GoodGym is good for your elf

And that's it for 2019! Thanks to everyone for a great GoodGym year, we almost made it to 2000 good deeds... Looks like we'll hit that milestone on New Year's Day which is a great way to start the new decade!

This evening we didn't let the weather dampen our spirits as we splashed our way through puddles and to Naomi House for a visit to the massive £1 sale. The sale is still going really well so our help is very much appreciated. We split into 2 groups - upstairs and downstairs. Both groups were sorting, hanging and tagging donations and singing along to the Christmas songs on the radio at the same time - so much talent!

Downstairs, Jen & Tim were getting their steps in hanging up the clothes all round the shop. Louisa was getting into trouble for putting the hangers on facing left (or was it right?) and Pippa was struggling with numbers. Upstairs, Santa Judy was playing with Vicki's bells..... and everyone was holding up party dresses to see who wore it best.

Appetites worked up, we headed back to the community centre to sample the amazing selection of food we'd all brought along for the final Christmas party! There was certainly an impressive array of food (this is definitely a task we all excel at!).

We paused in our eating for the 2019 awards.... a celebration of good deeds, including this year's centurions who got their wings (Mel, Jo, Tony, Judy & Angela), the GoodGymers who've done the most good deeds this year, the hat tricker (Charlotte), social media team (Angela & Maxine) and the most glam runner (Maura). This year's Mr Bump award went to Ellie, who can look forward to receiving the certificate in the New Year!

Louisa had supplied some epic crackers for us.... a whistle choir. This resulted in GoodGym Portsmouth's entry into GoodGym's got talent & a lot of laughter. Sadly the run report can't take video.... so it will be on our Facebook page instead!

We missed out on the 12 days of exercise Christmas due to the weather so instead, I give you GoodGym Colchester's 12 days of GoodGym Christmas....

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a goodgymer in a red tee On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, two litter picks and a goodgymer in a red tee

etc etc until you get to the 12th day of Christmas when you get:

12 singers singing 11 painters painting 10 racks for stacking 9 parkrun PBs 8 bulbs for planting 7 brooms for sweeping 6 gloves for gardening 5 Gooooood Deeeeeeeds 4 headtorch lights 3 hill sprints 2 litter picks AND A GOODGYMER IN A RED TEE.

Have a brilliant Christmas and New Year and hopefully see you on 1st January for the first good deeds of 2020. Keep an eye on the listings for what's going on in the January challenge as we make our bid for the golden trowel!