Well-sting Healthy Lifting Centre

Wow! 22 runners took on a mammoth 5 mile run and filled a skip with waste from an allotment managed by the Wellspring Centre

It was probably our longest Tuesday run ever but boy did everyone put in all-oment of effort. The Wellspring Healthy Living Centre works to get the local community involved in activities that keep them and their society in great shape. The project we were helping today is where they have taken control of an old allotment which has become a dumping ground for fly tippers (or maybe the that should be bee-tippers, more on that later). This allotment is being transformed so they get get people working on it to grow their own produce and learn and get fit in the process.

The group split in two at the start with my group heading off first and Dave's following close behind. As we arrive first we said hello to our happy host who showed us around the allotment, which was a good 100m from the skip that needed to be filled due to the tiny access path. He told us about the project offered us drinks and then we set to work. Due to the long run to the task we did not have long so the place was soon buzzing with activity. Shortly after the second group arrived to assist too. Barrows and trolleys, arms and shoulders were all being used to transfer the waste from the allotment to the skip.

Within 20 minutes we had nearly filled the skip and removed all of the waste until our task had a sting in its tail. One pile of carpet that had been the for sometime had, unbeknownst to us, become home to a hive of bees. After removing a few items the whole place came to life and there were soon more bees than you'd find in the early section of the dictionary if it was made out of brightly coloured flowers. Andreawas unfortunate enough to feel the wrath of the bees and was stung as a warning to stay away (give her a cheer as every one makes it hurt a little less!) This meant the piles we a no-go area. Time had just run out anyway so we called it a day. We tidied up the remaining odds and sods, took a team photo and then headed back to base.

My group arrived first and undertook some grapevine head pats and belly rubs (one of my personal favourites!), the the second group came soon after and we stretched off all those well spent miles.

Well done everyone who came along tonight. That was truely an amazing effort. To run 5 miles and fill a skip in 1:30hrs is a stonking performance. You lot never fail to impress our hosts and me with you grit and determination. Welcome Louis, Andy and Isabel. A massive well done to Tom our Hackney tourist on achieving your 50th deed with us. It was our pleasure to have your help tonight.