This may have been one of the shortest Super Saturday Missions but it marks the start of something new and exciting for GoodGym Richmond: the adoption of the ‘3 Pigeons Plot’, a flower bed beside the Thames Path in Richmond.

The 🐦🐦🐦 plot is next to what used to be the Three Pigeons pub. The circular flower bed had become a neglected, weedy wasteland until volunteers from the Richmond Society started work on it earlier this year. GoodGym Richmond had already assisted with digging, weeding, composting, and helping to plant bulbs and in the run up to Super Saturday, GG Richmond pitched the idea of ‘sponsoring’ the bed. Todays mission marked the start of work on our very own flower bed.

This Super Saturday 10th Anniversary Mission was necessarily super short, sandwiched between missions in the Deer Park and at Petersham Sea Scouts. Anita provided drinks and breakfast pastries and briefed the team about the work already done by the Richmond Society and their vision for a bee friendly planting scheme.

In just 30 minutes Jenna, Jane, Christina, Laura, Kate, David and Lenka kick-started this amazing new project with weeding, watering and ideas for planting, landscaping and future maintenance.

JP and Salwa swung by on their way to the Petersham mission and added enthusiastic support and further ideas for development (we may be able to erect an insect habitat but sadly not a BBQ deck or an apartment ☹️).

This Mission has wings.

Well tonight we found out it takes 24! What amazing January evening, we all gathered in Wholefoods , both old and new faces greeting each other, full of enthusiam and ready to do good.

We started with a super informative warmup that worked on our strength training before setting off for a 5km total run along the river. It was lovely to chat to runners who were visiting from other areas (Helen) and those that had come for the first time - welcome Helen C, Alistair and Katie. The run was buzzing with conversations and we carried on exercising our voice boxes at the task while we worked.

For our task tonight we were back at Buccleuch Gardens to put down compost and plant some "mixed plants". We formed a strong team sharing out different tools as we worked our way around the flower bed.

There was a great buzz about tonight , it was lovely to see everyone chat as we got our hands dirty even sharing some important gardening tips (what was that smell?) - which way should the bulbs be planted Eva?!

Such a great night and it ended with some useful technical tips in the cool down including how to look after shin splints. Thanks Mark!

Well done to Carla on her second run and thanks to Eva for a great pun! Salwa - wash those hands!!!

Just to refresh you all on the news:

• Well done to Laura on 50 good deeds, hope to see you next week Laura, get well soon.

• Great to be able to congratulate Nicky for her 100th run tomorrow , well done!

• Unoffical unoffical GoodGym socialising Facebook page can be joined by any runner who fancies more information on what GG is up to in other areas, when the central socials are or even just a chance to vote for the pun of the month!

• there is now a Goodgym Richmond running club on strava that you can join

• if you wish to be part of the Richmond Taskforce (and we need more members) please speak to Mark or a taskforce member

• Keep logging those kilometres and deeds for the January Challenge - you're doing AWESOME!!