Despite Monday afternoon being a complete wash-out, 20 brave Goodgymmers joined us for our double task group run, and were treated to a much pleasanter working conditions! Plenty of regulars, and a few folks back for a new year of Goodgym deeds, starting their 2020 tasks this evening. Always welcome and hugely appreciated.

Before our warm-up and run to our tasks, we performed the count-off, and Trainer Simon asked the question: "What was your first job?"

The answers were as follows:

• A "newsboy" in Harrogate, N.Yorkshire
• Newspaper boys x 6
• Ticket tout (before I knew it was illegal)
• Ballet tutor for little ones
• Cold caller for an insurance company
• Underage barperson x 2
• I sold socks
• Pot washer
• Car washer around my local neighbourhood

We performed a few warm-up drills outside the Emirates community hub (high knees, straight legs, abducter twists, lunges and squats) before separating the team into two groups. Group 1 set off on their way to Caxton House near Archway (approx 6 km of total running), and Group 2 made their way to Market Road Gardens (approx 2 km total running/walking).

Caxton House

Upon their arrival, Group 1 met up with volunteer co-odinator Rose, and immediately got to work around the community centre. Some of our Goodgymmers set about clearing the entrance stairway from leaves and debris for easy, safe access for visitors- they made swift work of this with brooms and hand brushes. In the mean-time, the rest of the group tidied up the indoors of the hall, and helped with pulling staples out of walls, ready for a new children's project to be posted up.

This was just the start of a big deep cleaning task, so we are likely to return to Caxton House very soon.

Market Road Gardens

Group 2 jogged over to meet Franie of Octopus Communities (and friend of Market Road Gardens and Hayward Adventure Playground), and to continue our project from last week. The vehicle access route for Hayward Adventure Playground needed to be broadened to allow large buses and coaches to drive right up to the site, and to do so safely. This would make unloading children from vehicles easier and safer. Our team started to lay down tarpaulin sheets on top of the access path, and added hardcore and rubble on top of the sheets to create a sturdy, non-skid surface for vehicles. Our goodgymmers loaded wheelbarrows full of heavy concrete fragments, and easily distributed it onto the originally very muddy section of the park.

The garden is really starting to look lovely- 1600 bulbs were planted by children from local schools in this park, and we can't wait to see what the place will look like in Spring.

We all set off back to the Emirate hub to enjoy some more New Zealand biscuits from James, and a few stretches to cool down after our runs.

NEWS

Tom McCann's Great North Run

GG Islington regular Tom McCann is supporting the National Autistic Society by running the Great North Run this year.

The NAS are an essential charity organisation that transforms the lives of the 700,000 autistic adults and children (and their families) in the UK. They strive to change attitudes by improving public understanding of autism and helping businesses, local authorities and government to provide more autism-friendly spaces, deliver better services and improve laws.

Tom's Justgiving page is here if you would like to donate to this great cause.