For tonight's run we headed out on mass covering an impressive 1km to get to Scarcroft Allotments. The really fit ones then carried on an extra 300 metres to Wild Things Forest School!

At Scarcroft we were given two tasks. Team 1 were asked to move some sleepers (I'm sure we moved these very same sleepers not long ago...). In goodgym style this took about 5 minutes so we were asked to move some brash and woodchip to keep us busy. It wasn't long before team 2 arrived back having been given the job of carrying sheds down the hill. We then moved onto smashing these up (I think Nikki had had a bad day as given the gusto with which she yeilded a hammer!) The last job (which Rob said would be too difficult - has he ever met us?) was to prise apart the ruins of a burnt out shed. No problem for us!

Meanwhile at the forest school...

The group of 9 that headed over to wild things forest school had a range of physical tasks to get stuck in to. The first was to chop up some old Christmas trees to lay a bed for the wood chip that was to be spread on top. Nicola was shown which areas needed doing and everyone else got to work chopping trees or shifting the bark chip around. Meanwhile Ed got to work with some pallet splitting using a fancy pallet splitting tool. Fortunately, despite a few near misses, no nails ended up in anyone's feet even after Rich joined in with the destruction.

It was then time for a creative team photo, seeing how many people we could fit on a giant tree trunk, before heading over to Scarcroft Green for a beasting from Vicky!

After the beasting we jogged or walked back to base then a few stayed on to quench their thirst.

Spirits were high tonight as we continued our excellent start to 2026 with another great turnout. Ed, clearly struggling from over-indulging at weekend, just about remembered what to do for the group run intro as we celebrated all those that had helped out at another hugely successful York Community Woodland parkrun, especially run director Michael 💪

I'm not being held responsible for a load of wet trainers - Ruth

After numbering off and much debate about whether the river path was open, Rich led out a small walking group, whilst Ed led the main group backmarked by Vicky and Babs. There was a little bit of confusion when we arrived as Ed and task owner Nicola hadn't agreed exactly where we would be meeting at Millennium Fields, so we gambled on a light in the distance belonging to Nicola and not a dog walker.

I was never sure whether I was supposed to be the bird or the bee - Rich

Fortunately the gamble paid off and we were soon being led down to an area that we had worked on previously where apparently the bird and bee seeds had been hugely successful. Cue some interesting conversations about the birds and bees and even bears!

Meanwhile a small splinter group featuring Jane, Daniel, Kit and Jamie got to work turning over the compost bays that have been a bit of a staple of good gym millennium fields tasks over the years. This time with the added challenge of just having 2 spades between them.

Another group armed with trowels got to work on the bee bank although I'm not entirely sure exactly what it was they were doing, but i was informed by Abi that it was very good for a particular type of butterfly 🦋

Once enough seeds were sown it was then time for a quick fitness session involving running around and getting into different sized groups depending on the number that Ed shouted out. There's still some confusion over exactly how many people were at the session tonight with every number seemingly dividing well enough to not leave anyone without a group 🤔

Stef, Abigail, Laura and David tidied up the beds at Holgate Community Garden around the raspberry canes. Abigail litter picked around the garden and the condition of the sleepers on the raised beds were also assessed and some measured up for replacement - a future task.

Woolly hat day! (according to Mikhael, but the rest of us didn't get the memo :))

After a lovely(i) evening, Sunday dawned grey and mizzly. Having whipped the hostel back into shape in the nick of time, we were treated to the shortest(ii) ever task commute known to a GG weekend(iii). The lovely folks at the RSPB are now responsible for looking after the historic Sherwood Forest, and were prepared with a whole host of jobs for us to undertake. They seemed unduly concerned about the poor weather, where it was now definitely raining, but we(iv) insisted we were sufficiently hardly and would carry on regardless.

Volunteers were requested for various weeding, de-leafing and edge clearing tasks around the visitors centre itself, the polishing of remembrance plaques on the Tree of Life installation, and litter picking in the great forest itself. In a break from tradition we assembled for a group photo at the start of the task(v), before going our merry (wo/men) ways, and setting about our work. It is fair to say that some folks were more tired(vi) than others after a busy weekend, but Bec as ever was keen and raring to go. "I've got a fork and I want to weed, but I don't know where!" The answer being between the Robin Hood statue and the bin store, naturally.

A good-sized group made a cracking job of neatening up all the edging of the lovely smooth path surfaces(vii) and clearing leaves from the surrounding grassy areas, armed with very shiny yellow rakes and turf edgers. Many(viii) wheelbarrows of leaves were relocated and encouraged that they would much prefer their new homes, and the overall effect was a definite improvement(ix) . Lured by the combination of "brasso" and "overhang" Debs and Jen found their way to the Tree of Life, and Debs explained her affiliation for polishing shiny things. Alas two plaques were out of reach, but all the rest are now gleaming(x) in their remembrance of lovely humans for whom this was a special place. From up above the voices of Mitch and Paul drifted down, as they found more edges to attend to. Our final team of hardy hoods-up do-gooders set off into the forest, litter pickers in hand. It has to be one of our more scenic places for a little pick, but fortunately it seemed that they had to try quite hard to find litter, digging deep into the soggy undergrowth. Steve did a doubly good job of not only finding two footballs, but somehow managing to give them away to good homes too!

As the jobs came to an end(xi), various folks took the opportunity to explore the forest, making the lengthy(xii) pilgrimage to the legendary Major Oak, whilst bagging yet more kilometers for the January Challenge. Meanwhile some of our younger(xiii) members enjoyed the many delights of the fabulous visitors centre and cafe. Birthday girl Katie showed off her skills with a bow and arrow to great effect.

As lunchtime approached, and the parents(xiv) summoned their young outlaws reluctantly back out the forest, it was time to head home after a cracking weekend. Hot baths and 2 hour naps were on the cards, but the warmth of doing good with excellent humans will last much longer.

(i) Unless you were Amy (ii) 50m (iii) or any task full stop? (iv) Ed (v) presumably in case anyone didn't come back (vi) "tired" (vii) resin-bound gravel apparently, (as your author descends down a rabbit hole of surfacing specialities...) (viii) I'm guessing here (ix) fingers crossed! (x) relatively speaking (xi) ish (xii) 10 minute (xiii) at heart (xiv) The Griffs