Spirits were high tonight as we continued our excellent start to 2026 with another great turnout. Ed, clearly struggling from over-indulging at weekend, just about remembered what to do for the group run intro as we celebrated all those that had helped out at another hugely successful York Community Woodland parkrun, especially run director Michael 💪

I'm not being held responsible for a load of wet trainers - Ruth

After numbering off and much debate about whether the river path was open, Rich led out a small walking group, whilst Ed led the main group backmarked by Vicky and Babs. There was a little bit of confusion when we arrived as Ed and task owner Nicola hadn't agreed exactly where we would be meeting at Millennium Fields, so we gambled on a light in the distance belonging to Nicola and not a dog walker.

I was never sure whether I was supposed to be the bird or the bee - Rich

Fortunately the gamble paid off and we were soon being led down to an area that we had worked on previously where apparently the bird and bee seeds had been hugely successful. Cue some interesting conversations about the birds and bees and even bears!

Meanwhile a small splinter group featuring Jane, Daniel, Kit and Jamie got to work turning over the compost bays that have been a bit of a staple of good gym millennium fields tasks over the years. This time with the added challenge of just having 2 spades between them.

Another group armed with trowels got to work on the bee bank although I'm not entirely sure exactly what it was they were doing, but i was informed by Abi that it was very good for a particular type of butterfly 🦋

Once enough seeds were sown it was then time for a quick fitness session involving running around and getting into different sized groups depending on the number that Ed shouted out. There's still some confusion over exactly how many people were at the session tonight with every number seemingly dividing well enough to not leave anyone without a group 🤔

Four people signed up for the last community mission of the January Challenge: a 1pm litter pick along Kingsway North.

• One signed out after a Saturday morning double good deed session. She needed a nap!
• Nicky decided to start an hour early so that she could get home quicker.
• Paul Kelly and Leanne started an hour late so that they could have lunch and visit a five-sailed windmill between tasks.

On average, they probably all arrived on time...

Nicky found lots of her litter on the way to the meeting point and had already filled her bag to the brim before she reached Kingsway North... mostly with a giant Peppa pig calendar.

Paul and Leanne found Nick and Barbara on the way to their pick - who seemed to be racing around York collecting last minute squares on their bingo cards. They did make it to Kingsway North and got most of the way down the road before their bags became heavy enough to leave by the bins for the council to collect.

They all went home for a well earned rest having claimed the title of the last GG Yorkies standing in the January Challenge!