GoodGym met this week for one of our regular help-outs at Bath Organic Group next to Victoria Park.

It's always a popular mission, with a variety of interesting and different seasonal tasks to be undertaken.

This time, we assembled - with a couple of route-finding hiccups along the way - to be introduced to the delights of ... moving compost.

Specifically, they had one giant starter heap which had matured into the quality brown stuff, but which needed digging out, sifting to get rid of unwanted bits of plastic and un-composted matter, and transporting to a different heap at the other end of the plot.

With 6 of us on the job, we divvied up the tasks to two diggers moving the compost into a wheelbarrow, while another sifted out the unwanted bits, and a team of three working in rotation to wheel the full barrows up and back down for the next load.

We managed to get through about two thirds of the giant heap during the session, and everyone found it to be a mindful and rewarding task on a pleasantly dry, if a little grey, late summer evening. So mindful in fact, that we all totally forgot to take any group photos this time round!

But speaking of rewards - we finished up with the usual cup of home-made apple juice, and then as a special extra treat also got to take our fill from a table of left-over produce which included runner beans, tomatoes, blackberries and a few other organic delights (we managed some pics of those instead).

GoodGym Bath ran out to Twerton to do do some gardening tasks in the grounds of Action on Hearing Loss. We weeded, cleaned moss and swept up leaves to keep the pathways safe and tidy. This is one of our longer runs and we were all worn out by the time we got back to the leisure centre!

GG news

When we met at the leisure centre I shared the latest GoodGym news: * We have lots of exciting runs coming up in the next few weeks and we will start doing more outdoor tasks once the clocks go forward. * This weekend is the Bath Half and there will be a GG cheer squad somewhere around the route. Keep an eye in the GG Bath WhatsApp chat for more information (ask me if you would like to be added).

On with the task!

We ran through town and along Lower Bristol Road out to the task. Action on Hearing Loss is a shared living space for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Some residents also have sight impediments. We regularly go and help Evan, who looks after the grounds there, to maintain the outdoor spaces. Last night we mainly worked in the space towards the back of the grounds. We weeded and cleared out a flower bed that is maintained by the residents, getting it ready for spring planting. We also cleared the steps and the walkway to one of the entrances to the car park.

Overall we filled up a large wheelbarrow full of garden waste which was a great achievement for the group of us in just over half an hour. We stopped to take a picture by the lion and then we headed home.

Thanks

Thanks to Rachel and Emily for backmarking for us and thanks to Evan and his team for hosting us for the evening. We were really pleased with what we achieved and we shall return!

We ran to paint the communal spaces at a hostel for people facing homelessness in Oldfield Park in Bath. Our work brought some new life to the space and made it an even more inviting and comfortable room. As well as painting we even managed to find time to clean some children's toys and we ran 6km in total.

Welcome, Seb!

We welcomed Seb to his first run with GoodGym. Thanks for helping us out last night, Seb, and we hope to see you again soon!

GG News

Before we got going I shared some GG news with the group:

• At the weekend several of our runners completed the Dark Horse race. Despite the awful wind and the darkness they all made it round (mainly!) unscathed. Look out for more runs organised by Relish Running - they are always really fun!
• We have another social coming up on 3rd March after the run. It was really good fun last time, so please sign up and join us!
• The GoodGym 'Big 6' races have been announced. These are pre-organised events where GoodGym groups from across the counry get together to support each other during the race and there is often a GG task/social involved too. A great way to meet like-minded people and travel the country! See the listings here.

On with the task!

Curo provides emergency temporary accommodation to homeless single people and families. They offer supported accommodation and assist people with a very wide range of issues to access and maintain a permanent tenancy in the future with the aim of avoiding the system again. At the project on Dartmouth Avenue they have places for 23 households.

Our task was to paint the walls in their communal space. We worked as a team to make sure we covered all of the areas we needed to. We were so efficient that we managed to paint an extra wall that we hadn't planned on doing. A group of runners who had completed their painting mission spent some time cleaning boxes of plastic road and cars with disinfectant to keep them clean and safe to enjoy.

The hard work we put in made a really visible difference and we were pleased with what we achieved.

Thanks!

Thanks to Emily and her team at Curo for hosting us for a fun task. Thanks to Mark for backmarking for us and thanks to Rebecca for an awesome first GG 'pun for the run'!