Goodgym and Achilles International held the first weekly group run session of 2025 at Paddington Rec Track on Thursday. An awesome opportunity to catch up following the festive break with some social running with visually impaired runners and sighted guides. We were really thrilled to have 4 first timers down to try guiding this week- welcome to Mohamed, Alex, Nik and Holly. All keen runners who helped with guiding Mark Durban, Mark Colby, Chris Blackabee and Tom Donnelly for some speedy laps!

Find out more about Achilles International here:

https://www.achillesinternational.org/

We will be back running next Thursday 9th January at Stratford Olympic Park- sign up here to get involved!

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-olympic-park-stratford-route-831bc57f-3d39-4d8e-bfa0-5a7f13b206eb

It was great to meet Beatriz and the regular TRAID staff for their end of sale clear out yesterday. It’s a great task for a Winter's evening when it’s not the most enticing outside.

A lot of progress had been made already and the clothes were largely finished, so our task was to pair up about 70 women’s shoes with their partners from the stock room. Straightforwards enough until we got to the black ones of which there were very many which looked all too similar. Nonetheless it was good brain-training and perhaps more satisfying to get into the fine details that differentiate them to find your pairs.

After 50mins and about 6 bin bags of heels and flats and thongs and even transparent boots, the TRAID manager very graciously sent us on our way with another good deed ‘in the bag.’

Felt very welcomed. The group was well organised, clear instruction provided at the start and chat at the end. Would recommend.

The Goodgym guide running crew were thrilled to join Achilles International for a very special version of our weekly group run. Janice, one of our long time regulars, celebrated 80 years on Sunday. Together, we organised a picnic and a social after our regular run at Paddington Rec Track. Absolutely wonderful to join in on these well deserved celebrations!

Sign up for our next group run session at Stratford Olympic Park next Thursday here:

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-olympic-park-stratford-route-23dcda8c-e6a1-43d3-941c-1b188c1a19bf

Kat and I converged at TRAID in Kilburn just after closing time to help five of their staff and volunteers put away the Summery bits that they didn’t sell in the prior few weeks of the sale - The only thing more amazing than what people will buy, is what they won’t – garments of unknowable purpose in all manner of patterns of every plant and flower and animal prints of every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth.

The task as ever was to get the items off the hangers / rails, into a few enormous boxes around the shop floor, to then be shipped out of the shop. A novel innovation this time was moving the piles of clothes across the shop floor by sliding them along the ground – quicker, more fun and possibly easier on the back keep bending down.

It took us seven about 75 mins to get the clothes and hangers away ready for the restock on Wednedsay, and reopen with all new donated bits on Thursday.