Kash

GoodGym Ealing

EalingGroup run
KashStephDucatSevan

Any way the rain drops doesn't really matter to me, to me

Tuesday 26th March

Written by Kash

Tonight's run from Ealing Broadway to Elthorne Park was led by the Fitness Leader in training, Steph Ducat! 🙌 The new GoodGym role allows TaskForce to undergo training to lead running, walking and cycling in a group. Seeing today's weather, we thought it should include swimming too. The evening was particularly damp, with nonstop rain. That didn't stop Christos, Sevan and Kash from joining Steph on the run!

On the way to the task, Steph warned us about the attacks from the ground (cars), water (puddles) and air (umbrellas). When we arrived at the park, Kash cracked the hurdle of opening the tool container. Armed with wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, and reference photos from the ranger, we located the woodchip piles that needed levelling out and migrating further from the path.

We started with the most obvious job: flattening the smaller woodchip heaps. We spread the woodchip, creating a sort of carpet over the nettles. Later, we wheelbarrowed the rest of the woodchip towards the edge of "the carpet", creating a woodchip highway. In the darkness and rain the result seemed pretty decent. We didn't have time to tackle the last pile, so we packed the tools and ran back towards Ealing.

Next week has more wheelbarrow work for us: helping the community of Blondin Allotments distribute compost. Sign up now. Hopefully, the rain will stop by then and the evenings will get lighter after the time change 🤞

Read more
EalingCommunity mission
KashHarvey Gallagher

Give us the tulips, and we will finish the job

Sunday 24th March

Written by Kash

After meeting at the morning community mission at Acton junior parkrun and going opposite ways to help different areas, Harvey and Kash reunited at Bixley Allotments for their last task this week.

The mound of hidden rubbish where the GoodGymers dug out bikes last month still needed attention. While Harvey and Kash worked their shovels to excavate ancient litter, "The Boss" arrived.

Here comes trouble...

Matwinder enthusiastically wheeled onto the narrow path to the allotment and brought some fresh perspective to the Bixley plot.

Did you see the tulips? They are beautiful!

The GoodGymers looked around. Indeed, Bixley was not reduced to the rubbish mound behind the shed after all. The flowers looked gorgeous!

Mani took Harvey, Kash and the least flat-tyred of the wheelbarrows on a side quest outside the boundaries of the allotment. They ventured to Southall to pick up a nano polytunnel parts and deliver it to Bixley. Once back on site, Mani shoved it inside the mini polytunnel. Hopefully, no parts were missing. That was a surprisingly quick and easy job after all the work on building the macro polytunnel at Western Road!

Harvey and Kash finished the session, taking out the bags with collected litter to dispose of in the bins nearby, then had an excellent walk back in the sun towards Hanwell along the canal towpath.

Read more
EalingMission
SevanStephDucat

Ivy Been Bamboozeled

Sunday 24th March

Written by Sevan

Steph and Sevan resisted the hearty breakfasts on offer after Acton Junior parkrun to instead help Mrs M tidy her garden. It was Sevan's second visit, after tidying, chopping and climbing ladders last month.

Mrs M's daughter cares for her mum, so had a list of tasks ready for the GoodGymers that she didn't have the time for herself. The garden was becoming overgrown with ivy, which was to be trimmed back and the bamboo shoots were shooting up and crowding around the washing line, meaning it couldn't be used. There were a couple of other problems to solve, getting the back gate to close (spoiler alert, this was due to ivy too) and similar to Sevan's last visit, cutting some climbers, in particular the branch that was winding itself up the cable to the TV antenna.

Steph took the lead clearing ivy from the back fence. He found that the gate wouldn't open because the ivy had grown around and through the door, including binding itself to the hinges. Once removed, Steph gave the rest of the dangling ivy a haircut, while maintaining Mrs M's privacy.

Meanwhile, inside the garden, Sevan was trying to find the right bamboo shoots to cut to give the washing line enough space and still maintain the screen between Mrs M and her neighbours. After some strategic chops, he moved on to the internal ivy problems, then at the end, climbed up a step ladder into the branches on the pergola. He was trying to free the antenna cable without cutting the cable itself 😰. With that last job safely completed and normal TV service continuing, they left Mrs M and her daughter to enjoy the garden in the afternoon sun.

