This week's group run marks 5 years of GoodGym Liverpool (!?) and what better way to celebrate than a bit of weeding and planting with the Urban Green Up Project?

As usual we met on Hope street and walked/ran through the rain to the park lane site where we were met by Elaine. To say the site has undergone a transformation since our last visit would be an understatement! (See the report from last time here) what was once overgrown was now neatly planted with woodchips to stop the weeds coming through.

Our task was to clear the remaining weeds ready for the rest of the woodchip to go down, as well as transplant some plants from across the way onto this site! It really does look impressive - we can't wait to see it in a couple of months when everything is is full bloom! Well done everyone, it definitely wasn't easy in the dark and wet!

After the task we headed off to the Baltic Arts bar, for a well deserved drink and cake. A lovely evening was had by all! Thanks for all the birthday goodies Ema

After four seasons in as many days Monday night arrived with a generous helping of rain. But was it mulch too wet? Never! Not for goodgym! Some of us met at 'the suitcases' and ran up to the task - it was striking that on the mile and a half run we passed areas we have litter picked, a place we have helped to create wild seed beds, and an area we have helped to weed and clear up. No two tasks are the same - it is never much of a mulchness where Monday nights are concerned.

When we arrived at the Greenhouse Project we were met by Sandra who completed her first task tonight (yayyy welcome Sandra) Heetu and Ema.

We immediately set to work filling bags and wheelbarrows of (you guessed it) mulch and transporting it to the flower beds. The mulch was spread around the established plants to discourage unwanted weed growth. Due to the continual rain the mulch felt heavier so we all got a good work out - to keep warm some people took to running laps of the area in between tasks, running with the wheelbarrow and doing some spontaneous star jumps.

Despite the rain spirits were high and there was still a lot of chat whilst we worked. Nobody sang, that I could hear,although one suggestion for a song may have been ...Mulch is all around me (and we're wet wet wet!)

We have been to the Greenhouse Project a number of times and always receive a warm welcome and are happy that there's mulch to do at the Greenhouse Project and so we get asked back.

In true Goodgym style many hands make light work and in super quick time we had finished the task and we were ready to pose soggily for our group selfie ( apologies to Pauline who had to rush off to her drumming practice so wasn't in the group picture)

Speedy gone mulchly - our work is done.

Shout outs to Heetu for her 50th task (which included a double mission this weekend) and Sian for her 10th task. Credits for photos to Pauline and for puns to Bekah and Ema. Kudos to the team tonight for working up a storm in a downpour

We were so pleased to hear that some of Goodgym Sheffield were going to be coming to Princes parkrun, and looking forward to today. However I don't think any of us realised just how fabulous it would be.

The sun shone on a cold morning making the ideal conditions for a parkrun. As always parkrun allows everyone to find their own rythmn, volunteering, walking, running, chatting. By the time we all met up at the end of the parkrun connections were already being made. Sheffield showed us their photo taking expertise - they had already decided on the perfect backdrop for a photo shoot.

We then headed down to The Third Cafe for the post parkrun breakfast and over enormous plates of delicious food and steaming drinks we chatted. It was so exciting to meet and talk about our groups and share experiences and ideas. The energy in the room was buzzing and inspiring. It never ceases to be smile inducing to get a group of people who share an interest together. Whilst at the table we got an incoming photo of Jo our intrepid parkrun tourist who had just completed her Compass Challenge at East Park Wolverhampton.

Thank you so much Sheffield crew for sharing your city break time with us - we look forward to seeing you again soon. Friends who run together brunch together

This week we were once again at The Greenhouse Project. In fact, it was the 20th task we've done there! Not only that, but it was Jake's 10th task with us - excellent work!

4 runners met on Hope Street and ran the 2km up to Lodge lane to meet the others. Special shout out to Steph and Laura who had run all the way from Lark Lane (and back!) You're doing an amazing job of getting the miles in!

We were greeted by Jess and Pat who informed us that the task was to help get the back yard ready for a big launch event on Thursday. On going outside we realised what a transformation the space had already undergone, with new hedges and a fence, which we were tasked with painting!

We started by weeding around the bottom to ensure we could access the fence and then set to work with tiny brushes and a huge tub of paint.

It was a bit if a race against time, but we managed it! As they say, many hands make light work and with 10 of us we were able to get a job done that would have taken them hours! Well done everybody, it may have been difficult to see our achievements in the dark, but I've heard it looks fantastic in the daylight!