it is December after all, so some chocolates & mince pies do seem appropriate for our last visit to the baby bank for 2025...

7 Goodgymmers made their way on foot & by bus down to the Cornerstone Church to meet Adam and get stuck into the bags of clothing to be sorted as usual.

Job done, goodbyes said.

A very productive session this morning to spruce up the planters at Hainault station:

• Sharon was in charge of a big job of picking out the rubbish and cigarette butts and also sweeping someone's attempt at 'help' (someone scooped out a lot of cigarette butts out of the planters onto the floor underneath!). Sharon also topped up the fresh soil and got rid of some of the dried out weeds. great job!
• I was in charge of the full watering and filling of the water reservoirs, it was definitely a workout and by the end my arms were in pain!

great good deed on Sunday morning! Next step is to get some fresh autumn flowers to brighten up the planters.

As usual it was a great session at Frenford Foodbank. Good Gymmers and non members as working together as one big convivial team. Ed, Linda and Peter were there early busily setting up, before getting stuck into packing. AJ did a great job packing and mentoring some young-uns. Vicky cycled in and, despite being flustered from getting a little lost on the way, threw herself straight in to packing. Sharon did a sterling job calling some of the users to find out what they needed.

We were all finished and tidied up by lunchtime, well done to all of us 🥳. Sorry not many photos. I really must start nominating a photographer when I set these things up 🤦‍♀️

Using one of Ed's legendary Marshalling phrases for the report title to celebrate his 200th parkrun volunteer session. 🥳

Originally reluctantly dragged to his first parkrun in July 2019 (by Linda in the hope he might take up running) Ed opted to volunteer and was immediately hooked. Soon his enthusiasm and witty encouraging phrases became legendary among not only the parkrun community but spread to other local running groups.

With Ed proudly taking up his usual post as car park marshal the rest of us were scattered around the course taking on a variety of jobs, marshaling, VI walker, timekeeping, token giver and bar-code scanning. The Run Director bigged up Eds achievement during the briefing instructing runners to cheer him back as he cheered them on the way round- which I am reliably informed they did.

We came together at the end, with some of us assisting with the close down before settling in a corner of the children's playground for a cup of something and a bite to eat. Sadly Colin couldn't make it this week but sent his stand in Wiggles instead 🐛