via Man Met University and a loop near Manchester Central Convention Centre.