I visited MsS for the third time this afternoon and met a fairly decent portion of her family who had travelled far to visit her for the weekend. Whilst her family cleaned and tidied the house, I got to work in the back garden. I finished pulling the thigh-high plants, swept up broken ceramic pots, filled up six garden waste bags, dismantled a bench, removed a precious handle-bar bell from an incredible light blue folding bicycle and finally joined MsS in her kitchen for a catch up and to help her schedule a bulky waste collection for the end of next week.

Four intrepid GoodGymers rose early this morning to help Chris and the rest of the lovely Friends of Arnold Circus and wider volunteering crew for the annual Autumn Plant Fair. The usual grab and carry action ensued to ensure nurseries could get their vans unloaded and produce on display atop predominantly hessian covered trestle tables around the band stand.

Some time was spent attempting to help green-thumbed stall-holders find what proved to be limited parking options.

I'd like to welcome Grace who joined after everything had been set up but left a favourable first impression with Chris who said she was friendly and keen to help.

St Peter’s was looking really nice this evening, especially with the lights we put up during our last session now all lit up!

We split into two groups, with one group outside collecting up the leaves and clearing them away. Once we had gathered them all up, they were put into the compost, giving them a chance to eventually go back into the ground and give something back to the garden.

The other group definitely had a more hands-on job, getting stuck into taking things down, unscrewing bits, carrying boxes and helping to clear and reorganise the space inside the church. There was plenty to get involved with, and everyone was happy to get stuck in.

Lucinda was also busy giving one of the benches a fresh coat of paint, while a few cats made an appearance outside too!

With so many people coming along, it made for a really enjoyable evening with plenty of teamwork, good vibes and lots getting done.

We started today’s session with a lap around the garden, although I think the real leader of the run was the very energetic dog who came along with us! There was definitely no shortage of energy!

After our lap, we got stuck into some litter picking. There was only one glove between the four of us, so we had to take turns, but we still managed to fill a whole bag with rubbish! Not bad for a quick and easy task.

It was also Ros's first GoodGym session, so it was lovely to have her join us! Hopefully this is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to see how far she goes with GoodGym

A simple Sunday session, but a good one — especially with one very enthusiastic four-legged team member! 🐶

The Goodgym crew were back in full force for the 5th edition of the Camino Ultra London Epping Forest races. We have been lending our help to our fellow runners (over the 25km and 50km distance) since 2021 (the original Lea Valley 50km after lockdown), and we are thrilled to support accessible local grassroots endurance events whenever we can!

https://www.caminoultra.com/

The majority of our team assisted with setting up and managing the Butler's Retreat aid station in Chingford (a few paces away from the Epping Forest tourist information hub). Daz and Simon were up before 6am installing a gazebo, arranging nutrition and food and filling up water canteens for over 500 runners making their way along "The Green Corridor". Half of the runners were running from The Golden Fleece in Wanstead Flats for the classic 50km distance, while the other half were running the equally competitive 25km distance from Epping Cricket Club to Wanstead.

As our first runners reached the aid station, Lorna, Ramón, Emma and James were on hand to help with filling water bottles and providing care for their journeys. Eslam and his lovely family formed a cheer squad near the Butler's Retreat café, and alerted the runners about the upcoming road crossings. It was an absolute blast and a lovely way to catch up with our running friends!

As the day started to draw in, superstars Louise and Sam helped with running the 8.8 miles to Wanstead Flats while removing all of the course markings on route. An essential task (especially for the future of this wonderful race), and left in capable hands. Well done!

Thank you all for your efforts today. Keep your eyes peeled for future tasks at the Camino Ultra London Lea Valley Races on March 2027!