It was much the much anticipated extra long group run on Tuesday – lots of careful planning had gone in to this to make sure we would be as inclusive as possible. Run Leaders Paul and Simon ready for Speedies and Steadies Groups. Back Markers signed up. TaskForce member Tracey in place to lead a walking group and meet us en route. Routes planned to take in some of the beautiful greenspaces of Swindon in #LoveParks week. All planned with military precision. What we hadn’t accounted for was the heatwave – a tropical 26C as we gathered at the Oasis. Phew! What a scorcher!

We had an unusually quick ice breaker – we needed to hit the road and that ice wasn’t going to stick around for long in the heat anyway – meeting another new runner Becky Swindon GoodGym is flourishing – we’ve had newbies join us at every group run for the last 6 weeks and we’d love to have even more!

And then we were off, making our way through the streets of Swindon before heading through the beautiful and historic Queen’s Park, where a cooling dip in the duck pond was very tempting and then up the hill to Lawns Park and take in the magnificent view. Meanwhile, the Walkie Talkies group was heading off from Coate Water – yet another of the fantastic green spaces of Swindon. We all know that running and volunteering are good for our mental wellbeing – and new studies show that people who spend at least 2 hours a week in nature are significantly more likely to report good health and higher psychological wellbeing than those who don't visit nature at all during an average week. So get out there and enjoy our green spaces – and if you can combine that with GoodGym, even better!

The careful planning meant that we all arrived at the Victoria Centre at about the same time, where we were welcomed by a member of staff who explained our tasks for the night. The Victoria Centre offers Later Life Inpatient Services, supporting and treating older patients with dementia, affective disorder and psychosis. Our job was to spruce up the garden area so that patients can sit outside and relax in the fresh air. We quickly set to work on a variety of tasks – clearing a raised bed, repotting plants, weeding, and sanding benches ready for a fresh coat of paint. We do like a good natter and this task provided plenty of opportunity to catch up, for Helen to promote our 1st birthday party barbecue, and for us to hear about Sandy Sam’s amazing achievement in completing Race to the Stones. Will any GoodGym Swindon members sign up next year? Many hands make light work and soon the garden was looking resplendent in the evening sunshine! Some of the patients came out to check on our progress and we hope that they will now enjoy this great outdoor space ahead of our next visit in September. It was then time for a much needed cold drink and some cake and biscuits too, ready for the run and walk back. Saying our goodbyes and splitting up into our groups, we headed off in slightly cooler conditions and made our way back home or to the Oasis for coffee or, thanks to Kirsty, a cooling Slush Puppy!

Soon the lunar eclipse was visible in the sky and it was definitely time to call it a night – not least because the Oasis was closing! Time flies when you are having fun and this evening had whizzed by in great company! We’d love to see you next week when we are helping at the MS and Neuro Therapy Centre – remember to sign up! You wouldn’t want to miss out on all the news from the GoodGym Shindig would you? We are looking forward to hearing all about it from Tracey and Charles, who are representing Swindon. Have fun!

And if you’ve been inspired by the longer run, why not sign up to the Swindon Half Marathon. Sadly it looks like this might be the last time we have a half marathon in Swindon, so don’t delay – sign up today!