After arriving slightly early to discuss a good meeting point and whether the parking restrictions on First Ave had changed in the last 6 years, Fay and I headed over to meet Laurie and help carry the huge stack of leaflets back.

We greeted Jane, Andy and Martin and said cheerio to Fay as she left to drive the leaflets over. The rest of us had a steady pace over to Melbourne, during which I led not just the run but a good old moaning session about how hectic life is! Thankfully, Laurie and Jane agreed and were happy to join in, while Martin and Andy luckily escaped with their own conversation!

We met Fay and proceeded to deliver all the leaflets while only getting slightly confused about which roads we had already walked down and all commenting that we had never seen so many cats in one area!

Martin and Fay bid us farewell, while the remaining 4 delivered the last few leaflets on the way home. Thanks everyone!

Jen

8 GoodGymers went to Hearing Help Essex to give their garden a tidy while the builders are in doing renovation works. It was great to see Ram back, joining us for his second group run.

After a chatty run, we met Sallyann there, and were about to get stuck in when we realised we didn't have the code to the key safe. Luckily Rich found the email with the code so we didn't have to break in.

Martin and Ben got the tools out, Sallyann got stuck in clearing the path, and Joel took all the weeds round to the compost bins.

While we worked, Andy told us he was looking forward to the Clacton airshow; hopefully it won't be cancelled due to thunderstorms, but if it is, maybe he'll do the run leader training instead 🙂

This week we had a social after the task, so for once we didn't run back to HQ, but ran to Brewhouse instead, where we met Fay. We arrived just as their quiz night was starting, and (after much debate about rivers and county boundaries) came a creditable 5th out of 20.

Well done everyone 💪 Next week we are delivering charity leaflets around Melbourne.

PS Ram gets a Social Media credit for showing group admin Rich how to add his name to the WhatsApp group 🤦‍♀️

We ventured into new territory to do some prep ahead of our next leaflet delivery task. Four GoodGymers ran to our first leaflet folding session at the Orange Tree, with Jen impressing everyone with her trekking exploits and Andy scaring the local dogs. We met Fay and Sallyann and the leaflets at the venue, and got to work compiling the information for half a dozen good causes. After Rich made a quick dash home for some plastic bags to carry the bundles away, we watched the sun set as we made our way back, with Martin, Jen and Andy discussing GoodGym protocol about when to start getting out heads torches out again.

Due to a task cancellation and the hot weather, we opted for a relaxed litter pick in a nearby, leafy, litter hotspot.

We filled two big bags with litter, Andy smashed a wine bottle, whilst he and Joel picked some rather sharp blackberries.

Philosophical ponderings this week were on the sun protection status of butterflies.

It was Jane's 50th task, so we all congratulated her on her imminent black GG t-shirt 👏

Next task is TBC (possibly another litter pick if it's hot), and then on the 12th we are at Beaulieu Community Centre.

Litter picking round Chelmsford with GoodGymers - what better way to spend your birthday?

I met with Rich, Andy, Laurie, Ben, Erin and Joel (henceforth JJ) at HQ. We started with the usual run brief, and for the first time ever, "Are there any illnesses, injuries, or pregnancies?" was answered with a "Yes". Congratulations to Erin & James.

We ran to the old Iceland shop, where we met Sallyann and late sign up Martin, who was able to join us after finishing work in time.

Rich, Laurie, Andy, and I started on the grass verge by the roundabout. There were lots of food wrappers we think had been thrown from cars. Meanwhile, Erin, Sallyann, Martin, JJ and Ben found a grot spot near a bench used by drinkers; the bushes were full of bottles, cans and cigarette butts. Sallyann took the heaviest bottles round to the bin.

We found an abandoned shopping trolley filled with rubbish (which has been reported to the Council), then went behind the car park, where there was more litter in the bushes. In a very short distance, we had collected three bags full, which were left for the Street Care team to pick up.

Back at HQ there were birthday cakes for everyone, and then some of us went to the pub for a post-task pint, and to watch some Morris dancing. Good work everyone.

Next week we are doing a deep clean in the kitchen at Sanctus.