I promised this evening would be a satisfying one and it really came through with the goods!

It was a back-to-back task after also being at Stepney Bank Stables last week but we love to support them and this is one of our favourite jobs to do. It was great seeing Rob back for his second session tonight without the promise of a quad bike and cake like last week! Also interestingly tonight I was the only female GoodGymer at the session, and I don't think that has ever happened before!

It was a simple but satisfying job for us tonight as we were tasked with cobble cleaning at the top stable yard. Not the most glamorous of jobs and definitely a proper workout as you use tools and broomsticks to clear debris from deep between the cobbles. Hopefully you can see the difference in our photos- a member of staff stopped to praise our efforts too. This is one of those jobs that the regular staff and volunteers just don't get the time to complete and really makes a difference.

We finished off with some hill repeats tonight, a super workout to get legs moving, lower backs loosened off after the task and hearts pumping. Another great start to the week, and we even missed the worst of the rain.

Six years of GoodGym Newcastle!

In some ways this birthday milestone feels like it should be much higher, I don’t know about you but I struggle to remember a time before GoodGym was in my life. In other ways six years has gone by in the blink of an eye. Prior to tonight’s group session we had done 5092 good deeds, which given the monumental pause we had in the middle of this is pretty remarkable. Pats on all of the backs for this - 397 backs to be precise, as that’s how many people have done a good deed with us now. No wonder I struggle to remember names at times!

It was fitting that we were back to base for the session tonight for the first time in a few months to help our friends and hooved heroes at Stepney Bank Stables. It may have been the promise of drinks at The Ship Inn afterwards, but we also had a great attendance tonight when we were joined by nine people including one for the first time. We did a quick catch up on the weekend’s session that was a very last minute mulch request from our friends at EarthWatch, and brought Tom back from honeymoon with a bang! We loved welcoming Rob to his first ever session with us tonight and while it wasn’t a standard group run we hope it was a suitable initiation to the group.

Stepney Bank stables is a charity and community out project that works with young people to improve wellbeing through working with horses, and we are really proud to be able to help them regularly including for tonight’s session. A banquet of jobs is always on order and tonight was no different as we were sweeping and clearing in the arena, vacuuming the entrance, sweeping the outdoor ramp, chopping back nettles and collecting sticky weeds as a special foodie treat for the horses- this one came complete with feeding! To finish off, Rob got the best ever job for a GoodGym debutant - riding the quad to sweep the arena floor! Lucky or what?!

It was a shorter task this evening as we were eager to head over to The Ship Inn for celebratory birthday drinks and a superb homemade cake from Anna. Big thanks also to GoodGym HQ for sending us a crate of Athletic Brewing Company beers for the session- Tom had cracked his open before we’d even left the stables! It was so great to see Tanya and Debbie at the pub too who had come across in time after work.

Pints were drank, cake was slapped into open palms (no, really), a great end to a good start to the week.

As yet we don’t have a task for next Monday (sob!) so please send one my way if you know of a charity that could use our help. To ensure a GoodGym fix, there is a junior parkrun opportunity at Mowbray Juniors this Sunday so do help out if you can.

Thanks once again to everyone who’s been part of GoodGym Newcastle especially those run leaders and task force who help me to keep the cogs turning. You’re all brilliant.

“This turnout is massive!”

I’d had some warning last week that our group run this week would be big, and big it was, closing in on pre-Covid numbers for the first time in a while. We welcomed a massive 12 new GoodGymers from Newcastle University along to give us a go for hopefully the first time of many!

With less than perfect weather Stepney Bank Stables was a perfect setting for a big session and a great chance to show off our base to those who will be hopefully back to another session in the future. A quick recap on the weekend’s fun and sharing the plans for the sessions ahead done, it was into teams and off to work.

It’s always a varied evening with Stepney Bank Stables and tonight there was a heavy cobweb theme... we were:

Brushing and de-cobwebbing the arena

Brushing, dusting and de-cobwebbing the stable walls and doors

Carrying many many rugs from downstairs to upstairs (see photo evidence- aching arms expected tomorrow!)

Litter picking the area between the top yard, stables and car park.

Cuddling horses.

It was such a top workout for everyone tonight with everyone getting stuck in and truly making a difference you could see right before your eyes, with Task Owner Sara telling us at the end how much this session had helped to get on top of things.

