42 GoodGymers ran 5k to help Rose Bowl Community Centre with gardening and lots of heavy lifting!

I love you guys and will thoroughly miss being your Trainer, it's been a fantastic two years of good-ing, fun times and biscuit eating! Thank you so much for the farewell run, pizza and beer. I really appreciate you all coming to a PB Islington record run #PB4PB - plus of course thanks for the presents - so very nice of you awwwwww

Welcome along to newbies Amy, Kate and Gilbert - lovely to have you along!

One bit of news - go along to help CREOS this Sunday for our monthly Community Mission.

About last night

After a rather long intro we warmed up and then split into two groups for the run to the Rose Bowl Community Centre, one led by James and the other by Graham! Meanwhile the good-cycle gang (Steve Lee & I) cycled to the task. Upon our arrival Dawn and Ceri were the most prepared ever, they both thrive off large groups of people so they loved us! They tasked us with the following:

• Clearing the ivy, leaves and debris from the court/play area
• Lifting various items out of the container - bikes, metal poles, DJ decks and more. These were then sorted for either keeping or throwing.
• Clearing as much bamboo, leaves and weeds as possible near the back gate
• Cutting back the ivy along the back wall - a very satisfying job!

Over 40 minutes the garden of the community centre was buzzing with activity, various shouting and everyone being careful to not stand on tools. We even found some wings which we attached to Graham and then he presided to fly away back to Alexandra Palace....

Whatever you say Dawn, whatever you say

Overall we collected up three huge sacks and ten bin bags of garden waste, made everything look beautiful and sorted out a huge container full of stuff! Awesome! After putting all the tools away we took a group picture and then headed back to the Emirates for my final time trial with you guys and biscuits galore.

Once again thank you so much for being an awesome community of runners, GoodGym has always been more than a job to me. I'll miss you guys!

Make sure you come along to support Simon Fiztmaurice (New GG Islington Trainer) from next week, you'll be off to help Mildmay Community Centre - sign up here.

PB out for the last time.

35 GoodGymers ran 4-6km to help Story Garden & Coram Fields - woop woop!

Another awesome week but unfortunately my penultimate week, I hope you can make my final run next week and the beers & pizza afterwards! Waaaaah!

Welcome along to newbies Lydia, Kenny, Emma, George and Lynton.

In the news this week:

1. Go along to the social tonight on the Southbank! Pritesh will be there chatting all the good - more details here.
2. August's long run is going to be led by Simon Fitzmaurice, starting on Greenwich High Street, and finishing in the Olympic Park, Stratford - 10km or 25k options. Sign up here
3. Well done to Hayley who did the Ride 100 on Sunday - awesome! Plus big up to all the Camdenites and GoodGymers who had lots of fun at the GG Olympics on Saturday - yay!
4. Last thing - join the Unoffical GoodGym Facebook Group here and the GG Camden FB group here.

Corrrr what a fun evening of good, time trials, woodchip and 35 people! Nice! We split into two teams, with Frances (Loves a Mission) Powrie leading a group of 20 people to help the wonderful Coram Fields, which is the largest playground in central London. They'd just had there BIG Play Day so our task was to pack up after that and then sweep up debris, leaves, moss and anything else that's around. Great!

Moss Bros

Meanwhile I led a team of 14 team to help the Story Garden, which is right next door to the Crick Institute. We've been helping this community garden grow and develop over the last three months and it's really blossomed into a brilliant space. Martina said we have been 'instrumental to the garden's opening and growth!' We were split into four teams:

• Scraping away woodchip under planks of wood to make a disabled access pathway
• Litter picking around the entrance!
• Shifting woodchip into uncovered areas near some of the newly constructed buildings
• Filling up planters with soil in the pollytunnel

After 30 minutes we were done and Martina was very pleased! Pritesh led a group on a canal run to Granary Square, meanwhile Frances run her group over from Coram Fields to the same meeting spot. We all met there played on the minute for a minute and then did my final time trial with you awesome people. Hanry broke the record with 2.42 (course was 50+ metres longer)!

After a good stretch we went to the pub with drinks and fun. Lovely jubbley.

Sign up for next week here when we'll be helping Kentish Town City Farm!

PB out.

35 Goodgymers ran 4-6k to help Waterside Adventure Playground and the Single Homeless Project!

Welcome along to newbies Neil, Caroline and Michael - lovely to have you along!

In the news this week:

1. My last GoodGym Islington is going to be on Monday 12th August, I hope you can come! Sign up here. After 5+ years with GG I'm going to be moving to Sheffield to do a Masters in History. I'm sure going to miss you guys!
2. It's the GoodGym Olympics this Saturday at Parliament Hill Athletics Track, there is going to be tons of different events taking place. If you aren't signed up to compete definitely still come along to support. All starts from 1pm on Saturday.
3. Next Thursday (8th) is the August GoodGym Social - more details coming soon!

SHP Report:

Graham led a brilliant group of 15 people to help the Single Homeless Project on Grosvenor Avenue. As ever Regina was delighted to see us and had lots for us to do, including:

• A group of five picked up and took through bikes, metal scraps, old pots and other bits of rubbish from the back garden to the front for it to be collected and thrown out/recycled.
• A group of three led by Steve weeded the beds and around the planters.
• Meredith and Kat got stuck in smashing up planks with a mallet to make fire wood. They were helped by residents which was great.
• A team of four led by Frances swept the paths and pushed the woodchip back onto the beds.
• Lastly four people put front removed weeds, litter picked and did some cutting happy trimming!

After 30 minutes we'd got loads done, Regina was really happy! We were recruited with some free drinks - turmic sofa and apple cider vinegar - yum! Graham led the group back to base and did a fun fitness session on the way back.

Aidan's Waterside report here:

A great 3k run down to Waterside Adventure Playground where we met Sarah who has recently started at the Playground. The playground is free for all the community to use; one of our regular tasks here is to loosen up the wood chip to make it a softer landing for the kids to play.

They also have a sandpit with a water feature they would like to bring back to life. Sadly it needed a whole new lining, so tonights task was to clear out as much sand as possible. We also had another pile of sand which needed bagging and removing as it has been sitting in stagnant water.

The Sand People are easily startled, but they will soon be back, and in greater numbers."

Everyone pitched in and we speedily finished all, with Sarah very happy she can go back and say the sandpit is ready the next step in its revival.

No trip to Waterside would be complete without a quick climb around, having a childish moment. The moment is over quickly though as we need to finish our run and get back to base!

Sign up for next week here, we're all off help Caxton House help prepare for their summer festival!

PB out