Leanne Allsopp

On an early Sunday morning, 4 GoodGymers went down to the Knavesmire to help set up a fair for 'Keep Your Pet'. Keep Your Pet are an amazing service set up by AgeUK and RSPCA York who provide short term assistance for domestic pet owners who are older or vulnerable and living in the York and Selby areas at times of ill-health or other emergencies. These services include feeding and walking pets and short term fostering.

We arrived and offered to assist in any way needed. Whilst we helped out with unloading and moving tables and chairs, our main task was to set up the gazebo's. Luckily as we have been camping a lot recently, we all (...mainly Leanne) knew exactly what to do and made quick work of setting them up.

We were also available to help when any volunteer required some assistance:

Can I have all volunteers around the back of the van

Are we about to be kidnapped? Abi

Whilst we were setting up the stalls, junior Parkrun was happening nearby and we needed to make sure not to get in the way. Luckily Nick was on hand to keep us away! Despite that we all still found the time to give the runners a cheer.

After an hour of graft, the fair was set up and it was job well done. What better way to celebrate than an long run...or cup of tea.

A good crowd of keen GoodGymers met at the usual spot to celebrate the fact that it’s Monday again!

Today was the first experience of GoodGym for Ros. Give a big Cheer people!

David celebrated his 50th good deed in style. Thanks to my error he got to wear the red cape of 100 deeds instead of the black one. I’m sure that before a blink of an eye David will be celebrating his 100th good deed and will get to wear the black cape then.

As for the tasks we had to split up as we were visiting two locations.

Ed's group made the long journey over to Baile Hill, but rather than going there direct they decided to add even more metres to their journey by looping around the back of the city walls for a total of one whole mile.

Their task involved cutting down self seeded trees and smaller bushes to make the top or the hill less of a fire hazzard and to give less cover for some antisocial behaviour. Hazards to avoid included drug paraphernalia, dog poo and a very steep drop!

Paul made the most interesting discovery, a seemingly unopened liter bottle of vodka, but given how much vodka some of the group had drunk at the weekend no one was keen to crack it open.

Abi did a great job of a litter pick up and around the hill whilst Michael and Ed got in some extra hill reps by taking the branches that had been cut down back to the van. David, celebrating his 50th good deed despite what his cape said, braved the steepest slope to get to some of the more hard to reach trees.

After an hour the area looked a lot clearer and with tired legs they all returned to base a slightly shorter way.

Meanwhile Michal's team took the usual route along Tadcaster Road to get to Little Hob Moor, where Becky from the Council waited with the power scythe and a selection of other sharp edged tools ready for the vegetation cut back task.

Becky briefed Lee on the use of the sharp toothed power scythe. He was eager to try it and soon was cutting into the nettles.

The rest of us expertly wielded the selection of loppers, shears and scythe like tools to hack, chop and trim all the growth to one side of the path and around the tree, opening the space up for the next stage of the project - planting of woodland wildflowers and establishing a woodmeadow.

We had plenty of time today and managed to clear the whole section as requested, moved all the cuttings and branches to one side before helping Becky with taking the tools back to her car and heading back to York CVS.

With everyone back at the base, accompanied by the tunes coming out from the choir rehearsal at the CVS hall, we used the car park space for a 10 min fitness circuit including arm circles, mountain climbers, forward lunges, plank, squats on 1 leg, triceps dips, jumping jacks, sumo squats and sumo squats with 3 pulses and up on toes. What followed was a good legs stretch before heading back home, or the Ackhorne.