THREE TASKS NO LESS!

What a busy night: three tasks, three beautifully organised task owners.

We met in our lovely hotel room where Torie headed up the lighting operation: attaching straps to our new head torches, and together with Emma, Isabelle & Kat, helped figure out the hows and whys of transporting our new spangly lights.

We headed out for some quick warm up exercises, welcoming late arrivals before forming three highly competent crews…

Task Force save the day again

• Kat and Isabelle led one team to Meath Gardens, where task owners, Friends of Meath Gardens, including Joanna, Julia and Jane, were ready and waiting with carts, spades & litter-picking kit for mulch moving, digging aaaand litter-picking.

• Lieke led the St Margaret’s House posse – a team of 5 taking to the streets of Bethnal Green to distribute newsletters and flyers about some exciting events this fab arts centre has coming up.

• And I led a third team to the Parkview Estate, where Catherine and little Liam greeted us with bundles of the estate’s newsletters, and the best instructions and organisation in town. The team was dispatched to all four corners of the estate, leaving no stone unturned as we distributed the newsletter to all residents, letting them know of a forthcoming litter-pick, and the new basketball hoops.

Busy bees or what.

The team at Meath were shovelling mulch, and collecting every last bit of litter, while Lieke’s leafleting posse distributed every flier given, and my team at Parkview covered the development like pros.

And then we met at our favourite fitness tree (although, according to Emma, as it’s fallen, it’s the Fitness Log. Hmmm.) The runners were led through some lovely moves, such as our boxer crunch, scorpion push up and our favourite Bulgarian Split Squat, all to Apple Music’s Summer Vibes playlist. And Chi’s encouraging words…

Shout-outs and thanks

• Welcome to our first time runners, Liz, Charlie, Adam and George (by no means new to GG, just to TH) - thanks for a wonderful session; for being so calm and productive on a very busy evening. We hope to see you really soon!

• And thanks to our wonderful task force, Kat and Isabelle for leading to the Meath task; to Lieke for helping to plan in advance, and for enabling the St Margaret’s task to happen.

• Thanks to Torie for brilliant help with logistics: with planning and light assembly, and for being a much appreciated early arrival this evening.

• And thanks to Chi & Leo for some great pics this evening!

• Lastly, thank you to the legend that is Ed Field who fast-tracked our new head torches (when yours truly had been a bit slow on the requesting front), meaning we were able to commit to the Meath Gardens task.

What's coming up...

Now, there is just one thing you need to know about coming up this week…

On Thursday evening from 7-9 we’re heading to Powerleague in Shoreditch (location here) to support our first 5-aside match as GG regulars Kat, David, Chris, Bryon & Steve take on The Young Foundation!

Come and spend some time with us: they’ll be playing, I’ll be cheering and you’ll be eating the beautiful food that’s being laid on for us all.

A lovely night out, and you can come for as little or as much as you fancy. The event details can be found here.

Until then, have a wonderful week everyone, and we hope to see you very soon!

Blue sky, gentle breeze... - all the better for watering trees

A blue sky and a gentle breeze set the tone for tonight's wonderful two-task evening.

25 of us gathered on our hotel steps ready for a couple of mobility exercise before heading out to two great gardening tasks.

Task force member Bryon had saved the day leading a digging crew to the Kedlestone Community Centre in Hollybush Gardens, to meet Margaret, one of our longest standing task owners who needed some urgent digging.

The team blitzed the area, achieving a huge amount with small trowels and lots of weeds. They worked tirelessly along multiple borders, deftly ditching weeds of various shapes and sizes to help this dedicated community team keep the gardens pristine and pretty for the residents to enjoy over the summer months.

I, in the meantime, took the remainder of the runners to meet Joanna and Jane of Friends of Meath Gardens for a wide variety of gardening tasks in and around this huge park.

Teams were divided into watering tasks (one headed nostalgically back to the canal with the large trolley to tend to the trees with large pails of canal water; others filled from the tap and lugged oversized buckets around the park...). There were two other tasks beautifully tended to by our very proficient new runners: Lara and Nancy took on The Heavy Weeding Work, while Iffet and Lucy were responsible for getting some new seeds bedded in.

The Lower Body Blast workout

Before we knew it, it was 8.05pm: our fellow gardeners had arrived from Hollybush to meet us for tonight's fitness session and we were making our way over to Steve's chosen sunny spot for tonight's Lower Body Blast workout. After a hiccup with our playlist (some of Cardi B's lyrics proved to be not quite in keeping with the gentle feel of our evening), the runners blitzed all manner of moves from single leg combat kicks, to one-legged planks. Amazing work and, I say it every week, your balance is improving by the week. Well done everyone!

