11 runners gathered together in the pretty St Leonard's Priory Park this evening, ready for a good Monday night workout.

After a short workout consisting of the obligatory balancing exercises and some planter push-ups, we were briefed by task owner Larry as to what we would be doing this evening.

A little bit about the park

St Leonard's Priory Park is 'a community led project with Bow Church in Bromley-by-Bow. Boasting a 1000 years of history, this area is being revitalised by local people for local people.' With weekly gardening sessions, picnics and coffee mornings, the idea is to create a beautiful, useful, well-used little park in this corner of East London, that will appeal to local residents and visitors of all ages.

In preparation for the community gardening session on Saturday, space needed making for the new beds. As we wandered around to the back of the garden, we were surprised to see how much the weeds had grown since our last visit. A larger team proceeded to get stuck into trimming and digging high nettles and grass, ready to be bagged.

Meanwhile another team helped Larry carry railway sleepers around to the pallets, stacking as they went, leaving them ready for Saturday's work.

They then came on board the weeding task, while a small team of two proceeded to tackle the lawn.

It was a good workout for both upper and lower body, but the time still flew.

After gathering for one final picture, sharing the last of the celebratory Raleigh launch chocolates, Larry took runners over to the vegetable beds, offering spinach, herbs and other green goodies to take home.

What a haul!

Great work team. (And a big shout-out to Fiona​ who came up with tonight's terrific pun).

Next week we're heading to the heart of Bethnal Green to Hollybush Gardens, where Margaret will be leading another great gardening task.

Until then.

A good sized group of GoodGymers gathered in the main hospital reception at the Royal London this evening.

We were joining the Barts Volunteers Team for our monthly activity, headed up by Nancy, Tom and Richard.

In previous visits, we have been making up activity packs for the Patient and Family Contact Centre, as well delivering London evening newspapers to the wards, and completing Friends and Family Test (FFT) surveys on the wards.

This evening, GoodGymers who arrived early accompanied Tom to a busy A&E department, to offer patients a newspaper.

Meanwhile Nancy and Richard welcomed other GoodGymers as they arrived, completing sign-up and briefing on tonight’s task.

At around 7:15, the team were ready to go...

One team accompanied Richard to the Paediatric Ward to complete the FFT surveys. (This is the third time GoodGymers have participated in this task on this ward, chatting to young patients and their families, gathering essential feedback for the Trust).

The second team headed to two wards with Tom and Nancy: first to the Elderly Care Wards, and then to the Trauma Ward. Again, it was good to be given the opportunity to connect with patients, and help out with these these important conversations for the hospital.

At shortly after 8, we met up again in the light, airy reception area to chat about how we’d got on; feedback to Nancy, and enjoy some well deserved chocolate (courtesy not only of the Barts Volunteers team, but also of Raleigh!).

After saying our farewells, we headed out in different directions: some walking, some cycling, some pub-ing…

Until next time.

We were happy to be invited back to the LinkAge Plus coffee morning this Wednesday.

After our last visit to this vibrant event, where we introduced the coffee morning regulars to GoodGym, today’s visit was all about learning more on the area of Wapping.

Margaret kicked us off, with a description of the area as she remembered it in her childhood, when the docks remained open and the lifting and the lowering of the four bridges played a significant role in day-to-day life.

Pat showed us well preserved photos of her grandparents’ fruit and veg stall in Watney, a long established family business that necessitated long working hours, and some very early starts.

Soon the room was abuzz with chatter, as we learned more and more about Wapping of old, how changes came about - and what it’s like now.

We learned a lot, and enjoyed spending time with this lively group, who taught us a lot in a short space of time in this midweek session!

We took a few pictures before saying fond farewells, already starting to plan ideas for our next visit.

A big shout-out to John and Louise, who helped create such an interesting and interactive session.

Until next time.

At tonight’s big Monday night activity, we were back in Bethnal Green’s lovely Town Hall Hotel, enjoying this warm and welcoming environment before heading out to tonight’s task.

