Perhaps this was the perfect GoodGym welcome session for Heather, as her love of all things green and growing was well and truly fulfilled. Welcome, Heather—you picked a blooming great one! 👏

Joined by two GoodGymers (Hazel and Heather—yes, it did briefly feel like a name convention) and a handful of enthusiastic local gardeners, the evening kicked off with an orientation from Aoife. Or “Eefa”. Or “Eva” (at least that's what they've heard). (Ask your Irish friend—apparently they’re all the same person, and absolutely not three different names.) Aoife expertly guided them through proper pruning techniques and set us up for the tasks ahead.

They were soon split into groups to tackle seed sowing, plant trailing, watering, weeding, repotting, and more pruning. The grand finale was relocating a heavy-duty tarpaulin/backdrop stand, which consumed the rest of their calories and possibly several muscles they didn’t know they had.

After their horticultural heroics, the team refuelled with delicious refreshments prepared by What If?, served right there in the garden. With the cherry tree in full bloom, birds providing a live soundtrack, and some lovely group reflections to round things off, it was a picture-perfect way to cap the evening.

Gardens were tended, muscles were worked, names were (mostly) learned—and another GoodGym night left us tired, happy, and slightly earthy! 🌱💪🌸 And they promised to be back again next month! 🙌

Despite half the sign‑ups bailing at the last minute (classic British weather sabotage and they can't be blamed for canceling 👌), Lee, Hazel, and Ben heroically stepped out into full‑blown monsoon conditions for today’s litter pick collaboration with Hazel Grove Mutual Aid.

This outing was extra special because it was Lee’s very first GoodGym session — welcome aboard, Lee! 🎉 And he even brought along his son, Luca Codling, who braved the elements for his Duke of Edinburgh volunteering. Fun fact: the weather clearly sensed a new recruit and decided to give the full “authentic GoodGym baptism” of drenching rain. How thoughtful!

The original plan was to tackle Hazelwood Road… which turned out to be annoyingly clean. (How dare it!😜) So the team scattered across nearby streets, becoming soggy, determined litter‑seeking ninjas. In the chaos, the group sadly missed bumping into Lee and Luca — presumably they were somewhere nearby, also being rained on and valiantly filling bags. Still, drenched or not, everyone did their bit, every bag made a difference, and another Sunday was chalked up in support of Hazel Grove Mutual Aid’s mission. And, another half marathon completed by Ben.

Here’s hoping Luca’s DofE assessor appreciates the commitment demonstrated in near‑aquatic conditions — and here’s hoping we see both Lee and Luca (preferably in fewer inches of rainfall) at the next GoodGym Stockport session! 🌧️➡️🌤️💪

Who said litter has to be picked? Today, it apparently had to be chased.

With wind gusts hitting 49 mph, the GG Stockport litter‑picking session quickly transformed into a full‑blown extreme sport. Even the horizon tried to issue a warning, showing off the bluest clouds the team had seen in ages—now officially dubbed the “blue storm clouds” phenomenon. Common in strong late‑afternoon storms, when low golden sunlight scatters through heavy clouds, it creates those dramatic green‑blue hues. Very pretty. Very misleading.

Not exactly the dream welcome task for Molly—but full kudos to her for showing up anyway and battling the elements like a seasoned storm chaser.🙌 It was lovely meeting you, Molly!😊 The rest of the team brought equal levels of dedication: Melanie arrived early after trekking from Disley (basically a heroic quest in that weather) bringing along her study materialsfor biology class, and Mandy —as always—was the steady, calm presence risk‑assessing everything wobbling. We appreciate you, Mandy!🙌 And Hazel… well, she can always make you tea or coffee before the task even begins.☕

Halfway through, nature upgraded from “annoying breeze” to “angry sideways rain,” 🌧️so the team wisely called it. But in just 30 minutes of meteorological chaos, 🌪️this mighty quartet still managed to fill eight full sacks of plastic and glass bottles in every shape and size imaginable. Truly impressive for half an hour of storm‑dodging.🌪️

They’ve promised to return on a day when the weather is less dramatic. Hopefully next time they’ll get to learn more about Molly—and fill even more sacks with litter, not rainwater. Great British Summer Clean 2026, maybe? ☀️😄

Woodbank parkrun Event 777 welcomed 278 parkrunners and 20 volunteers—Hazel among them, marshalling the best spot on the course - the downhill turn. It was glowing with spring flowers in full bloom and with gravity doing most of the work, runners practically flew past—smiling, waving. Add in the sun shining like it had something to prove, and honestly, it was less “marshalling” and more “soaking up greetings and vitamin D.” Truly, if marshalling spots were hotel rooms, this one would be the penthouse suite with the all-inclusive upgrade. ☺️🏃‍♀️🌸☀️

There’s always something new to report from a GG Stockport newspaper‑delivery night—and this week was no exception. At this point, the pre‑delivery tea‑and‑chat ritual is becoming so established it probably deserves its own rota.☕🗣️ Ben even casually turned up with his homemade cookies. (Peanut butter cookie crumble? Mystery ingredient? Secret family recipe? Who knows—but they vanished fast.) 🍪✨

Hazel had already pre‑folded all 300 newspapers, meaning the first 30 minutes were fully dedicated to biscuits, banter, and a surprisingly high‑level conversation featuring not one but two biochemists. When your warm‑up chat includes phrases like “potential cancer treatment pathways,” you know it’s going to be a strong session.💊💉🧬

The weather was decent—just a bit windy, the kind of breeze that likes to dramatically flip a newspaper out of your hands for comedic effect.💨📰 Undeterred, our team of volunteers (6 GoodGymers—Laura, Mandy, Jamie, Emily, Hazel and Ben—and 1 ever enthusiastic almost-regular, Mithra) took to the neighbourhood streets.

Tonight’s tactic: full‑squad sweep mode. Instead of splitting into zones, the whole team moved street by street like the world’s most wholesome paper-delivering task force. The efficiency was chef’s kiss—30 minutes and the job was done ⏱️🔥, finished off with the mandatory group photo before everyone dispersed into the night like civic‑minded ninjas. 📸🥷

And the best part? They’ll be back next week to conquer the remaining 200 papers—same time, same team, same rota! 👊🙌

After fueling up for the task☕, four GoodGymers — Emily, Hazel, Mandy, and Ben — set off to explore new streets for this week’s Stockport Post distribution 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️. As they went door to door, the conversation bounced from UK political parties 🗳️ to the far more serious topic of everyone’s height (debating whether one should be taller than 5'3"… or perhaps shrinking over time 😂).

Hazel also expanded her vocabulary with the phrase “pish pash posh” — the team’s description of tonight’s delivery route thanks to the closely packed houses around Shaw Heath 🏘️. Thanks to that layout, it took them just 30 minutes to deliver the remaining 200 copies of the Stockport Post March issue 📬.

All in all, a purposeful stroll around the neighbourhood, made even better by the arrival of real spring weather 🌼☀️!