Not sufficiently worn out, everyone opted IN to the fitness session which was a big team game of dishes and domes with a hill sprint forfeit. Everyone took this in very good sprits including Damu who we accidentally left standing at the top of the hill. In a tshirt. In February.
Sorrrryyyyyyyyyy!!

Loads of other good stuff this week ahead:

Leaflet dropping for FoodCycle Benwell on Wednesday Help out at South Shields parkrun on Saturday or with Urban Green Newcastle at Elswick Park Then on Sunday we are selling daffodils for Marie Curie in Byker As well as another Urban Green mission at Hodgkin Park .. phew !!! It is possible to do all four of the weekend community missions with a bit of careful planning but as ever even a little bit of your time can make a massive difference.

Thanks all for a brilliant start to the week. See you next week for a Plog on the Tyne followed by drinks at The Ship Inn!

“You are the hardcore ones!”

Task owner Sara was mega impressed by our turnout on a deep freeze of a night in Newcastle, most impressive I felt was seeing new GoodGymers Zoe and Roisin for the very first time. I must also give a special mention to Seb for his first good deed in 15 months! The door is always open no matter how long between tasks.

Being mega-organised as ever, Sara had a list of jobs prepared for us tonight and gave a quick run down of what needed doing. Optional in addition to the list was stroking the horses, of course.

Zoe and Seb got straight on with sweeping the outdoor ramp while I took the baton in the January litter pick relay with a quick litter pick around the car park- these were the coldest jobs and we completed them as quickly as possible. Adam, Elliott, Aimee and Roisin were in the arena sweeping away massive cobwebs, cleaning the boards around the side and edging the arena floor. These are all physical tasks that needed a bit of welly and will definitely result in a few aching arms and shoulders tomorrow. As a side note I definitely think Adam has a career as a chimney sweep waiting as he was able to get even the highest cobwebs and didn’t stop until they were all done. We then had a brief visit to the horses and I showed everyone how ridiculously scared I am of them for no reason at all.

Continuing the “let’s stay warm” theme we opted for an indoor fitness session tonight to finish off and I led everyone through a stretch session to iron out arms, hamstrings and backs after a very physical task. A very good start to the week.

We’ve got a midweek task helping FoodCycle to deep clean their Westgate kitchen, and three community missions over the weekend! Get involved if you can.

“It’s only November!” I hear you cry. And November it is but our first festive task of the season was upon us tonight at our Stepney Bank Stables community mission and what a task it was.

A very wet and dark evening didn’t put off new GoodGymer Anna- give her a big welcome! Anna first looked at GoodGym a few years back and finally came to us tonight, immediately getting stuck in with creative flair, hard work and a bit of patience- all needed tonight. Anna and I were joined by GoodGym regulars Aimee, Elliot and Louise for some festive cheer and most excitingly, the first task where we’ve ever used the Stepney Bank Stables lift.

Our task was to build and decorate the enormous Stepney Bank Stables Christmas tree which sounds much easier than it was. Even getting the tree out of the cupboard was a mission in itself!! The branches needed to be sorted into lettered groups before the tree could be built, lights could be detangled and decorations hung. Epic teamwork made this task a breeze, and the finished result was appreciated by the stables staff.

It’s early days, but I think this guarantees us a spot on the Good List.

Bonus Christmas cheers to Louise for the brilliant pun.

I arrived at Stepney Banks a little early, and I was talking to Sara, the task owner, about the task we were going to complete tonight.

Sara explained that she would like it if we could tidy up the path, that the riders take the horses and ponies along (to and from the upper yard).

Apparently the riders find it difficult, as the ponies especially like to bimble along and enjoy eating the grass/weeds!

Myself, Elliot, Aimee, Rae, Louise and Dan all got stuck in with various tools and brushes, sweeping and pulling out the grass/weeds.

It was a great team effort and we had made a big difference at the end. Apologies as I forgot to take a group photo!

Good luck to Dan (Last wheelbarrow photo!) as he moves away to Wolverhampton! Thank you for all your effort and hard work, hopefully you might be able to come back and visit, or do some GG tourism in Birmingham!

Congratulations to Elliot on reaching 15 good deeds tonight, a brilliant achievement!

I had a lovely walk home along the Quayside and took a photo which I've also included.