We kicked off by welcoming our new runners - Rose, Alice, Alistair, Struan and Crissy - Nice to have you along!

And then it was time for the SPOTM with possibly the best(worst) SPOTM ever?! This month's winner was the recipient of:

• a bookmark
• 2 luggage tags
• a couple of sachets of deep heat/freeze
• 2 t-shirts made from recycled cotton and plastic bottles

and the pièce de résistance (donated by the wonderful Katie Welford);

• A SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH OF JOANNA LUMLEY

And the worthy winner, who smashed her 10k target by 7 and a half minutes, and recently did her 50th good deed was Aislin!!! Give her a massive cheer! 👏 👏 👏

Absolutely Fabulous.

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George lead a group on an 11k run, to complete the final stage of an epic task for the Lambeth GP Food Co Op. We started a few weeks ago by emptying soil from some huge planters in Stockwell. Then they got transported to Crown Dale surgery where we moved them into position last week. And then this week it was all about filling them back up with soil.

With encouragement/entertainment from a couple of local lads, the team aced it, getting the job done, smoothing out the soil and headed back in time for a quick stretch.

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The rest of us ran 4k to help Justin at Ruskin Park Community Garden. They've been doing a load of work lately to get the space looking tidy and producing lots of fruit and veg.

We were mostly in the fruit cage, using all manner of tools to de-weed and remove grass. It was pretty cosy so some of the team cut a big chunk of bramble back, which will eventually make room for more vegetable plots.

When all the excess greenery was on the compost heap, we headed back via a quick hills session. Squeezing a couple of hill reps into your run is an awesome way to improve your running form and give your cardiovascular system a boost.

We focussed on - keeping the body straight with your head up, bringing knees up higher than they normally would and using your arms and driving them back and well as forwards.

After a few reps, when everyone was sufficiently worn out, we made the run back with limited enthusiasm for red traffic light squats and lunges...

Top work everyone! 👊

Next week we're helping out at Papa's Park with some weeding and painting. Of course we'll be fitting in some 1k loops, some circuits and we'll even be delivering some posters for Age UK's Food2U project. Sign up here!

This week 16 incredible GoodGym-ers ran 2km (ish) to dig a moat around a pond and chop some sticks.

As ever, the team met at the Phoenix for intros and sign-ins. Thanks to an unexpected level of traffic along the North Circular, I was running a little late. Luckily, Freya and Damian were on hand to welcome the gang until I got there. Two new faces this week: Ves who works with me in Finsbury Park and Anja who is new to Barnet but not to GG. Give 'em a cheer!

After a super speedy intro and headcount, we gently jogged to Cherry Tree Woods to warm up in the park before heading off on a little loop to Archer. The Hammerson Nightingale care home we were supposed to be helping wasn’t ready for us yet, so Maaike at Archer came to the rescue with an extra Archer Task. This week was all about digging a moat around the pond to tuck the lining in to.

The team quickly got to work, with several people taking a go on the mattock. The ground was hard as hell today, so the mattock was the only thing to break past the solid upper layer of mud. Louis let me have a go, so I could demonstrate how to generate more power and Damian made a Buffy reference (where I was Buffy), which basically made my day.

Kim and Paul arrived slightly too late at the Phoenix and ended up running to the other Archer by mistake, meaning they ended up running an extra km. They sure made up for it on site though, with some super speedy digging.

Once the moat was dug, we tucked the pond liner in and filled the gap with mud. I even added a ceremonious branch to kickstart the decoration phase. Chris did a wonderful job filling a particularly deep bit and Phil did some great stomping.

It was soon time for finisher photos and a game of football before heading back to base.

Barnet Biscuit of the Week: White chocolate chip cookies AND Jaffa Cakes courtesy of Freya.

Thanks to Jody for this week's pun.

Next week we are running back to BFC for more upcycling of old furniture. Sign up here

42 runners went to Vauxhall Foodbank to sort a MEGA Christmas delivery. Phew!

It was a MEGA turnout in Lambeth last night with runners old and new gathering for a run to the lovely Vauxhall Foodbank. They had spent 3 days over the weekend asking shoppers to buy and donate one item of food from their list and the public had been very generous. The Foodbank supports individuals and families who are in sudden crisis over a short period with food donations. Christmas is a key time for families in need and we always enjoy helping them out.

We split into two groups and headed off to Vauxhall. One group took the shorter route of about 3km each way and the others headed off on a longer version. Once we arrived, the lovely Faith gave us an intro and we got down to the sorting.

There was so much food that we ran out of crates and had to use the cardboard boxes to store everything in. Some people did some excellent labelling and others did tremendous packing. All in all it was a massive effort and we look forward to hearing exactly how much we weighed in - it must have been a record!

I wonder if we made a weigh-in record?! Wondered everyone

On the way back we ran in three groups - the relaxed runners set off, leaving the other two groups to finish weighing and squash any unneeded boxes. The entirely mediocre group 2 headed off next: would we be equal to grade C+or a B? Who knows.....

Finally the speedy group took to the streets and headed home for some stretches and a well earned dinner. Great work team and thanks for coming. We made a massive difference tonight.