9 GoodGym-ers made their way from various start points between Charlton & Woolwich, along the river at Woolwich, to the outskirts of a retail estate in Plumstead, where fast food, a major roundabout, and several pedestrian/cycle interchanges have contributed to a huge build up of rubbish.

Our task might not have been as exciting as this morning's Lunar Litterpick, but adventures were to be had as we got to see the best & worst of the area, passing through local parks along the way.

Joined by other volunteers, we hastily got to work gathering the usual bottles, cans, coffee cups, masks, water bottles, chocolate wrappers & papers into bags. Some of this involved hedge battles to rescue the captive litter, which in general I think we won, with many bags of waste & recyclables to show for it.

Time made April Fools of us all, and soon darkness was announcing the end of today's task. A final workout taking lots of full rubbish bags to the bins around the corner and we headed our separate ways.

Until next time!

Sunday morning arrived with that annual groan about losing an hour of sleep as the clocks swung forward, along with the grey joys of shoulder season -- but did that stop us GoodGymers? Absolutely not.

Five of us descended on Thamesmead for the 10k run organised by the Thamesmead Running Club, with a neat split between those earning their good deeds on the task front and those pummelling the pavement. A huge welcome to the event itself, which absolutely delivered on the turnout — over 100 runners lining up, huddled together for warmth (and probably moral support), which is a fantastic sight for any community race!

While there were a few niggles getting things underway, it gave our volunteers Iyabo and yours truly some extra time to look busy and important. Not all heroes wear capes, but hi-vis vests they certainly do, with Iyabo the real star at the drinks station, ensuring every passing runner got their swig without so much as breaking stride. Hydration is a love language, after all. 🚰

As for our three runners — Sarah, John and Khai -- they found their rhythm from the get go and represented GoodGym all the way round the course, with Khai smashing his first race with a cracker of a sprint finish! 10 kilometres of riverside running, a bit of cold air in the lungs, and the post-race snack pack -- what a satisfying feeling, a Sunday well spent.

Whether handing out cups or chasing a PB, GoodGymers certainly did their bit to make the community a little brighter (even on a grey Sunday morning).

See you at the next one! 👟💚

Every day brings a bit more light into our lives this time of year, so evening was only just falling when 13 GoodGymers met in Woolwich for an uphill run to one of our regular task venues, Glyndon Community Centre.

Our tasks this evening included making a dent in the sorting project of the centre's big shed. We found several bags of clothing left over from previous donations, which meant an impromptu adventure to the nearby clothing recycling bank. ♻️ (Big thanks to new recruit Laura and her local area knowledge for showing us where to find this!) Other team members did some moonlit foraging for weeds in the back garden area, something I'm sure we'll be doing on a more regular basis as spring approaches. (Get those Glove puns ready). Some litterpicking & sweeping of the car park concluded our mission for the day.

Job done, it was downhill all the way for a quick intervals training session & au revoir, and very warm welcome to GoodGym Greenwich, to newcomers Hashir and Laura!

*Coming up *

Saturday 21st March: Gardening at Oxleas Woods

Sunday 22nd March: Painting at Windrush Primary School

Wednesday 25th March: Inclusive fitness session

Until next time! 👋🏼