PASTA PARCEL

3.4 Miles, 2 hills and a fantastic task for our old friends at Ashford place. It was Tin out of Tin for effort on this Tasty Taster Brent.

On a chilly evening in Jan, some gallant GoodGymers whizzed through wonderful Willesden for an evening of Do-Gooding for......pudding. For this new year taster, it was all about the food , an epic sort, clear, pack and stack of an array of donations of kitchen delights for the service users of Ashford Place.

Ashford Place is a community resource centre, in the heart of Crickelwood, Brent, providing advice and practical support on a wide range of issues including; homelessness, training, employment and health. They support and facilitate positive change for individuals through the provision of a range of programmes including; housing, health, training and employment. At the same time they develop services that build capacity and enhance the lives of the local community.

Ashford Place are a fantastic crew and the centre itself a worthy cause!!!

After a speedy route down to the site, Alan greeted the team with smiles and a grateful hello. Before long the rooms were revealed, one downstairs and one up. The downstairs room filled with parcels of donations that needed sorting and moving upstairs. The upstairs room was already full, a sea of boxes, no floor in sight just bags and bags of pasta and a whole lotta tins!!! Making room for all the new food required careful thought and construction of a fort of boxes!!!

With the fabulous four split into 2 teams, myself and Mel doing the stair-runs and Murtaza and Sarah up top, we set to work on a mission to get both tasks completed in the 45mins slot. Everyone worked their socks off and the efforts were definitely evident in the completion of not one, but both tasks that were set up!! HURRAHHH!! We even surprised ourselves at the awesome achievements we'd completed and the fact we could now see the actual floor in both rooms!

As the timer clicked into the last few seconds, we were ready to call it a day and shoot off when...... OH NO an injury - Sarah had a.... paper cut! & yes there was a drop of blood Not to worry, like the efficient and ever so professional trainer I am - The GoodGym First aid bum-bag was at hand!!!! (Remembered this week..... phew!!)

After the medical emergency was avoided (plaster on), we waved goodbye to Alan and set back off into the night. Weaving and bobbing though the Willesden Green crowds and back onto St Peter's Av for the last challenge of the night - The Hill. With a few tips, pointers and technique drilled home: * Arms tucked in * Drive the elbows back * Shoulders relaxed * Brush the hands past the hips ...........and GO!!

Leaving myself in a cloud of dust the (in their words) "Out of shape" newbies..... YEH RIGHT!!! Stormed past me and sprinted to the top to finish the night.

Cool down complete and finishing with stretches and talk of meditation, we called it a night. What a wonderful group of new friends, who will be welcomed with joy on the regular Monday nights in Brent.

Until next time.

DO GOOD. FEEL GOOD. INSPRE