A new task no less

31 runners formed two groups this evening to head down to Limehouse to a brand new task!

Although we've visited the Town Hall before, this was our first time tasking it with the fabulous Limehouse Town Hall Consortium Trust, a fabulous charity aiming to return the hall to full & sustainable community use.

With our brilliant task force already lined up to co-lead and navigate the group safely down to Limehouse, Bryon set out with Chris and Kat to take the faster runners off, while myself, Lieke and Liz led the remainder of the runners, beautifully navigated by Lieke, along the quietest route!

We arrived to a brilliantly organised task from task owners Brian and Sam!

Plenty to do on arrival...

Groups were soon dispatched throughout the building to:

• Move cupboards and other bulky items around the building
• Remove a large panel in the theatre
• Scrub the vast wrough iron staircase
• Fill wall holes on the ground floor
• Clean the silk screen tub in the slightly scary basement

The time absolutely sped by, and it seemed no sooner had we arrived and got our kit ready to work were we assembling for picture-posing on the magnificent staircase.

But we needn't be sad - we're returning to this absolutely terrific task next week where we'll be led through another big variety of jobs, not only helping out this wonderful institution, we'll also be having a whale of a time while we do it again. THANK YOU ALL!

A big warm welcome to our first time runner, Timur - what a joy to have you on board, what an asset you were. Thank you! And hope to see you very, very soon.

What's coming up

• On Sunday, our amazing Task Force, Leo & Isabelle are leading the third of our Junior parkrun volunteering collaborations - more details and sign up are here.

• While next Monday, we return to the Town Hall, for more fun in this splendid location, so come and join in if you can.

Until then, banish any thought of January blues: stay warm, run if you can, stay in touch... Just have a brilliant week, and we'll catch up soon.

Another big crew...

A whopping 34 runners gathered in the Hollybush Estate's Rocky Garden this afternoon to help Michael and Margaret, probably our longest standing task owners, with some big winter tasks.

...for some heavy duty work

Having all met successfully eventually (postcode/Google satellites seemed to be a hit & miss combo) at the garden, Margaret proceeded to run through our 4 huge tasks:

• One team was heading to neighbouring street to shift a vast amount of stone cobbles, forming the most impressive human chain
• Another team was tasked with planting the big delivery of young tree whips, with a splinter task then digging over some neighbouring ground
• Two teams headed to the back of the gardens to move compost, with another splinter task then shifting multiple bags of compost

An hour of heavy lifting, digging, running (for some), turning, carrying and planting later saw every last bit of work completed, and two absolutely delighted task owners.

Having expressed heartfelt thanks to our big team of runners, and a very appreciative thanks in particular to our many new runners, Margaret and Michael bid us farewell as we trundled off to neighbouring Middleton Green's basketball court where Chi had carefully laid out some cones in preparation for this afternoon's fitness session.

And an INTENSE fitness session...

The team brilliantly sped through an intense running, core, stretching and tough body weight-move session, finishing the watchful eye of Chi, for the second time this week. Way to go, crew.

What a vast, vast difference you made on a grey January afternoon. You just kickstarted 2020 and then some.

And we have some big thank you's for today's session...

• Thank you to Chris, for stepping in so quickly and efficiently, to greet all runners, especially our new runners, and lead them around to Rocky Park.
• Thanks to Chris and Si for leaving the fitness session, to help Michael complete the cobblestone task.
• Thanks to Isabelle, Leo, Chi and Liz for some brilliant pics.
• Thank you to Chi for co-hosting the fitness session.

And the biggest of thank you's to our wonderful, wonderful first time runners, Laura, Sohere, Charlotte, Sarah, Ailsa, Mia, Jeremy, Millie, Evie, Amy, Niamh, Keara, Rebecca, Krisztina, Sunny, Richard, Anna.

You achieved a staggering amount this afternoon, and the only question remaining to be asked is, when are you coming back?

We're running again on MONDAY!

Talking of which, we're back on Monday - yes,just 48 hours away, for a whopping THREE-TASK EVENING!

Followed by some more life-enhancing fitness in beautiful Meath Gardens, so I'd get yourself booked in now, if you want to start your week with a bang.

In the meantime, have a lovely, lovely weekend everyone.