Monday Mentions

A massive warm welcome and huge thanks to tonight’s first time runners, Iffet, Tom, Nancy, Susie, and Maelle. You did SO well! We just loved having you on the run, and really, really hope you’ll consider coming back and joining in again very soon.

Thanks to Dave and Jo for lovely backmarking; to our wonderful task force member Bryon, for leading the Hollybush task, some great pics and for getting the crew back to Meath in terrific time.

Exciting things coming up…

So next week we’re at a new task, giving a sanding and lick of paint to some newly adopted large planters on Roman Road! It’ll be a fun one – guaranteed. So, have a look and see what you think.

And don’t forget on Saturday 27th July, we have the Tower Hamlets Planting Party, a mixture of our favourite activities to which everyone is invited. Do think about coming along, whether for a bit of planting, some running-and-Pilates, or a bite to eat at our picnic. Or a drink at the pub. Details and sign up are here.

Okay, that’s it for another week. Have wonderful week everyone: enjoy your running, enjoy our July sunshine, and we hope to see you very soon.

A night to remember

It was the perfect night for a perfect night. The weather was warm – but not too warm. There was a breeze but it wasn’t windy. There were two tasks AND 26 RUNNERS. And that’s when it all got really good.

Two teams, two terrific tasks

Our new task, St Matthias School, were lucky enough to have task force member and highly experienced gardener, Sarah, leading a group of 11 to a big clearing project.

Meanwhile Catherine and Roz, top London powerhouses, of the picturesque Parkview Estate had a visit from 15 runners, led by me.

We headed out pronto this evening, all arriving at our tasks shortly after 7.

The school clearing team wasted no time in sorting overgrown vines, chopping back triffid-esque weeds and tackling overhanging branches, the likes of which we rarely see. Task owner Ray was on hand with guidance, gloves and a lot of appreciation. 45 minutes later and we were looking at a garden makeover like no other. Way to go team.

Meanwhile, back at the Parkview Estate runners were dispatched onto three sites: the speed-weeders, tackled beautifully by first time runner David (sorry you ended up on such a solitary task on your first run, but kudos for those borders), pot-planters, and then the small crew of first time runners, Isabelle and Amparo no less, tasked with the overhaul of elderly resident Beryl’s garden!

It was a busy time of watering, digging, planting, weeding - and fence-jumping (Leo and David: if you fancy a career in hurdling, I hear they’re still recruiting for Tokyo 2020).

Plies, planks and playlists

And so the time passed as quickly as usual and before we knew it, it was cheerio pics, and we were speeding back down Old Ford Rd to meet the school crew in Bethnal Green Gardens.

We then blitzed tonight’s workout – a top-to-toe session including the Thai Plank, plie pulse and tripod push up. Thanks not only for motoring through tough moves with determination and top form, but also for putting up with tonight’s ropey playlist (Van Halen’s Jump – not as motivational as it sounds in 2019. Who knew).

And then we headed back to the hotel and onto the pub where a really good sized team consisting of longer standing runners and some of our newer additions all came together for a mischievous Monday pint. And a gin shot. Hic. (thank you Chi).

And so to the Monday shout out’s.

Welcome to our wonderful first time runners, David, Isabelle, and Amparo. You did SO MUCH. Thanks for your incredible contributions: for the smiles and the enthusiasm, and for being just such an asset this evening. Please do come back and run again with us very soon.

Thanks to Neil for stepping in so readily to head up the running route to our new task. Your expertise and reassurance was invaluable this evening!

Thanks to Chi, for tonight’s wonderful, wonderful pics. And for pub fun, and ‘motivational intervention’ in the park.

And a massive thanks to Sarah, without whom the St Matthias task would have been, shall we say, trickier. Who planned this week way in advance with me, and Ray our task owner. And also for some great pics.

And while we’re talking Task Force, I’d like to give a huge thanks and appreciative shout-out this week, from us all, to our wonderful task force. To Sarah for the above; to Bryon for taking the social reins and planning tonight’s pub outing, and to Kat, who we’re lucky enough to have representing us at this year’s Shindig *, and who’s currently working on an exciting addition to our summer social calendar… Watch. This. Space.

And onto next week…

Next week we’re back at wonderful Oxford House with Sarah, who’s going to be revealing the next phase of our decorating challenge with this much loved community arts centre. So don’t delay, get this in your diary quick.

Until then, have a wonderful week everyone.

* Exciting Shindig newsflash: There are now a few last minute 2019 Shindig places that have become available, so if you’re interested, contact Ed at ed@goodgym.org

Our terrific task owner…

19 runners headed to the Royal London Hospital this evening, where task owner Nancy was waiting for us, a stoical ONE WOMAN team (where usually there are three…).

