Area Activator for Wandsworth and Hounslow. All things running. For fitness, fun, racing and to feel good - and for everybody!
47 Month Streak
88 Month Streak
Block or report Anastasia Hancock
📍Battersea Arts Centre SW11 5TN
at Doddington roof garden
Wed 27th Mar at 6:30pm
Hounslow Report written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
It was a night of hellos, farewells and celebrations last night at GoodGym Hounslow!
First off we welcomed Gus to his first session - so great to have you join us. Sadly we also learned that it was to be Maddy's last session with us (for now) as she's returning to sunnier lands. We'll miss you Maddy, send us an invite when you get GoodGym Brisbane off the ground!
We were also bidding a sad goodbye to Pippa, who is off to join GoodGym Brighton, but not before she made a perfectly timed exit with her 100th good deed. Great to see you'll be taking your wings tshirt with you, and come back and visit soon!
With so much going on we had a big group for the evening, which was just as well as we had a big task to match! After a warm up we set off for Gunnersbury park, where we were helping the wardens there clear some areas where brambles had been cut down to make way for grass and trees.
We soon claimed our fleet of wheelbarrow, donned the thick gloves provided to deal with the spiky brambles, and headed off into the dark to find our job for the evening.
The machines the park had used to clear the areas had left loads of cut brambles which they had asked us to tidy up, so we set to it. Talking about the races of the past weekend (well done Harvey, Alan and Steph!) we filled ton bags full of debris, only pausing to gently move a giant bumble bee who had made a home in it.
After a good stint we moved all the bags over to the path and made our way back to base. I've already had an email from the park warden Lizzy thanking the team for your hard work, so well done for all the efforts.
Next week we have a new task helping to tidy up a community centre's outside space. Hope to see you there!
Wed 1st May at 6:30pm
Wed 10th Apr at 6:30pm
Wed 20th Mar at 6:30pm
Hounslow Report written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
With spring in the air and a spring in our step, we headed off for our task for the evening at Strand-on-the-Green school.
It was great to have Ijo along for her first session in Hounslow, welcome! Also fantastic to hear all the news of the exciting events coming up as we ran along. From Alan and Stef taking on the Queen of the Suburbs challenge this weekend, Florian getting ready for the Kew Half next weekend, and all those training for the Paris marathon, there is so much going on. Well done on all that training, it takes a lot and you should all be proud of yourselves.
We arrived at our task and I could tell everybody settled in for the usual fight with the gate. Somehow, however, we got in first time! Maybe our run of bad luck with keys and locks is finally over?
We quickly found the barrow of tools left for us to complete the job, which was to remove ivy from the back fence along the wall. First we had to identify the problem areas using the photos we had been sent, and having cracked that we divided up into teams and began de-ivying. It was satisfying work as it came off pretty easily, but the challenge came when we had to stuff it into the flimsy bags. However, a bit of elbow grease, perseverance and experience soon meant we had most of it tidied away.
That left us just enough time for our fitness session which involved some cards, a stopwatch and more power squats that you could shake a stick at. Great work everybody.
After a nice steady run back we finished the night with stretches and a debate over which pub to head to now that the regular has shut for a very inconsiderate refurb. Next week we're off to Gunnersbury park, hope to see you there!
Wed 3rd Apr at 6:30pm
This will allow people without a garden safe access to outside space
Read moreWed 20th Mar at 1:45pm
Wed 20th Mar at 1:45pm
Mon 18th Mar at 6:30pm
Wandsworth Report written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
Eleven GoodGymers, two tasks, 52 playing cards and one great Monday evening - that was last night in numbers!
It was great to see some familiar faces back (even if it's only briefly - we'll miss you Eva!) and to welcome new ones. Great to have you join us James, especially as you bring with you gardening expertise!
After some warm ups we went round the group revealing what star sign we were, and if we believed in what that was meant to say about us. There were some definite skeptics, a couple of believers, and the majority were unsure either way. With stars in our eyes we set off for our tasks for the evening.
The Omnibus theatre is a charitable organsation that aims to the arts to everybody. They receive no central government funding, so we're happy to come along and support them where we can. Last night we had the choice of washing down the many (many) windows, or working in the garden, a space we have custodianship of with the plan of growing crops to donate.
While most of the group opted for the garden and got cracking digging over the soil ahead of the mulch delivery we are getting from the council this week, Jordan, Eva, Beth and Sophie began preparing to clean the windows. Unfortunately a few issues beyond our control, including a sick DM, meant that we weren't overburdened with equipment. However, there was plenty of GG spirit to go around and some makeshift cleaning stuff meant that the windows were given a bit of love. Just don't mention what had made a home under one of the buckets in the courtyard!
Before too long the garden had been thoroughly dug over, the weeds removed, the fig tree admired, the future of the peas debated, and everything was looking much better. Great job everybody.
All that was left was our fitness session, which this week involved two teams competing for who could win the most cards. After several minutes of hard fought competition, the result couldn't have been tighter, in a nail-biting 17 v 18 finish! What an effort from everybody.
Next week I'll be away, so we'll be replacing the group run with a community mission at an Age UK centre, which will be lead by the brilliant Catherine. Feel free to run together as a group from the BAC as normal, or meet at the task directly. You can find all the details right here. Have a great week everybody!
Tue 2nd Apr at 6:30pm
Wed 20th Mar at 6:30pm
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