Read more
EalingCommunity mission
+7
JonathanChris McCoshKashLucy HillStephDucatPippa A

QParkRun: A Tale of Two Tails

Sunday 24th March

Written by Sevan

Joanna was so excited this morning that she'd woken up as a football! QPR were visiting Acton Junior parkrun, which meant lots of children, as many as would normally take part in the summer months. After Joanna's call for help with the event, lots of GoodGymers came too. 13 of them, plus a group from parkrun Poland!

No one was really sure what to expect and it all looked quite low key until Jude, one of the QPR mascots, appeared before the warm up. Not only did they show up, but they took part along with the other warm up leaders.

All around the course, our GoodGym volunteers were hoping to catch a glimpse of Jude rushing past them, on the way to a 4 leg powered Junior parkrun record (is that allowed?!). Michelle, Chris, Florian, Alan, Pippa, Steph Ducat and Johhny were all keeping an eye our from their marshal posts. It turned out that Jude was too old to run the course as they've been the QPR mascot for over 14 years, so only Chikako as the VI Guide and Harvey as the tail walker were out on the course with the runners. In the funnel area, we had Lucy, Kash, and Sevan, while Joanna led the first timers welcome.

Everything was going to plan as the 61 participants set off around the course. Then, half way around, Harvey seemed to lose his bearings and went off track. A little later, he was back on the tail of the last runner, or so he thought. A couple more minutes passed, then Michelle ran past trying to find Harvey. The boy who'd taken a loo break and was assumed to have dropped out was back in the parkrun. Cue confusion and Harvey returning to the other tail of the field.

After possibly the longest Junior parkrun ever, 31:51 with a pit stop, QPR had arranged for some fun at the finish. Jude was high fiving runners into the funnel, managing to confuse a few of them who stopped before the finish line. Then, there were some games to play and merch to be given out too.

After parkrun, some GoodGymers were seen wearing their new blue and white scarves as everyone went for coffee to congratulate Sevan on reaching 600 good deeds and to eat Michelle's fabulous lemon drizzle cake.

Read more
EalingCommunity mission
StephDucatMadhan

Can’t help but snicker

Saturday 23rd March

Written by Madhan

The St.Mellitus church turned into a concert when I was reaching the entrance. Milly sneaked me in via the backdoor. I joined Steph who after running 50k this morning, decided to do 3 GoodGym tasks back to back. That's some hardcore dedication.

Steph was running the Tuck shop with Mary, a William Hobbayne member. Mary was taking the payments, and Steph was serving them the drinks and snacks.

I joined Steph and we were regularly snacking the leftover snacks( Crackers and blue cheese) while serving the drinks/snacks to the younglings/parents who filled the church hall.

Milly on the other hand was serving drinks to the VIP's who were performing tonight. And the band members were ripping the drums and guitar out.

Drinks were the best seller of the day, we ran out of water and soft drinks by the time we closed the tuck shop. Only 8 cans of Diet Coke were left.

And there was a huge queue outside the toilets which happens to be the case throughout the night.

Once we ran out of bottled water, we were serving tap water for some time. Milly and I were running back and forth between the sink and the counter.

Read more
EalingCommunity mission
StephDucat

Battle of the pops(drinks) and snacks

Saturday 23rd March

Written by StephDucat

It’s rock and roll time and the goodgymers went to support the Hanwell Hootie Music Festival and the Basement Door Youth Charity at the final of the West London Battle of the Bands on 23rd March. Winners will perform at the Hootie on the 11th May.

Emily looking after the VIP section/bar/bands and coordinating in the background with June. Steph Ducat setup the tuck shop and manned it with Mary. Steph helped out with preparing some canapés at the same time. As the battle of the bands started and went on with some mosh pit there was another battle going on at the tuck shop. Who would win the battle and be the best seller? The water bottles, pop drinks , crisps or the chocolate bars. Dr Pepper, diet coke, Fanta or sprite? As teenagers of course it was Dr Pepper who took the lead.

Read more

Loading...