Two teams, two fabulous tasks

Teams speedily divided into two: one headed to the wards with Nancy to distribute newspapers; the other headed to the John Harrison garden with me on a huge scale litter-pick.

Have we got news for you

Nancy’s team speedily blitzed many wards, many stairs - and a stuck lift. They were particularly appreciated this evening as A&E waiting times were 4-5 hours, so the arrival of some reading material delivered by a crew of grinning GoodGymers was, by all accounts, very much appreciated. Steps were clocked up, stairs were climbed, tricky lifts were, er, negotiated and patient patients offered a 15-minute distraction. Go, team.

What a trash stash

Team Litter Lovers, meantime, couldn’t wait to get stuck into the trash stash in the hospital’s John Harrison garden. Gloves were donned, sturdy sacks grabbed and off they went. Laughing gas canisters, vodka bottles, fast food wrappers and hundreds of soft drink bottles soon made their way into the runners’ bags.

A small splinter crew of two, Liz and David, formed the Prune Posse, a dynamic duo who filled additional bags with overgrown hedge cuttings, whose thorny branches made a way more lethal addition than any other refuse this evening. And so the bags were filled, and tied, and stacked ready to be taken away. What. Stash. Trash.

We met back in the hospital reception, a little after the newspaper gang (sorry to have been late) before forming two teams to race back to the hotel relay-style.

What a night! Feelgood fitness at its very best.

And so to the shout-out’s…

Welcome, and thank you, to our first time runner Neil – what a wonderful contribution you made on your first run!

And hello, and welcome, to Rachel, by no means new to GoodGym, but new to use here at Tower Hamlets. Hope to see you again very soon.

Thanks to Kat and Liz, for wonderful back marking. Thanks to Becky and Lieke, for some great pictures. And tonight’s fun pun, our totally wicked pun, was brought to you by Polly. Thank you, Polly!

And let’s not forget Barts Volunteers’ Nancy, who heads up a seriously huge operation, and, despite being a solitary task owner this evening (with an injury as well, no less) wouldn’t let us down and planned a smooth, thoroughly rewarding evening’s activity for us. Thank you Nancy.

Next week, we’re heading back to SCHOOL!

Yes, next week we’re at a brand new task: a group of us are heading to St Matthias School to help start a huge undertaking of clearing the garden of some seriously oversized weeds and other plants, so the children can start growing their own veg. Have a look, check it out, and do sign up if you fancy coming along!

In the meantime, have a good week. Whether it’s showering or shining sun, have a brilliant one, and hope to see you very soon.

I would first like to give a big welcome to Chloe, Kate, Rachael, Victor, Lorhaine and Saorla. Hopefully you endjoyed yourself and you will come again. Tonight was a big group of enthusiastic runners looking to do good in the community of Tower Hamlets. The evening was a double whammy with their being 2 task to pick from. The 2 task were flyering in the near by estate about a new performance happening soon and the other was going to Meath Gardens to help clear weeds and rubbish. I would like to welcome the new comers and I hope the treats and the other Goodgymers made you feel welcomed.

"Warm-up"

The group started of with saying their name, number and favourite drink. It seems Gin is the drink of the day with this group We did a nice 5 min warm that involved some squats, lunges, running on the spot, hand to toes and some other hamstring dynamic stretches.

"The Split"

Nikki and Lieke took the 2 Dave’s away from some stair climbs while the rest of the group followed me to Meath Gardens while Kat helped me out by being the Back Marker.

The run was a short one with the group reaching the task without breaking a sweat. We met up with the 3 Meath Garden helpers who then explained the task to us and split us into 3 groups. They all took a corner each of the park to get down and dirty on. The group did well with the time that had and also taking the time to talk to one another and making it feel like a true social group. To push the group at the end I gave them a countdown like the crystal maze to let them know when the task would finish. I can see the competitive side came in because the was ripping out weed like that was gold underneath the soil. It was great work by the team and the difference could really be seen.

"Fitness time"

Meath gardens is one of my favourite places because it has one of the fitness equipment it had there. The group got split up into smaller groups and we each had a go on each piece of equipment. The list of exercise were:

Monkey Bars Plank Sit-ups Jumping over logs Pull-ups Knee to elbows Hangs Inverted pull ups Dips Press-ups 1 lap run.

This helped make the runners aware of what there weakness or strength might be. Looking at all of their faces i can see that everyone tried their hardest. After a final lap round we headed back to the hotel where we stretched and gave each other high 5s.

Extra News: * If anyone is interested in helping out at the blind sport session in mile end then click here for more information.

• If anyone is interested in doing the goodgym Olympics then click here and represent Tower Hamlets. Its always fun.

• If the group is after abit more of an adventure with a fun run then click here.