Hackney Brick

Last night we ran to the Cre8 Centre in Hackney Wick. I've heard a lot about this place, but never been before, so I was intrigued to be finally going to check it out.

"I've heard a lot about this place, but never been before, so I was intrigued to be finally going to check it out."

Ivo was a little concerned that in the past they'd forgotten we were coming so he spent the time before the run whispering to various regular GoodGym-ers if they could think of alternative 'jobs' we could do if that was the case ;-)

"shifting soil (What a surprise)"

We set off in usual formation and had a pleasant run through Victoria Park and up to Hackney Wick. The Cre8 centre is a great old building and we were led through to the garden where parts of the Olympic site walkway now line the grounds of their soon-to-be Permaculture Garden. There were people playing football on the astro pitch at the back, but we were here for far more strenuous work - shifting soil (What a surprise) and uprooting bricks from the old pathway and 'neatly' stacking them on the other side of the site.

"a target to reach - literally a 'line in the ground' for the brick moving - and we duly smashed it in typical GoodGym style"

The guys from Cre8 set us a target to reach - literally a 'line in the ground' for the brick moving - and we duly smashed it in typical GoodGym style - having to remove the metal fencing to get at more bricks in our insatiable appetite for hard work. The other team, also very neatly, shifted quite a bulk of soil and made a real dent in the main pile during our time there.

It's really lovely seeing these community places grow and develop as we return each time and I could see already how much work they'd done there (with our help occasionally over the past 12 months). The things we do might not be sexy (though Will was looking quite attractive stacking those bricks with utmost precision - ahem!), but they free up the organisers of such projects to get on with the creative stuff and inspire their communities by involving them in fun activities rather than asking them to clear up, shift soil or move bricks. But of course, to us, that IS the fun bit!!

Happy Running

Richard Foster