The schedule consisted of a short workout, Strength Training for Cyclists, to celebrate GoodGym’s new partnership with Raleigh, followed by a 1.6-mile run down to Columbia Road for a big woodchip-shifting session.

The workout

GoodGymers were fantastically pragmatic about heading out into the rain for tonight’s workout. Making our way to Peel Grove, the runners ran through a few speedy moves, to support cycling efforts (and general fitness). Side lunges, back extensions, standing oblique exercises were all completed, along with a little bit of cycling/strength rationale. We agreed to return to this useful content in another session (on a slightly drier evening).

We headed out via Hackney Road to our task, arriving shortly after 7 to meet task owners Ed, Dunc and Dan, who were patiently waiting in the entrance of Sivill House, trying to shield from the wind and heavy rain.

The task

We were here tonight joining these Columbia TRA (Tenants and Residents Association) members.

The group aim to enhance these estate’s green spaces, growing edible produce; helping to ensure the continued safe habitat for insects and other wildlife, and generally tending to the gardens, to make them as appealing to all residents as possible. As well as enjoying a bit of gardening themselves.

In delightful conditions, the team proceeded to start moving 4 tonnes of woodchip around to the side garden, laying it around young trees, borders and on top of the new irrigation hose supporting the garden.

I think it’s safe to say this was an effective task if you were after a workout. Shovelling woodchip into barrows, wheeling (and for some, running while wheeling) barrow after barrow around to the nearby garden almost kept us warm.

Teams were divided into woodchip shovelling; wheeling and tipping, and spreading.

The teams worked solidly for an hour, well guided by Ed, Dunc and Dan.

It was a fun time in the gardens, despite the rain and wind. And really good to be with the TRA, who explained what we were doing, and why, and inviting us to join their Sunday gardening sessions.

At shortly after 8, we collected up the last shovel, lined up wheelbarrows for safe return to the tool lock-up, and proceeded to crouch in the newly-distributed woodchip, posing for one final picture.

Heading our separate ways, Johnny navigated us back to the Hotel, via a quieter, more picturesque route, headed up by Aidan and Sean.

What a night. No mean feat in that weather. Well done everyone, especially to Ed, for arranging and leading a great task, some lovely pics - and for coming up with tonight's top pun.

Until next time.

It was a lovely evening to gather in the bright, spacious atrium of the RLH this evening for our monthly visit to the hospital with the Barts Volunteers team.

Background to our task

We've been coming to the Hospital to join Nancy and the brilliant Barts Volunteers team for a while now.

For 2023, we have set up monthly visits to the hospital, in which our tasks have focused on two areas: making up activity packs and menu cards for the Patient and Family Contact Centre, and visiting the wards to gather essential feedback from patients and families.

Tonight’s teams were divided into three: one remained in the Atrium, under the careful eye of Nancy, to make up activity packs, while a further two teams headed upstairs with Richard and Tom to visit the wards, gathering vital feedback and distributing newspapers to patients.

The activity pack team worked at a fantastic pace, buoyed on by Nancy’s film quiz (“guess the artist and film to this song”) and a few tasty Lindt.

The ward teams also worked at a fast pace, engaging in many useful and meaningful conversations with patients of all ages.

Essential survey feedback was gathered, which helps the Trust in delivering effective, current, care and treatment while copies of evening London newspapers were distributed to patients, always a much-appreciated, well received bit of reading by all accounts .

Finishing at varying times gave us an opportunity to enjoy a catch-up with one another, and with the Barts Volunteers team, finding out more about what we will be involved with in the months ahead.

At just gone 8:15, we were deciding where and how to pose for this week’s group shot, headed up by Ritchie!

A huge team effort tonight! Special shout-outs to:

• Abie, whose first GoodGym event it was. Great to see you Abie, and hope to see you again soon!

• Abie and Alice who came up with tonight's pun.

• And Olivia, who reached her 100th good deed at tonight’s task (Olivia reached her 50th good deed at this same task at the end of October!). Congratulations Olivia!

Another brilliant Monday evening with the team!

Next week, we head to a brand new task in Columbia Road, to join some great gardening activity!

Until then.