Cambridge Goodgymers put on their running shoes to volunteer and run or walk at Fulbourn Hospital Parkrun today. It was a very muddy morning but it was great to get out there and help make the parkrun happen.

Catherine did an amazing job marshalling, encouraging the runners and directing them safely on a slightly altered, slippery course. Caroline sprinted round and still had enough energy left to sort the tokens, ready for next week's event. Alexandra made sure no one was left behind, doing a fantastic job tailwalking. Harriet had a lovely parkwalk and then helped out with the post-event closedown. We relaxed after all this lovely activity with hot drinks and cakes in the cafe.

This week was all about chalk stream restoration and what a fantastic experience it was! Joining with Abbey People and the Greater Cambridge Chalk Stream Project, GoodGymers got busy at Coldham's Brook helping to restore this rare habitat. 💧

As well as the activity itself, we learned a lot about the ecological value of chalk streams. The porous chalk allows water to seep through quickly, removing organic matter and sediment, which results in very clear, very clean water, and supports a unique array of wildlife. 🌿

Our sessions involved:

• 🗑️ Litter picking - collecting bagfuls of rubbish, unearthing a lot of metal piping, complete bikes and shopping trolleys, and even a bag of Hindu deities (I will try and find their owner!).

• 🧹 Clearing - raking the banks to clear brambles and nettles, creating natural protective barriers.

• 🌿 Seeding - sowing a mix of marginal plant seeds along the banks of the stream to promote biodiversity.

• 🪜 Fencing - installing temporary fencing to protect the area while it establishes.

Catherine also rescued a toad from a near-miss with a rake, making sure it was safely returned to some vegetation on the bank edge. 🐸

EcoNick joined all 3 sessions this week 💪 " There was a serious amount of rubbish to clear from 10 til 2. The next session there isn't for a while so we needed to finish it. It was a really good workout, shifting mangled shopping trolleys. Looking forward to getting in the water more next week, and far far less rubbish!"

The project continues next week the more serene Hobson's brook.

Our last push for the Cambridge City Foodbank winter appeal, delivering the final batch of letter packs across Cambridge.

Learning my lesson from last time (that it is quite hard to run for miles with 10kg of leaflet packs on your back) we had less of a group run and more of a group cycle with Caroline cycling furiously across town to meet me in Newnham and finish the leaflet delivery we started last month. Michele delivered a large batch of packs to houses in the centre of Cambridge, and all in, we distributed another 500 packs.

Earlier on in the day, Nick (top UK recycler) had been at it again with the litter picking, keeping the streets of Cambridge clean ♻️

Litter picked and leaflet packs delivered, we headed for a "quiet" drink. With the music pumping, there was a tactical switching of bars before any moves came out. As always, in the company of GoodGymers and with some much needed laugher, the social was a fantastic way to end the month!