Because you're (Wands) worth it!

History was made at Wandsworth’s very first group run last night as a small army of south London runners took to the streets to make their area a better place to live.

We met at GoodGym Wandsworth’s fabulous new meeting point, the Battersea Arts Centre, where the gilded walls, intricate mosaics, chandeliers - and well-stocked bar - immediately made us feel very much at home. After a talk from Wandsworth’s deputy mayor, and the inaugural quiz question (the weekly coRUNdrum) we strode out into the glorious English summer, and were immediately soaked. Because of course we were, it’s August.

Undeterred, the group eased into the session with a short run to the Katherine Low Settlement, a long-established and much-loved Battersea charity that fights poverty and strengthens the community in the area. The director Aaron, told us about all the good work helping people to find ways out of poverty and isolation, supporting older people and newly-arrived refugee communities, before putting us to work giving the place a good spring clean. We scrubbed, we gleamed banisters, we swept, we sweated, and all that was before a mammoth circuit session in the park. Everyone particularly loved the burpees, right? Right? Tumbleweed

For the run back we split into three speed groups, and it was great to see how GoodGymers are willing to push themselves. Although one (lucky?) group did get an extra bit of fun with an impromptu speed session in Battersea Park. Well done, middle group, you certainly earned your spaghetti dinner last night.

And who won the maiden quiz question, how many bricks are there in Battersea Power Station, with the correct figure of 61 million? None other than GoodGym founder Ivo. Now we're not saying it's not a coincidence but.... Wandsworth GoodGymers, you’re all amazing and it’s going to be a complete trip seeing what we can achieve in our brilliant borough together.

See you all next week –with a few new faces hopefully – for some gardening at Wendelsworth community gardens. Sign up here: https://www.goodgym.org/group_runs/tidying-up-and-doing-some-digging-in-wandsworth-s-wendelsworth-community-garden