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 🌼☀️!

Another lovely evening — warm, dry, and clear skies… perfect weather to spend indoors, naturally. GoodGym Stockport crew was back at it again: Mandy, Hazel, and Ben did their usual sprint to the shop like a team of overly enthusiastic DIY superheroes.

The mission? Assemble the big steel cupboard and the shelving rack like seasoned Amazon-flat-pack veterans. 😁 Ben arrived bright and early and dove straight into the steel cupboard. Meanwhile, Mandy and Hazel tag‑teamed the shelving rack. As everyone knows, with DIY furniture the real work is not the assembly — it’s the archaeology dig through tiny screws, cryptic diagrams, and the eternal philosophical question: “Is that Part C or the other Part C?” 😅 But the trio — plus another helpful volunteer — conquered the puzzle with the confidence of people who have absolutely, definitely assembled this kind of thing before. The new units slotted perfectly into the shared shop, and the team got cracking on sorting the mountain of bits and bobs.

A rare and morale‑boosting cameo appearance from Laura (escaping the depths of peak work‑swamp season straight from the office) added an extra spark to the evening. ✨🎉

Then, as the team stepped back and admired their handiwork, they had a collective epiphany: The shop had zero breathing room. Like, turn sideways and hold-your-breath levels of tight. So naturally… they went FULL makeover mode. Furniture was shifted. Tools were relocated. At least one person probably used the phrase “Let’s try it over there.” And in the end? The space transformed from “cramped chaos corner” to “actual functioning workshop.” What If? was genuinely stunned — mostly because this was not on the to-do list, yet somehow became the star of the evening. Everyone can now enjoy their tea in the cosy WhatIf? cafe. ☕🍪 Unexpected? Absolutely. 👊 Successful? Totally. 👏 Chaotically inspiring? As always. 🙌

📸 Ben, Hazel

What a glorious day for litter‑picking in Hazel Grove — a soft launch of Spring that had everyone wondering whether to pack sun cream or still keep the gloves on!

After signing up to GoodGym Stockport back in 2022, Melanie finally made her triumphant debut at her first GG session. She hopped on a bus from the nearby village of Disley, Hazel warmed up with a casual ~4 km stroll, and Ben… well, Ben did what Ben does: arrived via his usual epic long run. All three landed perfectly on time to meet the lovely crew of Hazel Grove Mutual Aid. 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

The task took the team across the parking areas around Hazel Grove Library, Hazel Grove Clinic, the neighbouring residential streets, and a stretch along the A6. In just 1.5 hours, the trio managed to fill around 20 bin bags with assorted plastics, suspiciously well‑hidden beer bottles, and all the usual bramble‑dwelling treasures. Ben and Melanie even bravely emptied a former postbox that has been lovingly repurposed as… a dog‑poo bin. Truly heroic stuff. 🙌

It was a light, chatty Sunday mission for Melanie, Hazel, and Ben — the perfect blend of fresh air, friendly nattering, and the occasional “Wait, is that another beer bottle?”. They got to know Melanie properly: how she found GoodGym online while searching for a community that supports both mental and physical well‑being, and how delighted she was to finally join in. She left with a smile (and hopefully no bramble scratches), declaring she’ll be back for more GG Stockport adventures once the days grow longer, lighter, and a little less… wet. Good job and welcome, Melanie! 👏✨

The session ended a group picture taking and a promise of future collaborations. 🤝🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

📷 Ben, Hazel