Rebels without a Claus

GoodGym Bristol don't just stop at one task on a stormy Tuesday evening. We don't even stop at two. We managed to squeeze doing three good deeds into one session (and avoided many a mammoth puddle from the earlier downpours as we did so). Welcome to Shannon, Gareth, Eloise and Nikki who joined us tonight for the first time - it was great to have you!

Our first good deed was helping Children's Hospice South West advertise for their Santas On The Run event on 9th December. To do this, 12 willing GoodGymers donned Santa Suits with signs about the run pinned to their backs to spread the word. With almost 50 runners gathering despite the stormy day, some would say it got a little Claustrophobic...

We soon overcame this by getting out, warmed up and set off to our tasks, with Dave being a brilliant backmarker to our mass of red t-shirts and Santa suits. We arrived at Hannah More Primary, where half of the group were going to helping. Ruth from Hannah More Primary introduced the group to the different jobs which they needed help with. The group split into two, with one group doing a litter-pick around the school grounds and the other clearing out the After School Club room. The key to this was not to get Santa-mental and the Santas and GoodGym elves managed this and got stuck in with equal vigour.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group who wanted to stretch their legs further, ran a mile further away where they grouped into small teams to successfully deliver leaflets advertising Santas On The Run and some more of the good causes who we have been working with recently. A couple of Santa sprints later and the group were satisfied with having spread the word in the south of Bristol and were ready to head back.

Our night was topped off by celebrating the very first Santurian... Well done to Alison who did her 100th Good Deed tonight! All with the impressive added extra of doing it in a Santa suit and wearing the famous Centurion outfit with the addition of a white beard. Spectacular.