Human Chain - Jess Stacey

Last night residents near the Hackney Wick Cre8 community centre were treated to a chorus of cheer from a group of 30+ enthusiastic souls bedecked in running gear… “When I say Good! You say Gym!…. Good…” “…Gym!” “Good…” “….Gym!”

This was the soundtrack to last night’s Good Gym workout. Every Monday, a group of Good Gym runners meet to jog along to a community site in need of some physical work, be it shovelling muck at the City Farm, or shifting heavy loads at a charity site or school, and then they run back to the start. It’s a simple equation that works wonders: Run + good hard labour + run = great work out + social impact = tired but happy people.

The meeting point for last night was the Arch Gallery in Cambridge Heath, and after a good old-school warm up we set out for the 3.3 km run to the Cre8 community centre, to help tear up their lawn and remove the rubber matting tenaciously embedded under the grass, so that they can redevelop the site. It was heavy, dirty and cold work, but with the camaraderie of the group – and of course the chanting – it was a lot of fun (honestly) and great exercise.

It was only my second GoodGym adventure and I’m already a convert. I met some very lovely people, and at the end of the day there’s something deeply satisfying about being covered in dirt knowing that you’ve done some good hard work. I’m already looking forward to the next challenge…